Five Trends for World Missions – Conclusion
This article is Part 4 and 5 of a series of five trends facing World Missions, written by Dr. Bill George, Editorial Assistant to the General Overseer, before his death on January 31, 2017.
The Mission Field Will Increasingly Become a Mission Force
Throughout Church of God World Missions history, the places called “mission fields” have produced outstanding missionaries who have worked effectively in other countries. It is likely, even necessary, that this trend will continue.
North Americans have an image problem in many parts of the world, and entrance into certain countries is quite difficult. People from outside the United States and Canada often do not have the same problem, and they can go where North Americans cannot go. It is also true that in a number of mature missions countries—in parts of Latin America, Europe, and Asia—the theological educational preparation of ministers is equal to or superior to that demonstrated by some North American missionary applicants.
The future is positive for these non-American missionary hopefuls.
Missions Is Committed to Fulfilling the Great Commandment
Victor Pagán, a former missions executive, was often heard to say, “The hand that reaches out to extend the Gospel to a man or woman is sometimes more effective if it holds a potato.” The Great Commandment (see Matthew 22:36-39) calls upon believers to love God first, and love their neighbors as they do themselves. Loving people means helping them.
The Church of God operates 131 orphanages and homes for children outside the United States. Through gifts by donors, to Serving Orphans Worldwide, and through partnerships with Operation Compassion and the Lazarus Foundation, World Missions has been able to assist 76 of the orphanages with funds or supplies at different times of need.
This is nothing more than the church should do. Loving a neighbor is manifested by caring action. For this reason, the church operates medical clinics, feeding centers, and other charitable outreaches.
The Church of God claims a great missionary heritage. Banding together to do what one church alone cannot do effectively, the church has pooled its resources of dedicated missionaries, capable national workers, and donors to touch 183 nations of the world, to recruit more than 6 million members outside North America, and to obey the Great Commission. Much remains to be done.
Let the church look toward the horizon of tomorrow, commit itself to the mission, and continue Great Commission obedience, until Christ’s “Well done, good and faithful servant” is pronounced.
(Source: Church of God World Missions)
