Work on the mission field is always in flux.
At times I’m surprised that, after close to a century doing ministry work in Southeast Asia we lack things that seem basic and obvious, more extensive systems to capture the work being done and connect it with previous work and future work. Part of this is the fluid nature of working in other cultures and countries where things can shift very quickly without adequate time for planning and preparation. Some of it is due to the fluid nature of personnel on the mission field. Far more go out to the mission field for a briefer period of time than those who go and remained rooted in the field for decades. Changing personnel bring different gifts, different priorities, different approaches to cross-cultural work. A quilt emerges that can be strikingly beautiful from some vantage points and seemingly chaotic from others. By the grace of God we hope to constantly be improving and making things better not just for the moment but for the future as well.
This month I was asked to take a larger responsibility for all of this. I was offered and have accepted the role of Area Facilitator (AF) for Southeast Asia, one of three such positions in our region, though there may be additional ones added down the line. AFs work with Regional Director Rev. Charles Ferry and Regional Business Manager Sam Borgwardt, providing perspective and input particularly in regards to the areas of Southeast Asia we are asked to oversee. In my case, this includes Macau, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.
In each of these areas I’m tasked with nurturing relationships with local church bodies and existing church partners. If we have deployed staff in these areas I help supervise them and provide a means of helping source their needs effectively so they can do their work. Developing new or supporting existing strategies for partnership in each of these areas is also involved.
The AF model is being implemented in all of the global regions where LCMS Office of International Mission operates, though different regions are at different stages of that implementation. It replaces a different managerial model that was more functional rather than geographical. Undoubtedly that model replaced something earlier, and down the road I wouldn’t be surprised if the AF model is replaced by something else promising to be more responsive and effective. Such is the nature of organizations.
I’m honored to be asked to fill this role. It will mean additional work, but rather similar work to what I’ve already been doing the past several years. It will mean a little more latitude in that work which is good. But it will require a great deal more learning, which is a bit daunting! Still, I know the Holy Spirit always provides what is needed when He calls us into unfamiliar territory. Your prayers are appreciated as I get settled in this new role more aggressively with the start of the New Year. As with all things, soli Deo gloria!
The Nelson Family Indonesia 