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.
A Response to Dr Sadiri Joy Tira’s “Regions Beyond”
Dr. Sadiri Joy Tira’s “Redefining the ‘Region’s Beyond” aptly makes the point that today’s global migration patterns—especially diaspora movement—require a timely, strategic reexamination and modification of the traditional definitions of mission, missionary, and mission fields. For this trend creates a stimulating impetus for missions around the world. In my estimation, what he calls for is not necessarily radial or controversial, for both the Scriptures and church history testify to diaspora mission as a divine strategy employed throughout history.
Specifically, his essay compels the reader to consider the following two questions. First, “Are we taking a hard enough look at the UPGs in today’s reality of motion and change?” They are no longer confined within the geographical area of the 10/40 Window. Once they relocate themselves to North America or Europe and reestablish themselves as diaspora communities, however, do they cease to be the urgent subjects of evangelism and missions? Second, “Who is a missionary?” The force of this question is much more impactful than simply conceptual, for within it are embedded the matters of who should do missions and how the church should train and commission missionaries.
In my estimation, Dr. Tira’s intention is not necessarily to suggest that the past mission methods and endeavors were dissatisfactory, or that they categorically do not work today. Rather, he prophetically directs the church to seize the missional momentum presented to this generation through the complex and fluid phenomenon of diaspora movement. People of virtually all regions are on the move for manifold reasons. Inasmuch as mission is about reaching people in the name of Jesus Christ through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the mission fields are on the move. Therefore, missions must also be on the move.
Having said all this, however, we must keep in mind that among those who are not on the move are the most impoverished, malnourished, persecuted, marginalized, and disenfranchised people. They do not move because they are completely disconnected from the resources and opportunities to move out of their unbearable environments. Therefore, the church must also carry on with the “old” business of training and commissioning missionaries to cross cultures and nations in order to “take” the gospel to them. In this way, we can bring the whole gospel to the whole world, while maximizing on our generations’ gratuitous opportunity to do missions to and through the people on the move.
Dr. Miyon Chung has been teaching ST and Ethics at Torch Trinity since the fall of 2002. She was born in Seoul, Korea but immigrated with her family to the US in 1979. She received her B.A. (Government/Pre-Law) from the University of Texas at Austin and subsequently received two Master’s degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Church Social Work and in Theology. While working on her Ph.D. in Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Chung taught classes in Systematic Theology as a Teaching Fellow and concurrently served as Academic Dean of Dallas Korean Seminary and Guatemala Baptist Seminary. Since coming to Korea, Dr. Chung has been serving at Suwon Central Baptist Church as a translator. She also teaches at the church’s associated Bible College. Her international ministries include working with Baptist World Alliance, Asia Pacific Baptist Fellowship, Diaspora Track of Lausanne Consultation on World Evangelism, and Global Diaspora Network.