Robert Burris, international missionary to Taiwan, said Taiwanese Christians are beginning to take up the mantle of missions.
Burris and his wife, Donna, are strategy coordinators of the 14-member Hokkien Harvest/Taiwan (HH/T) missions team. The team was established in October 1998 to evangelize the 14.5 million Taiwanese (Hokkien) speaking people of Taiwan.
“We envision a massive global prayer network focusing on Taiwan,” said Donna Burris, who is originally from Newton, Miss., but considers Alabama home. Her father, Padgett Cope, is pastor of Liberty Baptist Church, Bessemer, in the Mud Creek Association.
HH/T is a part of a bigger team, the Hokkien Harvest, which witnesses and ministers to the Hokkiens living throughout Asia. Forty-nine million people make up this larger unreached people group, distributed in places such as China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
The United States is home to 258,000 Hokkiens, the 21st largest people group throughout the world.
Evangelism can be especially difficult in Taiwan. Only 1 percent of Taiwanese-speaking residents are Christians.
This small island nation has more temples housing idols than any other nation in the world. A great deal of importance is also placed on local religion, superstition and ancestral worship.
Mrs. Burris said the HH/T team has developed a three-year strategy. Initially, the team plans to focus on enabling multiple church planting movements among the Taiwanese people.
The team identified five components central to this strategy – prayer, Scripture, discipleship, evangelism and mobilization.
She said the vision of a massive global prayer network is being realized in several ways. Daily prayer guides are available via e-mail, and missionaries are enlisting advocates to commit to pray for work in Taiwan.
Scripture is being distributed to the Hokkiens in printed and audio/visual material. Only in recent days have these supplies been given to the people in their own language. HH/T is seeking to equip Taiwanese lay leaders to lead in an ever0expanding church planting movement. In fact, according to Mrs. Burris, Hokkiens from Taiwan are now going to other regions of Asia to reach Hokkiens for Christ.
“Our vision is for them to be on mission,” Mrs. Burris said. “We believe that, with such a large people group, it’s our responsibility to equip them to be on mission,” she continued.
The HH/T is expecting 80 students to serve with their team this summer. There are jobs for all ages, such as prayerwalks and short-term projects. The HH/T Web site even lists special activities geared toward children.
“God is at work,” she said. “He hears your prayers. Don’t stop.”
For information on Hokkien Harvest team, visit the Web site at www.townbeacon.com/taiwan.
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