A long time ago I wrote in my journal, "May I never pursue a vision so small that it can be fully accomplished in my own power." At the time, I didn't really know what that vision would be. It started with a vision for training Namibian youth workers. But over the past few years, I think I've been gradually shifting toward something a bit bigger.
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| Gathering of African mission leaders |
There have been a few monumental shifts that have helped shape the history of missions. You could start right in the NT with the gospel going to the Gentiles, or more recently, the advent of mission agencies and the modern mission movement, and the focus toward unreached peoples. The latest shift happening
within our generation is the mission force changing from "the West to the rest" to "from anywhere to everywhere." What that means is that places which have traditionally
received missionaries are now
sending missionaries.
Since 2018, there are more people who profess Christianity in Africa than on any other continent in the world. By 2050, they project there will be more Christians in Africa than on the next two most prevalent continents (Europe & Latin America) combined! So that means the future of the mission force in the next generations could be predominately African! But what we need now are Christian leaders and strategies that will help facilitate this shift.
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| Discussing challenges of mission |
This past week I've been at a consultation of mission leaders from across the continent discussing how we can mobilize Africans and African churches for involvement in global missions. There is no shortage of challenges that need to be addressed, but we heard some encouraging stories of how it's already working (
AfriGO magazine is trying to capture some of these stories). I don't think it's an understatement to say this moment in history that we're living can have a monumental impact on the future of missions for generations to come. And I'm excited to be in such a strategic place to be part of that by helping figure out how to send out Namibian missionaries to the least reached places of the world. That's definitely a God-sized vision! 😄
God told Habakkuk, "Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe even if you were told" (Hab 1:5). Something similar could be said of our day. God's word is going out to the nations, and He's using Africans to take it!
