Dear Outreacher: 

World Missions:  20^th and 21^st Century Perspectives

1.     The Classic Perspective of Missions–the 20^th Century challenge.

                  Normally we think of foreign missions as being carried out by missionaries--using Bibles, Tracts, films, slides, Radio and Television--really where all such ‘modern’ capabilities and trappings are effective and useful to help meet the challenges of that time and those situations.

                  Of course, the 20^th Century tasks were largely geared to advance more and more inland from the coastal areas. However, it was eventually the drastic impenetrable aspect of the ignored and forgotten ones that caused us to realize the true scope and magnitude of the challenge to reach the Nations. Here, there were no roads, no electricity, and seldom good water sources.

                  Also, the ‘practical’ boundaries and poor living conditions set very real limits upon the mission enterprise--foreign missionaries generally could not withstand such living and health challenges, especially when their capabilities were already stressed to the limit both as to the time and  shear magnitude of the tasks.

2. But, God, HE had an answer for this foreboding dilemma:

       So, with over half of each country’s population being ‘out of reach’, the Lord designed a way for the national Christians to take on outreach to these that so long have waited for His Good News. Yes, our God brought the Cassette Discipleship Program (CDP) to India in late 20^th century, and after about 16 years maturing there, it spread into Africa and many other countries of the world in the early years of the 21^st Century. Remember, CDP is basically villagers reaching villagers, a truly ‘grass-roots’ activity!

      Now, a new last day’s perspective of missions is available, where the national leaders volunteer to autonomously reach out to their own ignored and forgotten ones. Yes, the national Village Evangelists (VEs) are now bringing millions to our Lord—there is a total expectation for hundreds of millions to come to Jesus.

          So, even as some of the major mission groups are finding great success in using Television and even satellite delivery to reach the World-wide masses (largely in the city areas),  there are real limits since the ignored and forgotten ones in general do not  have such capability or resources available to them! Yes, these multitudes must be reached.

          This brings us to the other and new perspective for missions---handling the challenge to reach out to over half of the World’s population.

          With so vast a challenge, to reach out to the ignored and forgotten ones, where actually it is orders of magnitude more difficult than ministry in/around cities, he effort (funding) for reaching the ignored and forgotten has been next to nothing. However, we are finding that the harvest is generally greater since these rather basic and uncomplicated villagers in general readily turn to Christ. This is true since they have for many decades been worshiping “things” that their god created, so they readily respond when they understand about Jesus, the ‘lamb of God’, that is also their creator!

3.  A new 21st Century Perspective

       The CDP process has now become the CDP GLOBAL NETWORK, it is even now (in early 2010)   reaching   out   to   millions   of   ‘waiting’ villagers.  Significantly, there are two groups now directing the on-going activities and latent growth of the CDP Global Network. Both are paced by the on-the-job training process which is implicitly a part of the overall growth process--three candidate VEs are coupled to each ministering VE for a growth period of six to 12 months.

             We at M/E International now help to EMPOWER the activities of selected national leaders, while also ENABLING their VEs with Audio Players and Bicycles as the Lord provides related funding. At this time we provide for the needs of CDP-INDIA, CDP-CHINA, CDP-GHANA, CDP-NIGERIA, CDP-LIBERIA, CDP-KENYA, CDP-TOGO, CDP-SUDAN, CDP-IVORY COAST, and CDP-SIERRA LEONNE, with other countries being added to this list almost daily.

             A group in Cameroon, Africa similarly helps EMPOWER and ENABLE the rest of the countries of Africa, Russia, Europe, Indonesia and South America.

             It is noteworthy that the VEs are mainly ministering without equipment (where less than 10% have players or bicycles), They are witnessing and story-telling the Good News to their peers as the Holy Spirit leads, with amazing results-- seeing multitudes coming to Jesus.

             Each country’s steering committee determines the demographics needed to effectively deploy VEs. Normally VEs are deployed in Outposts of 20 VEs with a supervisor. The leaders also oversee the translation of English scripts to ‘heart languages’ of the villagers.  Each VE is responsible for about 10,000 villagers in ten villages, where the VE lives in one of these villages. This is particularly effective since the VEs are already accustomed to the living conditions, his immune system is established, and he is fine with the water, the food, etc. He is also generally accepted since already a part of their local community.

                         It is also important to note that the National leaders, Supervisors and VEs are all Volunteers (even as we also are here in the USA). No salaries are paid, but they are provided needed equipment as funds are available.

             It is important to realize that we are ultimately talking about upwards of 150,000 VEs for each support group (M/E and Cameroon). The potential total harvest may well be over a Billion precious souls.

             This CDP GLOBAL NETWORK may well be a most significant force to reach the Nations:  See: Matthew 24:14:  “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire World for a witness  unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

                   Note:  It is the CHURCH that does the preaching – the end of preaching is the Rapture! – So, the Rapture takes place just after the nations are reached!!!

Wow, what a day that will be!!!

What an imperative this sets!

Support for Ignored and Forgotten Villagers of the World      

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 J. R. Jim Ford, President

     M/E International, Inc. . 

655 Shadow Lake Drive .  Brea,   California . 92821  

 714/624-3547     e-mail:   cdp767usa@aol.com