Continuing this week’s theme of telling stories about mission; this one illustrates the fact that mission truly is from everywhere to everywhere.
There are around 50,000 Chinese people living and working in Kenya. Many of these are managers and technical staff for Chinese companies operating in Kenya. Others run their own business in Kenya. Very few of them have an opportunity to hear about Jesus.
Since 2006, the African churches have on numerous occasions invited OMF to help them to reach the Chinese in Africa. The plea was, “Come and help us to reach the Chinese, but please work with us!”
Clearly, the plea demonstrated a desire for genuine partnership. In a genuine partnership, both parties contribute resources and work together in a mutual serving and giving community.
Partnership with Parklands Baptist Church in Nairobi
The OMF Chinese diaspora ministry team in Kenya seek to equip African churches to reach the Chinese diaspora community through genuine partnership. Our first partnership was with Parklands Baptist Church in Nairobi to develop a model of ministry to Chinese that involved the African church. The partnership began with regular prayers and discussions with the church’s missions pastor since 2014. The partnership was deepened over the years and Parkie Guoji (International) Fellowship was formed in February 2016 with the launch of the first Sunday bi-lingual service. Parkie Guoji Fellowship is a multi-cultural community of Africans and Chinese that empowers the African church to reach and to disciple the Chinese. Among the key elements of the ministry are:
- Chinese Ministry Training: About thirty people from Parklands Baptist Church have completed eighty hours of training on Chinese language, culture, and worldview.
- The Chinese ministry committee comprises of six locals was formed in May 2015.
- Bi-lingual Service: The Sunday bi-lingual service began in February 2016. It allows our African brothers to minister to the Chinese by leading worship, preaching, chairing meetings, and leading Bible studies.
- Believers’ Bible study group and seekers Bible study group.
Daniel Generation
The OMF team in Kenya also mobilize African Christians coming back from China and come alongside them to reach the Chinese in Kenya. Upon their return, most of them work with the Chinese companies because of their Chinese language proficiency and deeper appreciation of Chinese culture that they developed when they studied in China. A loose fellowship called Daniel Generation was formed in September 2017 from among those Africa Christian returnees from China who responded to call to reach the Chinese. Like Daniel in the Bible, they are sent by God to enter a culture of a global super power; living and working in a context that often times are hostile to their faith, and to bear witness for Christ. OMF team come alongside the Daniel Generation as encourager, catalyst, mentor, and prayer partners, as they live out their faith among the Chinese.
This story first appeared on the OMF website and can be found here.