Letter To CCCOWE Family

Dear CCCOWE family, peace be with you all.

It's been more than four months since my last letter, and many reasons for being grateful have unfolded. In the past two weeks, I travelled to three countries in South America for ministry tours, accompanied by Pastor Jonatas Chen, the chairman of CCCOWE Central and South America. Additionally, I took part in the 7th Pan-American CCCOWE Conference. This visit marked my first time in South America, and God broadened my horizons through this journey.

Compared to immigrant churches in other regions, Chinese churches in Brazil interact very closely with local Brazilian churches! The South American Theological Seminary, founded by Chinese immigrants, also primarily teaches in Portuguese. It not only trains ministers for Chinese churches but also nurtures ministers for Portuguese-speaking churches in Brazil.

One of the most memorable aspects of my trip to Brazil was the joint retreat between the Da-An Church and Missão Go Internacional. Da-An Church is a Taiwanese Presbyterian church with over fifty years of history in Brazil. It now has a predominantly elderly congregation in the Taiwanese dialect group and a younger, second and third-generation Chinese congregation in the Portuguese-speaking group. On the other hand, Missão Go Internacional primarily consists of immigrants from mainland China, with only a Mandarin-speaking congregation; their Portuguese-speaking congregation has not been formally established yet.

The fact that these two seemingly different churches were willing to come together for a joint retreat was striking. During the retreat, I observed the senior pastor from Da-An Church carefully reminding their fellow workers on stage to "speak Mandarin" instead of Taiwanese. I also witnessed a worship team composed mainly of young people from Missão Go Internacional, diligently ensuring that every lyric projected onto the screen was in "Traditional Chinese characters." In these small yet significant gestures, I saw both communities showing mutual consideration, which deeply touched my heart.

On the day of our ministry trip to Paraguay, I had half a day of free time. Pastor Jonatas Chen took me to see one of the world's three largest waterfalls, the Iguazu Falls. The weather was exceptionally clear that day, allowing us to see numerous rainbows from different angles as we toured the falls.

Watching the waterfall holds a special significance for me because five years ago when I responded to God's calling and decided to accept the nomination to serve as the General Secretary of CCCOWE, my wife took me to visit a waterfall in New Taipei City. Sitting in a cafe there, I gazed at the nearby waterfall for over two hours. Watching the water cascade onto the rocks, forming beautiful sprays that reflected colourful rainbows, I felt as if God was saying to me through that waterfall, "The most beautiful scenery in life is found in obedience to God's journey!" Now, five years later, visiting the Iguazu Falls and seeing various-sized waterfalls and rainbows again fills me with gratitude for God's faithfulness!

The Iguazu Falls also gave me a new insight into the CCCOWE movement. The 275 different-sized waterfalls that consisted of the Iguazu Falls each have their beauty due to the terrain and water volume, much like the Chinese churches in different regions placed by God in different circumstances. Each church is uniquely beautiful, yet when all these unique waterfalls come together, they form a magnificent panorama, reflecting the richness and glory of God's kingdom. Whether large or small, all the waterfalls flow into the same river downstream. This reminds us that we belong to one body and will eventually gather at the feast of the Lamb in the same new heaven and earth!

The final stop of this journey in Central and South America was the 7th Pan-American CCCOWE Conference held in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Unlike previous Pan-American CCCOWE conferences, where nearly half of the participants were from North America, over 80% of the participants, this time, came from various countries in Central and South America. In addition to regions with more mature Chinese churches, such as Brazil, Argentina, and Panama, there were also pastors, leaders, and missionaries from over a dozen countries in Central and South America, like Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia.

The conference theme is "Gospel and Mission." Dr. Luke Tsai, the president of Christian Witness Theological Seminary in the United States, shared seven points from the Bible to explain why the coming of God's kingdom is good news. He emphasized that this kingdom has a great and benevolent king who desires to establish a good relationship with His people, leading participants to understand the significance of the gospel for the "present" lives of Christians!

