Editorial Comment
Dear Reader,
Many years ago a little Chinese girl fearfully stepped into the house of some newly-arrived missionaries 100 miles north of Beijing. Her parents had insisted that she listen to nothing these “foreign devils” would say to her; she was only to help with the children, for her family desperately needed the extra income.
She didn’t listen. But she saw the husband open doors for his wife and treat her lovingly in other ways. She was totally astonished. Christianity was for her!
Her grandson, Thomas Wang, is one of the most widely-known Chinese believers in the world today.
Only foreign missionaries physically present can make such an impact. In many countries the mistreatment of women, even by pastors, continues precisely because something else has not been modeled for them by redeemed believers from afar. Sending money to such pastors won’t make those changes.
Sending money cannot take the place of sending godly people, godly families. This is what it means to respond to Jesus’ call for us “to be my witnesses,” not just send words. Sending money is not sending witnesses. In all of the remaining untouched people groups there are, by defi nition, not yet any local pastors to pay to evangelize. Actions speak louder than words – or checks. The sheer example of a Christian family is the most often under-rated factor in missions!
It is with real sadness that we produce this issue at this time. Ver y rarely does a major mission organization come out with such blatantly harmful and misleading information. But now we have in our hands the Summer 2005 issue of Christian Aid’s bulletin, Christian Mission, describing in some detail the work Bob Finley has been doing—from 1953 to 1976 with International Students, Inc., and from 1976 to the present with Christian Aid Mission. However, the actual work Christian Aid is doing is not so much the issue as what they are saying about other forms of mission.
Few mission organizations are in a position to make honest critique lest they be accused of simply bolstering what they themselves are doing.
But the U. S. Center for World Mission does not “send” missionaries. We have decided that we are the ones to speak out this time. We are out to promote the entire mission cause and anything that will enhance it or protect it.
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