Christian mission has remained constant in its message but continuously evolves in its approach, geographic direction, and diversity. From fishermen on the shores of Galilee to desert tribes in North Africa, and from the Mediterranean coasts to bustling cities in China, the gospel always follows unexpected paths. However, for much of the past five centuries, the story has been told from a Western perspective. Europe and North America sent ships, missionaries, and funds.
Today, the focus is shifting. New voices shape the future of mission, speaking diverse languages and carried by people once seen as “receivers.” As Western influence diminishes, Africa, Asia, and Latin America are experiencing rapid growth in local churches and as senders of the gospel. The question is no longer how “we” can take the gospel to “them.” Instead, it’s whether we will walk together as a global church — mutually, humbly, and united in Christ.
Respect and Mutuality
In past centuries, missionaries from the West often arrived with more than Bibles. They brought assumptions, power, and cultural frameworks that sometimes overshadowed the gospel message. Often, the preaching of the Cross of Christ was cloaked by Western clothing and tradition. Many countries wonder, “How long will it take to remove Western culture and tradition from national church plants?”
To thrive today, we must prioritize respect over presuppositions. Jesus Himself modeled this. He touched lepers, welcomed children, spoke with Samaritans, and called tax collectors His friends. He did not demand people rise to His level. Instead, He humbly lowered Himself to theirs. Jesus displayed the strongest example of contextualization the world will ever witness.
Mutuality means recognizing we do not hold a monopoly on wisdom. Churches in Nairobi, São Paulo, and Shumen are not “junior partners” but co-laborers. In fact, many are leading the way. Western Christians must be willing to receive as well as give, to be taught, discipled, even corrected by the global Body of Christ. Respect means laying down the crown of cultural superiority, so the Cross of Christ alone remains visible.
Migration: A Global Gospel Opportunity
Walk through a neighborhood in Nashville, London, or Toronto, and you might hear ten languages before reaching the street corner. A mosque stands across from a Jewish synagogue. A Mexican restaurant sits next to a Chinese nail salon. Migration is remapping the world’s spiritual landscape also.
For centuries, mission meant leaving home and traveling across oceans. Today, many of the nations live within our cities. Some come fleeing hunger or persecution. Others arrive seeking education or opportunity. Whether refugee or professional, every migrant carries a story. Within those stories lie opportunities for the gospel.
Picture this: an Iranian student in Illinois meets Christ through a Bible study or cultural event. Fast forward a few years, and she returns home, ready to share her hope with her family in Tehran. Perhaps a Ukrainian refugee finds sanctuary in a local church in France. Eventually, he becomes a pastor who helps other migrants settle into the Ukrainian-led church and their new lives. Migration isn’t random or accidental. It’s one of the surprising ways God works in the world to complete His global task.
The challenge for Western Christians is simple but profound: will we see migrants as a burden to be managed or as neighbors to be loved? If we open our lives, some of the most unreached people groups on earth may hear the gospel, not from an overseas missionary, but from a friend across the street.
Melding of Culture
Technology and trade make the world feel smaller. Teenagers in Tokyo wear Nike Jordan™ sneakers while streaming the same music as teenagers in New York. A farmer in rural Brazil uses WhatsApp™ to talk with his cousin in Ireland. Cultures collide and blend at a frenetic pace.
Today, we live in a world full of diverse cultures and contrasts. While sharing our cultures help us connect with others, many people worry they might lose their own traditions along the way. This feeling isn’t limited to one part of the world. As a result, some people are wary of those with new ideas, especially missionaries.
People often wonder whether missionaries come to share the message of Jesus or to push a Western agenda. The focus should be presenting the gospel as a universal gift rather than as a Western concept. Christianity should transform, not erase, cultures. It should grow like a seed planted in new cultural soil, rather than a transplanted tree in a foreign society. Revelation depicts every tribe and language worshiping together in unity. Today’s mission should mirror that: a table where each culture adds its flavor with Christ as King.
Technology: A New Mission Frontier
The Internet provides the Bible in thousands of languages. A seeker in Pakistan can quietly download Scripture onto a phone. A pastor in Canada can preach to an online audience in India. Artificial intelligence is accelerating translation projects.
Yes, technology has its dangers — addiction, disinformation, and exploitation — but it also offers promise. When physical borders tighten, digital doors swing wide. The Church must be wise, not fearful. If technology is shaping the future of human connection, then it must also shape the future of mission.
Facilitation: Peacemaking in a Polarized World
The world appears more divided than ever. Wars persist. Political divisions deepen. Social media stirs hostility. Human nature often drives us to choose sides and fight for power.
Jesus called His followers to embrace a higher purpose: “Blessed are the peacemakers…” (Matthew 5:9). This mission is not just about sharing salvation; it is about uniting people for the purpose of salvation. In areas ravaged by conflict, Christians can become agents of reconciliation. In divided cities, believers can illuminate a brighter path — one grounded in forgiveness, attentive listening, and mutual respect.
Facilitating peace is not a sign of weakness; it requires courage. It means facing conflict with open hands rather than clenched fists. It shows the world the Cross of Christ breaks down hostility. In a broken world, promoting healing and unity is one of the most powerful testimonies of the love of Christ.
We often focus on the wounds of our country, but every nation bears its scars. Wars, slavery, genocide, religious persecution, and betrayal are not just historical events. Their effects resonate in the present. People around the world have suffered, are suffering, and will continue to suffer because of injustice. Our mission cannot ignore these truths.
History: Listening, Learning, Repenting
In particular, the Western Church must confront its own history — too many missionaries in our past confused cultural dominance with true Christian faith. For many, this left deep wounds.
Authentic mission demands humility. We must be willing to face the shadows, repent where needed, and seek reconciliation. Listening is just as essential as speaking. Only by acknowledging our past can we build trust for the future.
Compassion: Preparing the Soil
At the core of everything is compassion. Jesus preached, and He also fed the hungry. He taught, and He also healed the sick. While calling for repentance, He looked with compassion.
Holistic mission — addressing both physical and spiritual needs — is not an optional add-on. Refugees need food and shelter. Addicts need recovery and community. The lonely need friendship.
The forgotten need dignity. Through these acts of compassion, the message of salvation becomes tangible. Compassion softens and prepares the hardest ground to receive the gospel seed.
Acts 1:8 mentions Samaria for a reason. The gospel is for those we are most tempted to ignore. Mission involves reaching the fringes: those who are feared, unwanted, or overlooked. Jesus calls people to come as they are yet loves them too much to leave them unchanged. That truth, lived out in compassion, remains the Church’s strongest testimony.
Mission today looks different than it did a century ago, and that is good news. Respect replaces dominance. Migration brings nations to our neighborhoods. Cultures blend at a global table. Technology opens new highways. Peacemaking heals fractured societies. History teaches us humility. And compassion reveals the heart of Christ.
The Western Church no longer leads global missions efforts. It was only there for a reason and a season — to prepare the rest of the world to lead. The center is Christ Himself, and His Spirit is moving in every part of the globe. The task before us is not to preserve Western influence but to participate in God’s Kingdom together, with every tribe, language, and nation.
The future of mission belongs to God. Our role is to walk humbly, love deeply, and bear witness faithfully. If we do, the gospel will continue its unstoppable journey to the ends of the earth until the task is complete.
About the Writer: Don Matchett is director of development for IM, Inc.
