Missions With Spanish and Portuguese Accents
World Missions from the Hispanic/Latino churches (1987 – 2007)
By Grant McClung
One of the advantages of thirty years in global missions involvement is the vantage point of looking back for perspective. What a gratifying realization to see how God has raised up an active missions force among our Spanish and Portuguese-speaking churches. Twenty years ago this month (November 1987) I accompanied a delegation of North American observers to a historic interdenominational missions congress in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
It was called by the Spanish and Portuguese acronym, “COMIBAM ’87” (“Comibam” meaning “Congreso Misionero Ibero-Americano” or the “Ibero-American Missions Congress”). It brought together more than 3,000 participants from the wider world of “Ibero-America,” including all of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries of the Americas as well as the colonial “mother” countries of Spain and Portugal.
More than 100 Church of God leaders participated in the strategic meeting, including Dr. Rodolfo Giron of Guatemala who was eventually named the President/CEO of the burgeoning movement. “Comibam ’87” will always be one of the “defining moments” in my own missions journey.
Looking back and looking around, one can give thanks to God for what was “then” (1987) and what is “now” (2007). These seven areas of our world evangelization force hold great potential for what “will be” in the years to come:
1. Personnel
a. Then – limited full-time missionary personnel. b. Now – a growing percentage of missionaries from Ibero-America.
2. Pioneers
a. Then – mission to unreached people groups was yet a dream for most. b. Now – dedicated personnel opening up and remaining in “restricted access” nations and among unreached people groups. 3. Parishes
a. Then – a limited number of local churches involved in world missions. b. Now – an explosion of supporting congregations (1,000 plus in the U.S. alone) who are praying, giving, going into world missions.
4.Partners
a. Then – one international board, limited number of national committees. b. Now – a multiplication of national, regional missions boards and new sending agencies.
5. Publications
a. Then – few Spanish and Portuguese- language missions resources. b. Now – a proliferation of printed and electronic missions training resources, including my own Creyenteglobal.com (the Spanish version of my Globalbeliever.com, both from Pathway Press).
6. Professors (i.e. Trainers)/Promoters
a. Then – only a handful of trained missions teachers/mobilizers. b. Now – a wider array of Hispanic/Latino missions veterans with professional training in missiology and intercultural ministry.
7. Prayer/Missionary Passion
a. Then – mainly focused on evangelism in Hispanic/Latino culture. b. Now – a “white hot” missionary fervor for “the ends of the earth.”
As a teenager, I had my first short-term missions experience (from California into the heart of Mexico). Now, after scores of missions experiences across Ibero-America, including my own missionary leadership in Spain and Portugal, I can say that “Missions with Spanish and Portuguese Accents” will be one of the defining trends in the future of world missions.
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Dr. Grant McClung, called to Church of God missionary service during a short-term missions trip to Mexico in 1967, is a veteran world missions leader. He is currently serving as Associate Professor of World Missions at the Church of God Theological Seminary and is a member of the International Executive Council.
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