Bringing the Gospel to Asia by supporting native missionaries

"As a general rule I believe it is wiser to support native missionaries in their own lands than to send Western missionaries," writes K.P. Yohannan in his book Revolution in World Missions.

After reading this impressive and challenging book, I do agree that it makes perfect sense to support the native missionary force that God is raising up in Asia. Western style missionaries will have to bridge a cultural gap and - if they are not willing to become one with the natives - it will be very difficult (if not impossible) to be an effective evangelist.

Some thought-provoking quotes for you (and me!) to consider: "I would submit to you that the single most important hindrance to world evangelization right now is the lack of total involvement by the Body of Christ. I am convinced there are enough potential sponsors to support all the native missionaries needed to evangelize the Two-Thirds World. The native missionary movement is relatively new, and many Christians still have not been challenged to participate, but that is superficial. The real truth is much more basic - and more deadly. The three major reasons why the Body of Christ falls short in facilitating world evangelization are the sins of pride, unbelief and worldliness" (p. 87)

"Christians need to learn that they are not giving their money to native workers, but God's money to His work overseas."

When commerce had been established with the Fiji Islanders, a merchant who was an atheist and skeptic landed on the island to do business. He was talking to the Fijian chief and noticed a Bible and some other paraphernalia of religion around the house.
"What a shame," he said, "that you have listened to this foolish nonsense of the missionaries."
The chief replied, "Do you see the large white stone over there? That is a stone where just a few years ago we used to smash the heads of our victims to get at their brains. Do you see the large oven over there? That is the oven where just a few years ago we used to bake the bodies of our victims before we feasted upon them. Had we not listened to what you call the nonsense of those missionaries, I assure you that your head would already be smashed on that rock and your body would be baking in that oven." (p. 114)

"When I stand before audiences in churches and mission conferences, people are astonished to hear the real facts of missions today. The frontline work of missions in Asia has been taken over almost completely by indigenous missionaries. And the results are outstanding. Believers are shocked to learn that native missionaries are starting hundreds of new churches every week in the Two-Thirds World, that thousands of people a day are being converted to Christ, and that tens of thousands of well-qualified, spiritually able men and women now are ready to start more mission work if we can raise the support." (p. 79)

K.P. Yohannan states that many missionary workers from the West have become social workers in stead of evangelists. "The lesson from the mission field is that meeting physical needs alone does not get people to follow God. Whether hungry or full, rich or poor, human beings remain in rebellion against God without the power of the Gospel. Unless we return to the biblical balance - to the Gospel of Jesus as He proclaimed it - we'll never be able to put the accent where it rightly belongs in the outreach mission of the Church. Jesus was compassionate to human beings as total persons. He did all He could to help them, but He never forgot the main purpose of His earthly mission: to reconcile men to God, to die for sinners and redeem their souls from hell. Jesus cared for the spiritual side of man first, then the body. This is illustrated clearly in Matthew 9:2-7 when He first forgave the sins of the paralytic, then healed his body." (p. 135).

"There is a vast difference between living at the same level as an Asian peasant - as native evangelists do - and living at even a modest Western standard. In most of the nations in which we support local missionaries, they are able to survive on two to four dollars a day. In most cases, this is approximately the same per capita income of the people to whom they are ministering." (p. 220)

Yohannan's book also challenges people like me, who are not called by God (as far as I know now!) to go to a mission field in Asia. Western Christians have to change their lifestyles in view of millions who have never heard the Gospel, says Yohannan. "What is the bottom line? God is calling us as Christians to alter our lifestyles, to give up the nonessentials of our lives so we can better invest our wealth in the kingdom of God." Something to think about...

Visit this site if you want to read more about Gospel for Asia (founded by K.P. Yohannan). On this site you can also request a free copy of the before-mentioned book if you want to know more about this subject and if you are interested in supporting / promoting native missionary work.