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JAKARTA DECLARATION

  • June 8, 2023
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The Fourteenth Convention of The Asia Missions Association, Jakarta, Indonesia, 2023

The Asia Missions Association (AMA) held its 50th anniversary and 14th Triennial Convention at Bethel Church of Indonesia of Rose of Sharon Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 22-26, 2023, under the theme “Missions in the Post-Pandemic Era: Challenges and Opportunities in a New Normal World.” Some 120 delegates from 26 countries attended the convention. We discussed how to carry out our missionary responsibility in the new normal world sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We reached a consensus on the essence of mission on our 50th anniversary and identified new challenges and opportunities for the church and mission in the changing contexts.

I. We reaffirm that mission was initiated and is being realized by the cooperative activity of the triune God. Therefore, mission is all Christian churches’ responsibility for the expansion of the kingdom of God by participation in God’s mission, relying on the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, collaborating in partnerships among the bodies of Christ in Asia and beyond, and equipping national churches to be engaged in missions.

II. We acknowledge that there are challenges as follows:

  1. A decline in physical presence
  2. A decrease in financial capacity and mission funding
  3. The sustained persecution against the Christian faith
  4. Uncertainty of future mission engagement
  5. Social disconnectedness and loneliness
  6. Missions in a digitalized world
  7. Increasing anxiety, depression, and psychological distress about the future.

III. We recognize the following as opportunities:

  1. We observe churches and missions that have innovated their approaches that have responded to the needs of the people in their contexts and have increased their participation.
  2. We witness the vivid growth and self-reliance of Christian churches and missions in Asia in the absence of outside financial support. Through organic and digital means, Christian churches and missions connect, come alongside, support, and advocate for our persecuted Asian fellow believers.
  3. We perceive uncertainty as opportunities open to develop agility in our mission strategies and outreaches.
  4. We recognize the importance of interpersonal relationships where the people who are socially disconnected and lonely are brought into a setting where they are ministered to and received healing and restoration.
  5. We see diverse ministry plausibility in digitized platforms, enabling us to access across generations and borders, beyond restrictions.
  6. We realize the need to increase in different types of ministry that provide counseling to people with anxiety, depression, and psychological distress.
  7. We value Christian churches and missions in solidarity engaged in local communities.

IV. We, in recognition of the challenges and opportunities, resolve the following:

  1. We resolve to hold fast the belief in Jesus Christ as the unshakable unique anchor in the times of uncertainty, proclaiming the gospel of salvation in the contexts and situations where we are, and committing to the expansion of the kingdom of God and the fulfillment of the will of God on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10; 28:19-20).
  2. We resolve to be innovative and agile in building up effective mission strategies, creating digital platforms, and strengthening global networks beyond the boundaries of Asia.
  3. We resolve to collaborate among Christian churches and missions by meeting the felt-needs in society, remembering the poor, the marginalized, and vulnerable groups of people, and come alongside and advocate for our persecuted Asian fellow believers (Lk 4:6-20).
  4. We resolve to equip all Asian churches to participate in cross-cultural missions by continuous education, missionary training, the provision of ministry opportunities abroad, and to establish missionary churches. (Gal. 2:7-8).
  5. We resolve to encourage local Christian churches to be self-reliant in ministries and to continue engaging in local communities.
  6. We resolve to give support to developing ministries to people in social disconnection and loneliness, and depression, recognizing the necessity of relationships.

We, therefore, declare that as God’s missionary people we are called to live out and proclaim the Gospel of salvation to fulfill the Kingdom of God through the guidance of the triune God.

Amen.