by Edmund Lim

    The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod today has 22 Chinese ethnic congredations and 8 mission Stations in North America. The number of missions is set to increase as CAME and the Chinese Ministry Conference, a federation of LCMS Chinese congregations and missions, have recently begun to work in partnership in helping to plant new Chinese missions. This Cooperative effort has resulted in the recent planting of two new Chinese missions in Houston, Texas and Toronto, Canada. To God be the glory!

      The strategy we employ is simple, making use of what we have (resources and manpower) in local congregations. My task is to encourage, prepare, equip and assist Lutherans in starting new Chinese missions in cooperation with districts and congregations. Doing mission or outreach work does not come naturally for a congregation as some may assume.  For an average, most-ly Caucasian LCMS congregation, it is not likely for her to have the impetus to do any cross-cultural work at all.  Encouragement and emphasizing that God desires all men to be saved are important.  Many members of our congregations need to be equipped for cross-cultural work.  CAME and the Chinese Ministry Conference are standing by to provide this equipment for willing congregations.

     As the demographic shifts show that the Chinese population is growing rapidly in North America, Chinese people will become more “visible” to all of us.  When new Chinese restaurants begin to pop up, you will find young Chinese children attending schools in your area, or if there is an Asian grocery store in your town, it is indicative of the growing presence of the Chinese in your neighborhood.  Congregations in each locale are being challenged with the opportunity to reach out to their new Chinese neighbors.

     In my experience so far with pastors, leaders and members of local congregations, many of them are keen about and ready to get involved in cross-cultural missions opportunities.  The Chinese are one of the most responsive people groups to the Gospel today.  What an opportunity for us to share the Good News, sow the seed and await the harvest.  Let us work while it is day, for when the night comes it will be impossible to do anything (John 9:4).

    The Chinese in North America can be generally classified into 3 affinity groups: students, professionals and restaurant workers.  These affinity units are being used to form bible study groups. Lay Chinese Christians are usually the leaders in such bible studies. There are limitations to what these lay leaders can do in terms of nurturing the consistent spiritual growth of these new Christians.  More pastors and missionaries working among the Chinese is a great need. Thus recruiting and training ethnic workers is an ongoing, important effort for CAME, the synodical colleges and seminaries and for the entire synod, including you and me.

     Because of this substantial dearth of ethnic workers, returning missionaries who have worked in Asian countries and have acquired some knowledge of Chinese culture and language are being used as temporary measures.  However, we often find that their contribution is limited because of their level of language proficiency. Moreover, there are insufficient numbers of returning missionaries to supply all the congregations which presently need Chinese missionaries in North America.  Please pray that the Lord would equip and send more workers to harvest the Chinese mission field.

     For more information about challenges in Chinese missions, please contact Rev. Lim at (260)486-9827/RevEdLim@aol.com.
 

 

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