Bishop Hwa Yung’s Commissioning Address WFCMC Mission Conference 2007

The late John Paul II spoke of the 21st century as a “new springtime” for world mission. The focus will be on the task of world missions in the 21st century. But there will be a difference. It will be to look at world missions from the perspective of the non-western world where the majority of the Christians today live!

Chinese churches throughout the world are rightly excited about world missions. This is true of our meeting and also of CCCOWE, which had a huge conference in Macau last year. It is also true of the Chinese house churches with its Back-to-Jerusalem vision, and many others. And there is little doubt in my mind that the Chinese church worldwide will feature more and more strongly in world missions as the 21st century proceeds. There is indeed lots of energy and passion. And money will not be a problem.

But there is a deep concern in my heart which I believe is also God’s concern for the Chinese church. The concern is simple: Does the Chinese church really understand that a genuine commitment to world missions will inevitably involve sacrifice and suffering? In the Back-to-Jerusalem vision of the house churches in China, they plan to send missionaries along the ancient trade routes from Europe to China. Do we ever think that this can be done without sacrifice, suffering and martyrdom? We need to learn a lesson from our brethren in China. They tell us: Don’t pray that we will be delivered from persecution. Pray instead that God will give us stronger backs to take it!

In Chinese there is a saying: A good son will never be a soldier! The meaning is clear. When I travel all over the world, I find Chinese churches everywhere very excited about missions. When it comes to giving money, attending mission conferences and taking part in short-term mission --- no problems! But where are those who are willing to give themselves or their sons and daughters to a life time in missions?

For example, if you go to Australia, half the Chinese Christian parents want their children to become doctors, and the other half want them to go into business! This, of course, is an exaggeration, but you get my point? Will the Chinese Christians in the 21st century develop a new saying: A good son will never be a missionary?

If the Chinese church is going to make its mark in world missions in the coming century, we cannot avoid the question of commitment, sacrifice, suffering and even martyrdom! We will need to learn from those who gave up so much to bring the gospel to us in Asia. We need to have the faith of a Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China. We need to learn to give up the possibility of brilliant careers, like a John Sung, and teach our children to do the same. We need to be like the parents of Hudson Taylor, who secretly prayed for their son for years, until he ended up the most effective missionary that China ever knew.

We need to pray that God will produce a whole new generation of young men and women who will take the missionary calling seriously and treat it as a calling for one’s whole life --- even at great cost to themselves. We need to remember Jesus’ words: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a
single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

What about you and me? Am I willing to go when God calls and to wherever He sends? Am I, as a father or mother, so genuinely serious about mission that I will give my children with joy to the Lord if God so calls? Or, are we like those who say to God: Here am I, but send him!