Moving Toward “Expert Mission” as Overseas Mission Field Narrows
2013-11-20 18:05
As the situation of world mission changes, missionaries with specialized skills and occupations are needed more and more. According to representatives of mission circles on November 19, it is becoming impossible for more pastor-missionaries to enter countries that are predominantly Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and other non-Christian religions. Even when they do enter, their long-term stay is difficult.
Koshin University Prof. Shin Kyung-Kyu (Global Culture Mission Studies) said, “Now, for various reasons, we cannot help but choose expert mission." "Mission has become possible only if you practice a line of work that helps the local people, or a Korean business.”
The change toward a need for expert mission is caused by the fact that, even though most countries take a stand for religious freedom, they place limits on missionaries’ entry. Also, as churches have been established in every nation, traces of mission in church-building style have vanished, and the situation now is that you can settle in a local place only if you have an occupation.
According to international organizations such as Open Door, the number of countries that limit or block missionary entry reaches 148. It is known that in 64 of these countries Christians are persecuted or oppressed. According to data tabulated by the Korea World Mission Association (KWMA) in its “Situation of Dispatch of Korean Missionaries” (2012), the number of Korean missionaries working in specialized occupations is 2004, just in the areas of welfare development (736), business (462), health (441), culture and sports (324), and documents and publications (41). The total number is an increase of 355 over the previous year.
As the level of interest in expert mission rises, conferences and forums are being held on the topic. Reportedly, areas being highlighted in the mission field include IT and computers, franchises, and private academies (hagwon), among others.
