A letter from Tom Harvey in England
June 2013
Friends and Partners in Mission:
James Hudson Taylor Translates for Bishop Hwa Yun
The Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS) works with global church and mission leaders from over 40 nations. Over the past 30 years it has had a significant impact on global mission. To give you a sense of the impact of OCMS, here is a glance at Tom’s calendar in June. Connect the dots below and you will note that 2013 has been a watershed year at OCMS.
Dateline: Seoul, Korea: 25-29 June 2013. Asian Church Leaders Forum
For many years the government in China has blocked leaders of the independent “house” churches from traveling abroad and meeting with church and mission leaders abroad.
- Breakthrough: 40 independent Chinese church leaders are allowed to leave China and come to Seoul. At the opening dinner they arrive at the conference to rapturous applause and thanksgiving. This significant gathering allows for key contacts with Chinese church leaders at the forefront of mission in China.
- Leadership in Mission: The Chinese delegation sets out a bold plan to send out 20,000 missionaries by 2030. Given comparable growth rates of Christianity in China and South Korea, this is plausible but will require significant preparation and education in mission. Tom meets with Chinese leaders to discuss how OCMS can serve church leaders in China through its experience working with global mission leaders to develop holistic transformative Christian mission.
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Crucial Preparations: Tom meets Chinese church representatives to make final preparations for the 6th Forum for Chinese Theology to be held at OCMS in August. This conference will bring 46 leading Chinese scholars and church leaders together with over 50 global delegates to examine “Christian Faith and Ideological Trends in Contemporary China.”
OCMS at Lausanne, Las Newman (OCMS 2009) President Caribbean Theological Seminar, Tom Harvey OCMS, Doug Birdsall (OCMS 2013) Honorary Chairman Lausanne Congress, Marcelo Vargas (OCMS 2011) Secretary General Fraternity of Latin American Theologians.
- Interesting Twist: Hwa Yung, former Methodist Bishop of Malaysia and OCMS Board member, gives the opening address in English, which is translated into Chinese by James (Jamie) Hudson Taylor IV, which in its own way illustrates how global mission has turned our world upside down.
Dateline: Bangalore, India, 17-21 June 2013. Lausanne Global Leadership Forum
- Introducing Lausanne Global Analysis (LGA), a bi-monthly journal to provide global analysis of critical events shaping mission around the globe. As Contributing Editor of LGA, Tom presents the first four editions of LGA to the Senior Associates of the Lausanne Congress of World Evangelism, noting the key contribution of OCMS with its links to global mission leaders.
OCMS Graduates Awards Ceremony 2013
Dateline: Oxford, UK, 12-15 June. OCMS 30th Anniversary, Stott-Bediako Forum and OCMS Awards Ceremony, OCMS Annual Council of Trustees Meeting
- Celebrating 30 years of groundbreaking global mission scholarship: God’s faithfulness and providence to OCMS is celebrated in worship and reflection. OCMS began as a seemingly impossible venture of a handful of relatively unknown Asian, African and Latin American evangelical missionaries, scholars and activists. Today it is recognized as a leader in producing global scholars and cutting edge research that is literally transforming our world.
- OCMS Awards: In two years OCMS has witnessed a record 19 Ph.D.s and 1 M.Phil. degree; the global breakdown: 8 from Africa, 3 from India, 3 from Eastern Europe, 4 from North America, 1 from the UK and 1 from Indonesia.
After 30 years of significant impact upon global leadership and innovation in mission, we now look expectantly to the next 30 years of OCMS.
In terms of the family, Judy continues her ministry to “young mums” at St Andrews Church. Through encouragement, counseling and support, Judy has developed a thriving ministry to those trying to balance work, raising kids and maintaining a spiritual life. Secondly, Judy has helped to develop a course called “Empty Nesters.” They were pleasantly surprised when over 30 women from North Oxford, many of them non-Christians, signed up for the course.
Joe continues with his interesting work in behavioral economics at Duke and Paul continues his work in camping ministry in Cameron, North Carolina. Emma has followed Paul’s footsteps and is working at the Presbyterian Camp MacKamie Woods.
Final Note: Naturally none of this work would be possible without your generous support. Thank you for supporting us faithfully in your prayers, correspondence and financial commitment. One of the ways you may support OCMS and our ministry in Oxford is by supporting us through your financial contribution to us through our mission accounts listed below. One of the reasons OCMS can offer substantial scholarships for students from some of the poorest regions of the globe is that our faculty are supported by denominational mission bodies. If you are learning about us and our work for the first time, do not hesitate to write so that we can let you know more about our ministry at OCMS. Pray for us as we return to the U.S. in September and October to share with churches about our work. We do look forward to meeting with you as you share in the work through your generous support of us.
Blessings,
The Harveys
Tom, Judy, Joe, Paul and Emma
Address: 25 Hayfield Road
Oxford OX2 6TX England
Tom’s e-mail: ttctharvey@yahoo.com (or use the "Write" link below)
Judy’s e-mail: madiganharvey@yahoo.com (or use the "Write" link below)
How to support the Harveys:
Individuals may direct their contributions to one or both of the ECO (Extra Commitment Opportunity) accounts that support our work. For salary and living support use the "Give" link below to donate online, or if sending a check, write the ECO number E200358 on the subject line of a check along with our name. For program support, use the "Donate to Oxford…" link below to give online, or if sending a check, write the ECO number E052057 on the subject line of the check along with our name.
All ECO checks should be sent to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Individual Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 278
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