| mission without missionaries |
July 2004 indexBefore the 2nd World War, there were over 50 BCMS missionaries in Burma. With the Japanese invasion, all were evacuated until after the war when we had some 25 missionaries again. In 1966, Burma’s own government expelled all missionaries. To this day Crosslinks has sent no mission partners to what is now called Myanmar.
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Earlier this year General Secretary Andy Lines visited Myanmar, with Crosslinks’ President, Chris Wright. He writes: “It was very moving to see the fruit of the work of BCMS missionaries. I was reminded of the Apostle Paul’s comment in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 “. . . our Gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” Paul had been forced to leave Thessalonica after only a short time and he feared that “somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labour would be in vain.” (3:5)
Timothy had however brought him “good news of your faith and love”. (3:6) The church in Thessalonica not only survived without outside help but news of their faith and the word of God spread way beyond the city. It was a genuine work of God, not that of missionaries, though they had played their part. The same is true in Myanmar and so all glory goes to God.”
However, Crosslinks doesn’t leave the churches of Myanmar to fend for themselves. We look continually for ways to work with them, without sending mission partners. We sponsor student training in Myanmar through best. We support the Sittwe Diocese and Bible schools in all the dioceses. We will help with another School of Biblical Training in January 2005. All these are ways you can have a stake in world mission without sending Western mission partners. To know more, please contact us at Crosslinks.
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