The Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation, held May 11-15, 2010 in Tokyo, Japan was a celebration of the past and an embracing of the future.  The event was hosted by the Japanese Church and sponsored jointly by Asia Mission Association, Cross Global Link, Global Network of Mission Structures and Third World Mission Association.  A total of 967 delegates, representing 73 countries, attended. Another 927 observers from Japan joined and approximately 550 Japanese volunteers served participants.  Approximately 75% of all participants came from African, Asian, Latin American and Pacific nations.

A full understanding of the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation must include a historical perspective including the Edinburgh gatherings in 1910 and 1980 and the vision of Dr. Ralph Winter.

The Journey from Edinburgh 1910 to Tokyo 2010

10 years ago, four gatherings, including Tokyo 2010, celebrated Edinburgh 1910’s hundredth anniversary. Because of John R. Mott’s extensive labors, the event in 1910 marked the first time in modern history that Protestant mission leaders and missionaries came together to consider how to finish global missions. Mission agencies from Europe and North America chose most delegates.

The 1910 conference generated a concrete basis for global level coordination of mission strategies and a continuation committee to follow up.  However, the Mott leadership team failed to conceive of mission agencies outside of North America and Europe—those representing missionaries from the remaining two-thirds of the world! At that time only a handful of agencies existed in these places, but they were overlooked.

In 1980, another global meeting, the World Consultation on Frontier Missions, held once again at Edinburgh, adopted the slogan: “A Church for Every People by the Year 2000.”

Here is a comparative look at the 1910, 1980, and the Tokyo 2010 conferences:

 Dr. Winter had a vision for a global consultation and gathering of global mission leadership focused on the unfinished task.  Before his death in 2009, he wrote extensively about the need for a global-level association of mission agencies and his desire to see a hundredth anniversary event in 2010 organized following the format of the Edinburgh 1910 meeting. Closely involved in Tokyo 2010 preparations, he participated in each planning committee meeting and the conference plans up until his death.

Tokyo 2010 Focus and Outcomes

The Global Mission Consultation & Celebration featured evening sessions of local “celebrations” open to anyone from Japanese churches. However, during the day, the consultation dealt in depth with subjects of frontier mission strategy and global coordination. Tokyo 2010 gathered representatives of mission-sending countries, large and small mission associations and agencies, mission- minded churches and other individuals with the desire to reach the final frontiers of the Great Commission. Mission leaders and innovators comprised most delegates. Many came from small missions, and most came with a wealth of cross-cultural mission experience focused on reaching out beyond frontiers.  Delegates also represented churches and other interested institutions. 

 “Closure” Focus

Tokyo 2010 promoted a target of “closure.” The keynote address by Dr. Paul Eshleman was titled State of the Unfinished Task. He discussed reaching the remaining 3,500 unengaged people groups.  Dr. Eshleman and his teammates led the daily “Casting Vision” track with workshops titled: (1) Engaging All Peoples, (2) World Evangelization, (3) Scripture for Every People, (4) Reaching Oral Learners, and (5) Church Planting Movements. Dr. Eshleman circulated a “Tokyo 2010 Commitments” form which asked for delegates to commit to engage Unreached People Groups. 171 commitments were received.

“Making Disciples of All Peoples in Our Generation” The vision and watchword of the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation focused on the breadth of the unfinished task (representatives from all peoples) and on the depth of that task (making disciples). While Tokyo 2010 maintained the “closure” focus of Edinburgh 1910 and 1980, it also focused on an equally important dimension of the Great Commission—the purpose of our going, which is to teach all peoples to obey everything Jesus commanded. 

Tokyo 2010 Declaration

In response to the call and vision of “Making Disciples of All Peoples in Our Generation” and as a pledge of Tokyo 2010 delegates, the Tokyo Declaration was adopted in Tokyo. The Declaration makes clear that the Great Commission is fundamentally about transformation at every level—from the individual, to the family, to society as a whole.

Plenary and Workshop Focus

Tokyo 2010 sessions included twelve plenary speakers with topics such as The Biblical Foundation for Discipling Every People by Dr. Marv Newell and Global Peoples and Diaspora Missiology by Dr. Enoch Wan. Approximately 70 other presenters led workshops and discussion groups.  Tokyo 2010 archives of these presentations and more, including pictures and videos, are available at https://www.ggcn.org/tokyo-2010-gmc/

Based upon a desire to bring new information to the missionaries of the world on what remains to be done in the unfinished task of world evangelism, the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation was organized into four major tracks. The first track, Celebration, reflected on the last one hundred years of working towards fulfilling the Great Commission. Presentations focused on what God is presently doing through mission movements around the world and what we can learn from one another.