Rev. John Wang, the international director of the Gospel Operation International, also shared about "Mission in Central and South America." He shared about Latin America as a mission field, as a mission force, and how to collaborate with North American churches. He mentioned that Chinese churches in Latin America could contribute invaluable gifts to the global church, such as their in-depth understanding and knowledge of contextualization, providing a non-Asian and non-North American perspective to understand the gospel and mission practices. Pastor Mac Kenzie from Argentina, who pastors Chinese churches in Argentina, also shared with me that Chinese culture can teach Argentinians to respect elders and order, while Latin American culture can bless Chinese culture with flexibility, enthusiasm, and a perspective of viewing things from the margins!

Earlier this February, CCCOWE launched the preparation for the 10th CCOWE Conference (July 20-24, 2026). During a conference to discuss the direction of the event, Pastor Patric Feng mentioned a passage written by Paul to the Corinthian church. We felt that this was also what God wanted to say to the Chinese churches today: "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? …For we are God’s fellow workers…According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation… which is Jesus Christ " (1 Corinthians 3:5, 9-11). This passage led us to four reflections and to the four important spirits of the 10th CCOWE Conference: humility and repentance, collaboration, exchanging gifts, and the power of the gospel!

1. "What then is Apollos? What is Paul?"：We are often troubled by the inflated "ego," making it difficult for us to listen to God and to each other and even more challenging to cooperate. Our ministry may be obscured by the banner of "for God," deceiving not only others but sometimes even ourselves. Only when we are "humble and repentant" and see our limitations can we truly unite with the Lord.
2. "For we are God’s fellow workers."：We are not called to fulfill our own ambition but to work together with God and each other, "collaborating and co-creating" together. The journey of ministry, in the end, is a gradual understanding and acceptance of our "inabilities" and beginning to "allow" God to work in our lives, ultimately realizing that His faithfulness is our only achievement!
3. "According to the grace God has given me."：Gifts are not for building our little kingdoms but for building the body of Christ and fulfilling the holistic mission given to the Church by Him, becoming a blessing to others! Therefore, when we are willing to share our gifts with others generously, it is like "exchanging gifts," blessing each other without the pressure of forcing others how to use the gifts they receive.
4. "The foundation is Jesus Christ."：The kingdom of God is not built by humans but by God's action! Our mission is not to establish the kingdom of God in this world but to witness the "already and not yet" kingdom of God, being called to venture in obedience, give generously, and love sacrificially!

CCCOWE recently published the book "Mission Discipleship@ Workplace” in partnership with CEF. This book gathers insights from 16 contributors, with one core idea being that holistic mission includes the cultural mandate of "creating good and beautiful things," the great commandment of "caring for others," and the great commission of “making disciples of Jesus".

1. The Cultural Mandate：When God created humans, He gave us the appointment to "be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:28). It is about continuing to "create good and beautiful things" based on God's creation.
2. The Great Commandment：When the disciples asked Jesus what the essence of the Old Testament was, Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31).
3. The Great Commission：Before Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven, He gave the disciples the mission to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:18-20). Then, the Holy Spirit was poured out, empowering the disciples, who boldly preached and testified to the resurrection and kingship of Christ, leading people to submit to Christ and fulfill the great commission of making disciples!

Imagine if every Christian "creates goodness" and "cares for neighbors" in their lives. Making people "disciples of the Lord" may not necessarily be easy but will surely become more natural; a holistic mission is a mission with warmth and practicality!

Over the past three months, CCCOWE has published the 2024 edition of "Chinese Churches Today" annual, released the results of the "Global Chinese Church Mission and Discipline Survey", and held an online presentation. At the same time, the "CCCOWE Articles Lib" has officially launched, and the fourth season of the "Missional Discipleship" Podcast has begun airing.

All these are by God's grace. God also works through many churches' prayers, participation, and offerings. I sincerely believe that God's work He will supply in various ways personally. I invite you to pray for our team so that our thoughts, intentions, and actions may continually be adjusted by God, to serve all the churches in His will, and to remember the needs of our ministry!

Your brother in Christ

10 APR 2024

Rev. David Doong

General Secretary of CCCOWE