International (MNN) — The annual Missio Nexus event – North America’s largest mission conference – wrapped up this weekend. Over 935 missions agency and church leaders gathered for three days of discussion, teachings, and networking.
Karin Primuth was a keynote speaker at the Missio Nexus Leadership Conference and also serves as a board member of Asian Access.
(Photo courtesy of Missio Nexus)
One of the event’s keynote speakers was Asian Access board member Karin Primuth. She says everything at the Missio Nexus Leadership Conference revolved around a central theme: partnership.
“The future is no longer about pioneering. It’s really about partnering with our brothers and sisters in the ‘global south’, who’re going to have an increasingly significant leadership role in the world mission movement.”
Primuth’s primary focus is an organization called visionSynergy. As stated here, visionSynergy helps Christian organizations work together for maximum impact. They accomplish this by developing and strengthening strategic mission networks and partnerships in critical areas.
“What we are seeing is that God is at work like no other time in history…so that the Gospel can go to the ends of the earth,” she says.
“That is being done in partnership, and we see that especially in the growth of mission networks around the world.”
Connecting individual believers and churches to a wider “mission network” has been the heart of Mission Network News for more than 20 years. Visit our Partners page to see who’s in the network.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Partnership and collaboration are vital to finishing the task of the Great Commission, Primuth notes.
““God designed the Church to work together. All throughout Scripture we see examples of God calling His Body to work as One.”
She points to Christ’s final prayer in John 17 as an example. He could’ve prayed for solid theology or church multiplication, she says, but instead, he prayed for unity.
Disunity in today’s ministries highlights the importance of teamwork.
“The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, and that causes big gaps in the mission movement because we don’t know who’s where and what they’re doing,” says Primuth.
“But, when we’re coordinated and we’re bringing the best of our strengths and resources to the process of what God is doing, then He’s able to mobilize and unite His Body to do things far beyond what any organization could do alone.”
Primuth points to Asian Access as a “prime” example of partnership and collaboration.
Working together to reach Asia
As a board member, Primuth is familiar with the “ins and outs” of A2’s structure and operations. “The whole model is built around partnering,” she shares, describing internal and external examples of collaboration.
While A2’s work in each country is nationally-focused, U.S. personnel partner with indigenous leaders to provide resources and training. Indigenous leaders bring in other leaders from across the country for A2’s training sessions. Additionally, A2 staff and national leaders work together to bring in “volunteer faculty” to participate in leadership development programs.
Pan Asia Leader Development Program in session.
(Photo courtesy of Asian Access)
The result is an extensive missions network stretching throughout the world’s largest continent.
“There are many networks like that now that are uniting the Church around the world to accomplish much more significant things than they could accomplish if they just worked separately,” says Primuth.
Partnership means that more people get to learn about Christ as organizations combine resources and strengths. But, it also means that we – as individual believers – have to look for Gospel opportunities.
“If God has planted a big vision on your heart, it’s very probable that He has planted the same vision in the hearts of other people,” notes Primuth.
“I think it really begins with asking the Lord, ‘what have You called me to?’ and ‘who else have you called to this same vision?’”
Learn more about the work of Asian Access here.
Header image courtesy of Missio Nexus via Facebook.
