Recently at a Global Learning Community at Estes Park I heard Sam Williams sharing about the future of his ministry and he repeated a statement that he had heard Bob Buford make which went something like, "At this point in my life the fruit of my ministry is growing on the trees of others." I felt as though that was what I wanted to be true of my ministry. Even though I still want to be directly involved in ministry locally when I think globally I want to be more involved in serving others who are leading in mission.
Since 1984 when I moved to California, I have seen myself as a part of a "global mission" labor force. Since then I spent most of the time living in the US, and I traveled to minister for various lengths of times in more than thirty nations in every part of the world. In 1989 when I moved with my family and became a resident of Manila, Philippines for two years, it changed everything but this sense of global ministry.
Because of that perspective on ministry when I think of leaders, I think of pastors, missionaries, staff members of mission organizations and professional volunteers in ministry. I believe that today leaders in mission should not be defined by place of ministry, position in ministry, or means of support. I desire to serve leaders regardless of national, ethnic-linguistic, and cultural background. I do think that leaders and their families who have been called to live "make their home for two years or longer" in a culture other than their original culture need additional services.
When I think mission I want my focus to be on those who are "crossing boundaries or borders" to advance the mission of Jesus Christ. Those who are going with the love of God to reach people on the "margins" of the gospel. In light of globalization I believe the distinctions of home and foreign missions are no longer as important, because the ability to adapt to and work in diverse cultures, to understand how to minister in different contexts and to collaborate in multicultural, ethnic or national teams are all a part of mission today whether at home or abroad.
