INTO Report for APAC Conference 2007
March 1-2, 2007, Bangkok, Thailand
God's faithfulness never ceases! This final report is to review God's faithfulness in the past and to rejoice in His faithfulness to what He has done in the present.
Networking
In the past 4 years, a network was established with two Missions organisations working among Thai overseas and two willing to work in partnership in reaching the Thai nationals overseas. The following are: the Taiwan Alliance Chinese Union (Taiwan), the Fairview Park Alliance Church (Hong Kong), the Friends of All Nations (South Korea), and the Gospel Church of Thailand. This partnership effort became an instrument for the Gospel Church of Thailand to put up and organise its first Missions Committee in March 2003.
In June 2006, God paved the way for the Gospel Church of Thailand to establish a new network with the Four Gospel Assembly (FGA) Church to work in partnership in reaching out the Thai nationals in the small island of Langkawi, Malaysia. Presently the FGA Church has an ongoing Thai ministry. The small Thai church has a congregation of about 10 to 15 Thai believers. Rev. Eng Kor, the FGA pastor expressed to us the need of a Thai missionary and asked us if the GCT could send personnel to oversee the handful Thai Christians. There is a huge need that when it is met the potential of church growth is possible.
A recent and important development also took place between the Taiwan Alliance Church Union (TACU) and the Gospel Church of Thailand. On December 18-20, 2006, Dr. Rev. Thira Janepiriyaprayoon, the GCT Missions Director and I went to Taiwan. The purpose is to call a meeting with the TACU leadership to discuss and clarify some gray areas and issues between the 2 national churches' working relationships regarding the Thai missionary couple that was sent in November 2006 and to their ministry as well. Praise God that the meeting was a real success. Some issues and gray areas were discussed and clarified such as administration, finances and even the working relationship of the GCT Thai missionaries with another Missions organisation that is directly ministering among the Thai nationals in Taiwan. We rejoice that the TACU willingly take the responsibility to work in partnership with the GCT and to support the Thai ministry in many ways. Three weeks after the Thai missionary couple arrived to Taiwan, they were issued an Alien Residence Certificate. Financially, the TACU will give its financial support for the Thai missionaries which started in January 2007. The TACU leadership also asked the GCT missionaries to join its monthly pastors' prayer fellowship as to show their commitment to support the missionaries and the work. Finally, the most recent action of love and support from the TACU is their quick response to provide the immediate material needs of the GCT missionaries. God used Rev. Thomas Min, a Korean missionary and a pastor of the Jiem Ming Chinese Alliance church, to bless the missionary couple of things they really need. At the same time, the TACU leadership also expressed their willingness to help supervise the Thai ministry. On the other hand, it was made clear that starting March 2007 and onward, all communications from the TACU that concerns the GCT missionaries will be sent directly to GCT Missions Director. In January 2007, a draft of the Missions Policy or Manual in Thai language was submitted and was discussed by the Missions committee.
Missions Mobilisation
In additional to the ongoing church missions mobilisation among the GCT churches, on December 15, 2006, the GCT Missions Committee and the GCT National leadership seconded the proposed idea to appoint each district president to do the function as Missions mobiliser in their own respective district with the exemption of some districts who already appointed or elected its district Missions mobiliser. This action was implemented to help the GCT Missions Director in keeping the churches mobilised and involved in the Missions program of the GCT. It was also seconded that Rev. Niphon Leuang-ngin, GCT Missions treasurer, will take the responsibility of a facilitator between the GCT Missionaries and the GCT Missions Department. Rev. Leuang-ngin accepted this commitment for a period of 1 year. God willing, we plan to gather all district Missions mobilisers for a day meeting before leaving for the Philippines in April 2007.
The ministry of mobilising churches for Missions is not only limited within Thailand. In October-November, 2006, God opened the door of opportunity for me to take part in the C&MA Inter-district missionary tour in 6 various Alliance churches in three different states in the U.S.A. It was a real blessing, wonderful and exciting experience to be used by God in keeping perpetually the spirit of Missions alive and fresh in the very heart of His people. To encourage your heart that your partnership is not in vain, please let me share an excerpt from a letter of Dr. Art Robertson, senior pastor of the Ridgeway Alliance Church, New York:
"Through your willingness to share the trials and joys of life on the mission field, this Missions Week conference enabled our congregation to better understand and appreciate the sacrifices made to spread the Gospel. You effectively and clearly communicated the burden of your ministry in ways that we will long remember. Feedback we have received is very positive as to the impact you made on the lives of members of our congregation. Our vision of a lost world and burden to reach it were renewed! You played a major role in this. Last year Ridgeway gave well over $100,000 to Missions more than double the amount of the Faith Promise total. We fully expect our missions giving for the year 2007 will continue at that level."
Last Friday, February 23, 2007 was the final day of the school annual Missions emphasis week. The event was very well attended of over a hundred individuals excluding our students. We opened this event for the churches to join with the desire to have a part in spreading the Spirit of Missions among the churches around Khon Kaen. Praise God that there were 3 individuals who committed their lives to become missionaries as a response to the challenge. There was also couple of students who expressed their desires to serve God in the mission field. Besides that people responded very well by expressing their part in the missions giving.
Sending Missionary
On March 23, 2006, the GCT constituency gathered together to commission the Rev. and Mrs. Ekarin Khamsiang as missionaries to Taiwan While waiting for the right time to go to the mission field, the couple traveled to many different churches and joined several district meetings to share their passion and challenge the churches to go and work together with them in the mission field through their prayers, words of encouragement and financial support. Finally, after 8 months of waiting, in God's own perfect time, the couple departed on November 23, 2006 for Taiwan. The couple settled in Hsulin, a big and industrial city which is also home of over 20,000 overseas Thai contract workers. The most recent news is that after 3 months upon arrival they were able to start a group of 11 revived believers. The first worship service was conducted on the 24th of December and then followed by the second service on December 31. These are Thai Christians working in Hsulin area that turned away from the Lord because of different reasons. One main reason is the distance of the Thai churches from Hsulin where these 11 people are based. Pastor Ekarin and Nui, as of this time, are trying to re-gather and feed them to become a part of their team. They were lost but now they are found! This will be the first Thai church ever in this area. Recently, Pastor Ekarin had baptized 2 new Thai believers. Two weeks ago, a hundred of Thai overseas joined a Thai Overseas Camp. The camp was organised by a team of missionaries including Pastor Ekarin. At the end of the camp, there were 11 Thai prayed to receive Christ! As of this time, both are now learning the Chinese language.
Short Term Mission
Through this partnership ministry, we had organised at least 5 short term mission trips in the past years in various countries around the Asia-Pacific region. However, we are not the only APAC partner organising and sending short term mission trip to other APAC countries. In 2006, 2 of our partners, Australia and New Zealand organised a trip. In August 2006, the Southside International Church organised a trip to the Philippines. The following month Rev. Andrew Marshall of the Blockhouse Bay Community Church of the C&MA New Zealand organised a team for a ten day mission trip in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Finally, to response to the need of the Thai believers temporarily, on March 24 to April 5, 2007, a team of students from the Northeastern Institute of Theology (NIT Alliance Bible School) will go for 2 weeks short-term mission ministry trip to help train Thai believers to do evangelism and discipleship. The team will also teach and train them to play musical instruments and to develop their skill in leading church worship. We will also conduct a session in Christian Home. This Malaysian island is a home of over 2,000 overseas Thai contract workers.
Remarks
Thank you so much for your joyful and unwavering partnership in the fulfilling of God's divine will to His church and to the unreached Thai nationals.
Blessings,
Roland and Nancy Lumawag