As of the month of April, globally, the estimated total number of confirmed patients of Covid-19 has exceeded 2 million and the death toll has also exceeded 120,000. And we are expecting additional numbers in the coming few months. This is a real catastrophe! The outbreak of an epidemic is not just a biological issue…
EDITORIAL: Missions in Times of Crisis
History tells us that great mission breakthroughs tend to occur during times of personal, national or global crises. The Pharaoh of Egypt acknowledged the sovereign God who foretold him about the upcoming national and global economic crises through dreams and Joseph’s interpretation of his dreams (Gen. 41). King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian Empire came to…
CHIANG MAI DECLARATION
The Thirteenth Convention of The Asia Missions Association, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 2019 We believe that God created and reigns over the heavens and the earth and everything in it. He has a special plan to redeem humanity and all creation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He gave us His Great Commission, so we as His co-workers…
DID GOD ENVISION THE EXPANSION OF HIS KINGDOM?
Certain expressions are part of the Evangelical stock. We are so accustomed to the use of these expressions that we seldom pause and ask why we say what we say or, more importantly, are these expressions consistent with what the Scripture teaches. In this essay, I will explore one particular expression which we often use,…
NOVEL GOSPEL OPPORTUNITIES: How One International Church in China is Maximizing New Gospel Opportunities
What happens “When the Church Is the Church”? This was the title of a sermon delivered at Beijing International Christian Fellowship Zhong Guan Cun (BICF-ZGC) just before the Chinese New Year. Weeks on, we are now in the midst of the novel coronavirus outbreak. It’s been incredibly challenging and encouraging to see the answer to…
NATIONAL REPORT: PAKISTAN ON MIGRATION AND MISSION
INTRODUCTION This presentation is a national report on migrations in the history of Pakistan since 1947 with its implication to ‘Migration and Mission’ as a mission commitment of the Church. It is a case study of a church in a minority group of about 3 percent among 97 per cent Muslim majority. Christians formally and…
KINGDOMIZATION THROUGH OIKOS CHURCH NETWORKS OF INSIDER MOVEMENTS: A BIBLICAL MISSIOLOGY
How should the global church understand and implement missio dei to actualize the kingdom of God, so that the will of God will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt. 6:9-10)? What should be our biblical vision and our mission strategy? Right after the Lausanne’s Global Workplace Forum (GWF) held in Manila…
REGIONAL REPORT
The East-West Mission Research and Development Center Asia Office (hereinafter referred to as the EWC Asia Office) began full-scale ministry in Chiang Mai, Thailand on November 15, 2017, with the goal “The Missionary movement of the Asian Churches”. Currently, a total of 4 missionaries, together with their families (Dr. Steve Eom, Dr. Charles Kim, Dr….
GLOBAL FAMILY AND THE CORONAVIRUS
God is our refuge in times of troubles, and He is our defender, as well as our deliverer. Last week, the Asia Theological Association announced that Rev. Dr. Wilson Teo, a respected Singaporean church leader, senior pastor of Grace Assembly in Singapore, has been infected with Covid-19. To date, 16 cases linked to the congregation…
LANGUAGE HIERARCHY AND THEOLOGICAL DEPENDENCY
INTRODUCTION This paper will explore the influence of language hierarchy and linguistic appraisal on day-to-day ministry and on theological reflection in the Philippines arguing that, socio-economic values people ascribe to dominant languages promote theological dependency and complicate pastoral ministry. COLONIZATION AND MEDIUM-OF-INSTRUCTION POLICY During the American colonial period in the Philippines, the English language was…