Being part of OMF International meant that we needed to work together with the local church in Taiwan where we were soon to return. OMF's policy at that time insisted on close corporation with local churches. As I look back on this strategy that I had drafted back in December of 1985, I realize that I was rather boxed in. How could I start a church if the local church did not have the vision or resources to start one?!
My strategy, therefore, was twofold. One strategy was to work with the Kaohsiung church that we worked with in our first term. This was our first choice. We would work with them in establishing a new church. But what would happen if they did not want to start a church?!
We had a second follow up strategy which was more general. We would need to share this vision with the local churches until God prompted them to want to start a new church reaching out to the lower income people.
If one has worked with churches, one knows that planting churches is not a 'natural' or common thing to do. One is expected to divide ones congregation, spend very limited money, decrease the number of workers for ones own church and provide leadership in more than one place. Church planting is always hard work requiring supernatural vision.
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