Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel record God looking for a man to establish salvation and justice and finding no one. He therefore came himself in the person of his Son. He found 12 men to carry on his ministry.

In 1885, the China Inland Mission recruited seven remarkable upper-class young men in Cambridge who left behind prospects of international cricket, army service, the enjoyment of large estates, ecclesiastical advancement and commercial success to preach the gospel in China.  In 1975 OMF asked for single men willing to go into Cambodia to minister in a time of revival whilst the Khmer Rouge were advancing on Phnom Penh. Men were found. They went and ministered.

Does the specific need for men in cross-cultural mission continue today? There are many places in East Asia where men have a special ministry. There is the sports fanatic who can set up teams in communities as a bridge for the message of salvation. The skilled businessman who can get a contract with a Japanese company and witness to salarymen who would otherwise never hear the gospel. The academic who can expand his own horizons and share his life with colleagues and students. The trained worker who can engage in dialogue in the mosque or with local religious leaders.

In countries where religion is regarded as women’s concern or where there is toxic masculinity, there is a particular need for godly men who show that manliness and the meekness of Christ are not contradictory. We need single men who can interact with purity in their relations with women, and married men who love and care for their wives and families.

It is not just adventurous extroverts who should  consider whether God might want them working in the world church. Many Asian cultures value quiet men who don’t force themselves forward but are ready to learn from others. So, it could be you.

Ray Porter

Former OMF worker