To facilitate a truly global conversation, we ask Christian leaders from around the world to respond to the Global Conversation’s lead articles. These points of view do not necessarily represent the Lausanne Movement. They are designed to stimulate discussion from all points of the compass and from different segments of the Christian community. Please add your perspective by posting a comment so that we can learn and grow together in the unity of the Spirit.

Following on from Sadiri Joy Tira’s "Regions Beyond"

Diaspora ministry is not new to OMF International.  When the western missionary force was no longer welcome in China in the early 1950s, the China Inland Mission (CIM) felt led of the Lord to re-deploy their missionaries (OMF) to places in East Asia, first to reach the Chinese Diaspora scattered around East Asia and ultimately to other East Asian peoples.  In the 1980s OMF realized in part the strategic opportunity that God was providing, but in the last 12 years OMF has been aware of a growing and exciting movement of God amongst the Diaspora peoples globally. In 2008 OMF International took the step of appointing our first truly global borderless Field as a Mission: the Diaspora Ministries Field.  It is considered one of five major strategic focuses for OMF International as a mission.  God is at work and we want to be where He is, and He is most definitely working within East Asians Diaspora communities, both in East Asia and around the world. 

God has given OMF the incredible privilege of being able to touch East Asian peoples in many strategic places in the world. With OMF bridging both home and host countries the distance has shrunk. There are over 80 million East Asians scattered globally. With these immense Diaspora communities being in constant motion, it is important to use this possibly limited window of opportunity by responsibly linking East Asians going abroad with Diaspora personnel and Returnees with Asia field workers.

Our hearts beat for the neglected frontier of East Asia’s Diaspora peoples. Our concentration is upon the first generation from among these communities who will return to their home country with a passion to share their faith in Christ with their own people.

We evangelize East Asians passionately desiring to see them come to Christ, knowing His power, embracing a biblical worldview and turning their backs on the worship of false gods. We disciple them in the faith, seeing people being transformed by the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit as they study the word of God and interact with fellow believers. In equipping them for ministry, we want to see them having a Kingdom mentality and a missional lifestyle (Col. 1:9‐14).

We will seek to equip these Returnees to share Christ, serve in the local church and model Christ likeness, thereby being involved in establishing vibrant churches and fellowships, which will reproduce themselves. Many East Asians whom we will reach may never return to their home countries. However they will reach out to their own people in their host countries. We will seek to instill in this group a deep burden and vision for their returnee brothers and sisters (Eph 4:13‐16).