GlobalView from Bishop Bill Atwood
In 1998, I spoke with Norman Beale, an American missionary working in Nepal. He was speaking about the cultural challenges of trying to make links with India. Sometimes, those who are close geographically are not the most natural links. Norman told me that there was surprising affinity with Singapore. Many Singaporeans travel to Nepal, and a huge number of Nepalese go to Singapore to work, many in construction.
I asked Norman, “Would you like to meet Moses Tay, the Archbishop?”
Norman enthusiastically replied that he did, so I called the Archbishop and ask if we could set up a meeting. When they met, there was an instant bond, and the Nepalese Anglicans became a part of the Diocese of Singapore.
Tuesday, I arrived in Singapore along with Archbishop Foley Beach of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and a pretty large team of people from the ACNA representing the various mission agencies. We are here for a “Roundtable” to discuss and further the vision of developing each of the nations that are part of the Diocese of Singapore into individual dioceses. Though Singapore is a tiny island city-state, it has a powerful, evangelical, Spirit-filled Anglican Diocese with vision enough to impact the world. Missionaries from Singapore have been deployed in 6 nations outside the little island. In addition to Singapore, the nations are:
Thailand
Laos
Viêt Nam
Cambodia
Indonesia
Nepal
This week, hundreds of people are meeting to share together what is working, critique what is not, and further all kinds of vision about mission. I’m here as the ACNA Dean for International Affairs, and as a friend of Singapore and South East Asia. I’m also hear as a student to see what I can pick up that we can apply to our first class of Discipleship Training School that the International Diocese is launching in January in partnership with Youth With A Mission. Some of the topics are tailor made for us as we are beginning this mission (and life) preparation for young people. They will spend three months in the classroom in Flower Mound, Texas, and then be deployed to share the Gospel with unreached people in the “10/40 Window.”
Since I had a part in the link between Nepal and Singapore, it was really exciting to hear of the many thousands of Anglicans that are now in Nepal. A large Nepali team of almost a dozen has come for the synod last week and for the roundtable this week. They are gracious, gentle people who live with huge challenges, but they are prospering. Norman Beale’s contributions there have been amazing. It was wonderful to hear the respect and reverence for the hard work and years that his family put in.
I’m listening for more wonderful mission stories this week. It is amazing to see old friends and to hear how they are advancing the Kingdom. At dinner, for example I heard how one pastor had to cleanse their worship space because of the “short, dark three-dimensional shadowy demonic thingies” that the Christians sensed in their new worship area. He said, “I didn’t use to believe much about that kind of thing, but it became such a big issue in our homes and worship space, I went to the Vatican to take a course in dealing with cleansing and blessing.”
Stand by for more updates from the mission frontiers as heroes have gathered in Singapore to share, learn, celebrate, and grow.
The Rt. Rev. Bill Atwood is Bishop of the ACNA’s International Diocese and an American Anglican Council contributing author.
