Next Stop: Asia: October 12, 2011
“… theological education is the back-bone of authentic Christian witness in Asia"—Asian Forum on Theological Education, WCC
According to the Lausanne World Pulse, the fastest-growing churches in the world are now located in South Asia. In fact, over the last century the number of Protestant and Independent Christians in this region jumped from under 4 million to more than 193 million. Despite these tremendous gains, however, more than 83% of the world’s unreached peoples still live there.
Maybe it’s time to think more seriously about Asia.
In studying the growth of Christianity in that part of the world, one of the first lessons to be learned is the enormous advantage of equipping Asian believers for leadership roles. Dr. Timothy Kiho Park, director of Korean Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary and a Korean himself, speaks approvingly of pioneer missionaries who focused early on encouraging “self-government, self-propagation of the faith, and self-support.”
This is good news for those of us living in the West, especially when critics argue that the rise of Christianity in Asia is no different from the rise of blue jeans or diet sodas. Christianity may have dominated Western thought for centuries, but a church that is lead by Koreans, attended by Koreans, and financially maintained by Koreans is certainly as Korean as it is anything else and remains a powerful witness to the universality of the Christian message.
So what role do we have as Western Christians? I believe our primary role is one of support to the vibrant faith already growing in Asia, and there are three specific ways we can offer that support no matter where we live.
The first, of course, is to pray for the Asian church. We can also work hard to keep ourselves informed about the needs, spiritual development, and changing political landscape in that part of the world. A greater awareness will not only allow us to pray more effectively but will also guide us to offer our tangible support where it’s most needed.
Beyond a foundation of prayer and compassion, our goal must be to share what we have with our brothers and sisters in Christ with the same eagerness shown by the early church. That we assume money is our greatest asset is perhaps more of a commentary on Western values than on anything else. For my part, I believe one of the greatest assets still enjoyed by the Western church is access to quality theological education.
Degrees, books, conferences, and programs of every description are available to pastors in the West while leaders in the majority world often begin their ministries with few opportunities for mentoring and no formal training at all. If we want to share, let’s not forget to share the wealth that truly matters.
Theological education can do more than simply increase the effectiveness of a pastor’s individual ministry, however. This past June, the Asian Forum on Theological Education (AFTE) published a statement affirming that: “there is a need for greater solidarity between different churches transcending stereotyped views of each other as ‘ecumenicals,’ ‘evangelicals’ or ‘charismatics’ in witnessing to Christ in today’s world.” Making sound theological education a priority will help believers to focus on the orthodoxy we do share rather than the sometimes superficial differences that can cause so much division.
As I’ve begun to research the possibility of partnering with seminaries in several Asian countries in 2012, I would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and direction. Obtaining a visa to certain South Asian countries is currently quite difficult for American citizens, and there are always logistical and language difficulties to overcome in the best of circumstances.
Please join us in asking God to provide both the opportunities and the wisdom to handle them well!