KOBE AFFIRMATION ON CHRISTIAN MISSION

The Sixth Convention Of The Asia Missions Association, Kobe, Japan, 1997


PREAMBLE

We, the Asia Missions Association, gathered together here in Kobe, Japan, as the Sixth Triennial Convention from April 8 to 11, 1997.

The Participants were from Japan, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Egypt, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Korea, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, and Zambia.

The theme of the Convention was “Mission to the Whole World for the Glory to God and Peace on Earth.”

The Bible Exposition on mission to the whole world was presented before the plenary sessions and workshops every morning.

The Prophetic Voice, Voice of Asia, and the Task of Asia were proclaimed in every plenary session following the Bible Exposition.

The evening Mission Rally emphasized the power of the Holy Spirit with His great commission, church growth, and revival.

 

OUR AFFIRMATION

We reaffirm the Seoul Declaration on Christian Mission of 1975, which declared the succession of the Biblical principle of mission, Wheaton Declaration, Berlin Declaration, Frankfurt Declaration, and we declared the severance from historical failures and mistakes.

We declared sodality of missions and solidarities among newly emerging mission. We reaffirm the Asian Commitment of 1982. Our commitment were the responsibility to God; responsibility to the people; responsibility to the churches; responsibility to the society; and responsibility to the world.

We reaffirm the Third World Declaration on World Mission and World Peace, 1986.

We proclaimed to form a Third World Missions Association and World Christian Peace Commission.

We reaffirm the Utsunomiya Resolution, 1991. We resolved our consensus of cooperation between mission agencies and local churches; our submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit, who directs us in this awesome responsibility as ambassadors of Christ in an alien world; our strategy to partake in the goals and enterprises of our fellow workers, whether they are passing through favorable or unfavorable circumstances; our goals to promote national-level mission consultations, to encourage the forming the missionary fellowship and to involve with training, research, and mutual mission fund program; our appeal to the world Christians, mission leaders, missionaries in the fields, and to young people to be partakers in the mission.

The new world order in the coming third millennium from AD 2000 is challenging the church of Asia to be the standard bearer of the Christian mission to pave the path for coming His Kingdom.

Our task of Christian Mission is for the Glory to God and Peace on Earth through the Peace with God, Peace with People, and Peace among Nations.

In the coming turbulent world, the mission should be the peacemaker and reconciliator through the name of Prince of Peace to heal the whole world through reconciling power of Jesus Christ.

The message of the Christian in mission should be eschatological and His Second Coming on earth from heaven.

The Lausanne Covenant is concluded with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ as the completion of the salvation and the judgment. The mission of the church is to proclaim His Kingdom on earth where the King of kings is coming again.

The problem of modern missiology is the failure of proclaiming the Second Coming of Christ. The message of the Second Coming is the supreme message to the people of despair and to the world who lost hope. This message is the incomparable good news to this world and the unchangeable covenant to the people who are seeking new world and new day.

The coming world will be turbulent world and incurable world which is approaching to the end of history of the world.

The symptoms are already here in this world. The destination of human being and the Christian mission are inter-related within the eschatological world view.

“The new heaven and new earth,” which proclaimed by Apostle Paul, was the eschatological expectation of the eternal Kingdom of God.