International (MNN) — The rapid church growth in Asia, Africa, and Latin America over recent years has challenged how North Americans do missions.
People are often more receptive to missionaries from the two-thirds world than to North-Americans or Europeans.
Steve Strauss, the U.S. director of SIM International, explains, “When an African or a Latin American or an Asian comes in as a believer in Jesus Christ, that catches some people off guard because it blows apart their stereotypes, and they can’t say that the Christian faith is just a European or an American faith, so I think that’s one of the reasons that Latin Americans and folks from other places can be especially effective in world evangelism.”
SIM is undergoing a strategic review of their ministries worldwide to determine how they can best respond to this expansion of the church around the world. “Seize the Day” is SIM’s focus as they review and strategize how to continue mobilizing Christians to be missions-minded and increase global evangelism. They are finding that the future of missions is in partnership with indigenous missionaries, and SIM will be increasing partnerships with those indigenous sending forces. They will also focus on assisting the church in North America in developing a greater missions vision.
“Because of the way the church is growing around the world, I think it’s important not just to send out missionaries in a traditional way, but to realize God’s raising up hundreds of sending centers of mission around the world,” says Strauss.
SIM’s fastest growing sending office is in South Korea, where they have sent out over 12,000 Korean missionaries. Strauss is excited about the fact that such a sending force is working both powerfully and effectively around the world.
Pray for the great number of missionaries from the two-thirds world. Pray for the North American and European church to respond well in partnership and unity with believers worldwide.
