Partnership Project Report for Thailand

Chiangmai August 20-24, 2001

 

A Global Great Commission Partnership Opportunity

The Christian and Missionary Alliance has since its inception longed for a major evangelistic breakthrough into the Buddhist world. Many Buddhist countries in Asia are considered closed or limited access nations (LANs). Within these region remains one of the greatest remaining people clusters impenetrable by the gospel.

Thailand is uniquely situated in this region both geographically and politically as a gateway into all parts of Asia. The country has policies that presently allow for incredible openness to the church and to numerous avenues of Christian activity. The vast majority (50-60 million) of Thailand's population is comprised from what has been ethno-linguistically described as the "Thai" gateway people cluster. This missiologically key cluster is made up of 15 to 23 million "Northeastern" Thai overlapping the boarder with Laos, 6 million Thai "Northwest", 5 million Thai "Southern" with an additional 1.5 million of this group that adhere to Islam and 20 to 25 million Thai "Central" and "Standard". Presently, an extremely small percentage of this group (0.04%) are Evangelical Christians after 175 years of Christian mission and church planting.

Today, due to difficult economic conditions, widespread breakdown of the family and a resulting prevailing attitude of hopelessness, Thailand appears more open to the gospel than ever before. In the capital city of Bangkok (population 10 million), God is raising up small but vibrant worship communities both within and outside the C&MA that have emerging resources in need of co-ordination. The Thai are internationally reknown as one of the most gracious and hospitable peoples. Hundreds of thousands of Thai students, laborers and professionals are scattered throughout large cities, educational campuses and labor markets within large cities in Asia and around the world. They truly are our neighbours. Here in lies an unprecedented opportunity for the C&MA worldwide.

  1. Introduction to the People to be Reached
  2. Introduction to the Partnership
  3. Partnership Exploration
  4. Partnership Formation
  5. Funding
  6. The Role of the Facilitator and Facilitation Team

This unprecedented opportunity requires our immediate attention. Will we stop and recognize our abundant organisational and resource networks as an international mission movement and be poised "for such a time as this"? Are we willing to launch the global co-ordination of a creative partnership network to target the "Diaspora Thai" of our world? Will we collectively embrace one another and seek the heart of God in a true alliance, for a worldwide prayer network born of the spirit of God on behalf of our lost Buddhist neighbours? May the C&MA boldly charge forward and take the necessary risk to invite all those of like mind, purpose, passion and vision to unite in a strategy for a church planting movement that will impact not only the nation of Thailand, but the entire Buddhist world.

 

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