This book is a challenge to Western Christians to rethink their missionary strategies, particularly in relation to giving towards the work of mission in the ‘two-thirds world’, a term related to population density rather than land mass, and previously known a the ‘third world’.
Dr. Yohannan tells his own story of how his mother’s prayer “O God, let one of my boys preach” looked to be unanswered, as each of her six sons chose alternative life paths. However, the youngest, who despite showing no leadership skills and being rather shy, responded to a visiting Gospel team from Operation Mobilization, in their home in South India. Their presentation of the desperate need for missionaries in the north of India, to give their lives to tell others about Jesus Christ in the face of severe hardship and persecution, tugged at K.P.’s heart. So, in 1966 at age 16, his mother handed him enough money for his train ticket and he set off on his life-time adventure.
For the next seven years he travelled with mobile evangelistic teams all over North India, climbing a very steep learning curve as he ventured to share the Gospel, using few resources and living a peasant life-style. His eyes were opened to the poverty and entrapment to false religions and he began to grasp the reality of the spiritual battle he was in.
Then, he was invited for two years of study in the United States and even more culture shock ensued, as he struggled to understand the overwhelming abundance and wealth of the North American church, compared with the stark deprivation of his Asian brothers. He became convinced that the Western plan for sending missionaries, incurring great expense and bearing little fruit, could be transformed into the Western church providing the finance for native missionary evangelists in Asia.
The remainder of the book then tells the story of Gospel for Asia, the organization he founded in 1980 with the idea of encouraging people to put aside $1 a day for native missionary work. This is the amount that most native missionaries have to live on and providing that amount, from the Western economy, would double their income and enable many more to respond to the call to go to their countrymen. Today Dr Yohannan still continues to administer the funds. He has carried out a great deal of research, presenting this in an interesting way; interweaving true life stories and statistical evidence together to demonstrate his conviction that sponsoring native missionaries is the only viable option open in the 21st century.
He communicates his case very well, explaining the difficulties and successes he has experienced, and devoting a whole chapter to answering the most frequently asked questions of people about his ministry.
A few statistics taken from the book are that, up to 2004, Gospel for Asia has more than 14,000 national missionaries in the heart of the 10/40 Window (This is a geographical area bordered by the line of latitude, 10 degrees north, and the line of longitude, 40 degrees west. Researchers have identified that this area contains the most un-reached people groups for the Gospel, throughout the world). Gospel for Asia operates 54 Bible colleges with more than 8,000 students and heads up a church-planting movement that pioneers an average of 12 new fellowships every day. (www.gfa.org)
Christian Vision’s ‘Impact a Nation’ project uses slightly different methods, but the end goal is the same, to train up nationals to take over the church-planting and discipling in the nations of Mozambique, Angola, East Timor and Zambia. (www.christianvision.org)
I found Revolution in World Missions interesting, informative and very thought provoking, and I would recommend it for those who have a heart for world missions.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Monday, October 1, 2007
Heroes of the Faith - Eric Liddell, by Ellen Caughey
The story of Eric Liddell is well known, especially since the wonderful 1981 film, Chariots of Fire, which focuses on the events surrounding his triumph in the 1924 Olympic Games, held in Paris. However, in this little book, which is part of the Heroes of the Faith series, only one chapter is devoted to this episode in his life. The other fourteen chapters retell the rest of his life, both before and after those exciting days which made him famous.
I was familiar with some of the story, but didn’t know the details of his life in China. Eric Henry Liddell was born to Scottish missionary parents, in Tiensin, China, in 1902 and died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, in Weihsien, China, in 1945. Of his 43 years on this earth, he spent 27 of them in China, the remainder, at school, university and missionary college, in Britain. His death, from what was thought to be a brain tumor, was tragic, especially for his young family, who were sent to Canada, when his third child was expected, in 1941, just before the attack on Pearl Harbour and subsequent invasion of China. He only saw this youngest daughter in photographs and his wife knew about his death only two months after the event.
His was a life lived with great purpose: his passion to return to China had dominated his thoughts and been his motivation throughout all the athletic training and meets. Even when he won Scotland’s first Olympic Gold Medal in the 400m race he did not seek or accept personal glory and accolade, but used his prominence to preach the Gospel to thousands of men and boys, urging them onto a higher goal. He left the fame of England for the obscurity of China in 1925, to fulfill his life’s calling to teach and train a generation of boys, who would impact their nation for God. He died persuing that dream, determined to stay with the other missionaries who had given their all trying to transform a nation.
Although Eric is largely known for swapping his track shoes for hiking boots, he continued to both race and train other runners in China. His physical fitness was one of his hallmarks, enabling him to cycle great distances, encouraging local pastors.
Told largely chronologically, but starting with a race meeting in 1923, I liked the way the author included several extracts from letters and journals written by Eric, which provided more insight into him as a person. I found the background history of China, especially as it concerned the Liddell family, most helpful for setting it in the context of the great missionary thrust of the last century and then, of the Japanese invasion of China. The story is told sensitively and with great detail, building a picture of each family member, his wife and several friends who were significant throughout his life and who were greatly impacted through his friendship and example.
Smaller than A5 in size, this tiny book was useful for taking about, to read in spare moments.
A great quick read and highly recommended.
I was familiar with some of the story, but didn’t know the details of his life in China. Eric Henry Liddell was born to Scottish missionary parents, in Tiensin, China, in 1902 and died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, in Weihsien, China, in 1945. Of his 43 years on this earth, he spent 27 of them in China, the remainder, at school, university and missionary college, in Britain. His death, from what was thought to be a brain tumor, was tragic, especially for his young family, who were sent to Canada, when his third child was expected, in 1941, just before the attack on Pearl Harbour and subsequent invasion of China. He only saw this youngest daughter in photographs and his wife knew about his death only two months after the event.
His was a life lived with great purpose: his passion to return to China had dominated his thoughts and been his motivation throughout all the athletic training and meets. Even when he won Scotland’s first Olympic Gold Medal in the 400m race he did not seek or accept personal glory and accolade, but used his prominence to preach the Gospel to thousands of men and boys, urging them onto a higher goal. He left the fame of England for the obscurity of China in 1925, to fulfill his life’s calling to teach and train a generation of boys, who would impact their nation for God. He died persuing that dream, determined to stay with the other missionaries who had given their all trying to transform a nation.
Although Eric is largely known for swapping his track shoes for hiking boots, he continued to both race and train other runners in China. His physical fitness was one of his hallmarks, enabling him to cycle great distances, encouraging local pastors.
Told largely chronologically, but starting with a race meeting in 1923, I liked the way the author included several extracts from letters and journals written by Eric, which provided more insight into him as a person. I found the background history of China, especially as it concerned the Liddell family, most helpful for setting it in the context of the great missionary thrust of the last century and then, of the Japanese invasion of China. The story is told sensitively and with great detail, building a picture of each family member, his wife and several friends who were significant throughout his life and who were greatly impacted through his friendship and example.
Smaller than A5 in size, this tiny book was useful for taking about, to read in spare moments.
A great quick read and highly recommended.
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