January 01, 1995 by

An interview with Pari Rickard, Coordinator

We present here an interview with Pari Rickard, the Coordinator for this network. We believe that the mobilizing of new missionaries is essential to the overall success in reaching the AD2000 goal of a Church for every people by the year 2000. We hope that you will pray for them and support them in whatever way you are able. --Rick Wood

MF: Give us an overview of this network and its goals.

RICKARD: The Mobilizing New Missionaries Network is one of ten global networks of the AD2000 and Beyond Movement.

Some of the other networks focus on such things as prayer, helping women and pastors to get involved in world evangelization, Bible translation and Christian literature, etc.

The goal of the global Mobilizing New Missionaries Network is to help spark, encourage and assist broad cooperative movements in every country--to raise up and send out new missionaries. This means helping lots of people in the whole Body of Christ in a country get together, and work together, to send out as many new missionaries as possible.

The network's vision is to see, by God's grace, a massive expansion of workers among the least-reached peoples of the world. In light of what God is already doing in so many nations, we believe that a doubling of the global missionary force is possible--by the year 2000 or soon thereafter! This would mean the sending out, worldwide, of approximately 200,000 new missionaries.

MF: Why are so many new missionaries needed?

RICKARD: Right now, nearly 2 billion men, women and children have essentially no witness of the gospel. These are the least- reached. There are practically no missionaries or Christian workers among them, to speak their language and relate to them in their culture. There are practically no churches in their midst either, where they could be discipled--if they were somehow to hear and believe. In other words, at least humanly speaking, it's almost impossible for these people to find Jesus--as far as they're concerned, He simply isn't around!

MF: Can radio or television help meet this need?

RICKARD: Of course, gospel television and radio programs are of some help even to those in remote areas of the world. But many of the least-reached belong to the smaller language groups that still don't have gospel broadcasts. And even for those who do, a radio broadcast is no substitute for a real, live person who can actually demonstrate by word and deed what it means to be a Christian. Likewise, broadcast worship services, where available, are a wonderful thing--but still no substitute for an active fellowship of believers who can encourage, teach, minister to and disciple the new believer.

If these lost 2 billion people are to be effectively reached, we believe at least 200,000 new missionaries will be needed. Of course, some new missionaries will still be needed in already existing fields--but if 85% of 200,000 went to work among these least- reached, this would mean, on average, about one missionary couple for each 24,000 least-reached people.

MF: You said a moment ago that the goal of the global

network is to help spark and encourage national movements for new missionaries and new missions efforts. How might this work?"

RICKARD: It might take place similarly to what God has done recently in South Korea: Several Korean Christian leaders began to be touched by a vision for new Korean missionaries. God especially used one of these, Ahn Kang Hee, to call together the leaders of all major ministries in Korea that work with young people and university students. As they prayed and shared together, they began to realize that the combined ministries they served touched the lives of 100,000 Korean young people!

Through these times together, God birthed the vision of a massive conference for young Korean Christians--a conference where God's heart for the least-reached might be presented, and where 100,000 young people might be challenged at once to offer their lives to help reach these 2 billion!

Plans are now proceeding for exactly such a massive, historic conference, to take place at the Olympic Stadium in the capital city of Seoul, during 3 days in May of 1995!

What began as God worked in the hearts of a few key leaders is now set to explode into a full-blown "national movement!" Our desire is to find and assist many such key leaders, in 170 countries around the world, so that we may see this kind of process over and over, for the glory of God and for the coming of His Kingdom among those who've never heard.

MF: Where is the headquarters for this network and who are its leaders?

RICKARD: The AD2000 Mobilizing New Missionaries Network office is located in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England, just north of the city of London. Some members of the core team are:

George Verwer, Chairman. Founder and Director of Operation Mobilization (O.M.), a worldwide missionary organization which has grown under his leadership to some 2,500 full-time staff in dozens of countries. Operation Mobilzation is well known to many for the seagoing ministry of its two large ships, the Logos and the Doulos.

George first became a Christian as a young man at a 1955 Billy Graham crusade. He has 39 years of ministry experience, has written several books, and is a sought-after international speaker. He and his wife Drena have been based in London for many years. George has a great appreciation for the power of Christian literature, which has led O.M. to become a leading producer and distributor of such materials.

Pari Rickard, Coordinator. I am a "frontier missions" leader in Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an interdenominational mission with more than 10,000 full-time staff in over 100 countries. In 1986, my wife Diane and I pioneered one of YWAM's very first training courses for ministry among the least-reached--today, there are more than thirty. Until 1989, I also served as director of the Good Samaritan, YWAM's ship dedicated to ministry among the nations of the Caribbean.

For the past five years, Diane and I have led the Target 2000 Frontier Missions Project, a core team of 25 who assist YWAM internationally in the mission's rapidly-expanding efforts among the least-reached. Wehave one son, Aaron Christopher, and live in Harpenden. Like George, I travel a great deal as a speaker in churches, conferences, and training courses.

John Woodman, Managing Coordinator. John joined YWAM 10 years ago and has worked with the Target 2000 team for the past several years. He and his wife Joan served as founders of the first and only international Christian school in a key Asian Muslim country, and in 1993 they assisted Patrick Johnstone in the production of Operation World, the widely used guide to praying for the countries of the world. Hundreds of thousands of copies of this highly-informative 650-page book are now in use across the globe. John and Joan have a cheerful young daughter named Sara; like Pari and Diane, they live in Harpenden.

For more information on the AD2000 and Beyond Movement, you may write;

AD2000 and Beyond Movement 2860 South Circle Drive, Suite 2112 Colorado Springs, CO 80906 or call 719-576-2000

The GOALS of the MNM Track Program are to:

1. To significantly encourage and empower track participants for the mobilization and sending of new missionaries and church- planters among the least-reached through their own networks, and to also encourage and facilitate their working with others in this task.
2. To produce a multi-lingual "Mobilization Document" which will be used to spawn or facilitate "National Action Plans" for the foundation of key national mobilization initiatives.
3. When necessary, to provide a method of evaluation of each GCOWE MNM Track participant as to their suitability for national leadership or coordination.
4. To address key mobilization "hurdles" and provide helpful models of how some of these have been addressed by others, via platform time, case studies, or literature; in order to assist each national delegation and leader in finding solutions appropriate to their own situation, and with a focus on the Two-Thirds World.
5. To provide each participant with strategic literature or tools for personal fund-raising and cross-cultural training.
6. To profile and promote multi-lingual missions mobilization materials, especially materials that may be easily reproduced or adapted and multiplied.