"The Tectonic Shift of Christianity..."

I've been doing some reading on current and future trends in global Christianity. At

the same time, I'm reading about the spread of Gospel faith during the Roman Empire (Cities of God: The Real Story of How Christianity became an Urban Movement and Conquered Rome by Rodney Stark). Between the two, others may see a disconnect -- where I see thrilling connections!

Jesus made this public declaration: "I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it," (Mat 16:18) and He has been ensuring the spread of His Message across borders and barriers ever since. Both then and now, one most effective means for achieving this is via migration. During the Roman Empire, Christ followers carried the Good News with them as they traveled and where they settled. They were fleeing persecution and severe conditions and emigrated to other lands. Numerous are the accounts of upper class Roman citizens who were introduced to the Gospel by their foreign servants. Stark notes that "Christian community in Rome seems to have come as a result of migration of men and women from Palestine and Syria."

And today the journey continues.

Steve Hoke and Bill Taylor describe this trend:

"The tectonic shift of Chrisitanity from the Global North to the Global South teaches us that the Spirit is moving South without abandoning the North. And the new glocal mission call is 'from all nations to all nations.' Our global missional partners truly reflect 'from every tribe, nation, tongue, and people.'

"The nations of the world have come to the West, a great opportunity to tell them the great Story of Christ. It is also an invitation for Western churches to be infected with the family and celebratory values of these younger Christian communities now implanted in the West.

"The surprising faces of 'missions from the margins,' from the nobodies, from the 'underside of history,' from the Chrisitans migrating around the world - legally or otherwise. They are on the move, following freedom, jobs and a better place for their families, and they take the Gospel with them.

"The revitalization of the Christian church of Europe will come in part from the vital faith and conversion of migrant peoples, especially from Africa and Latin America."

"Today's missions movement (and I would add, Church growth in our cities) is a truly globalized mosaic, with servants from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the South Pacific."

Yes, we live in tumultuous times. But God is using geopolitical upheaval for His excellent purpose of spreading the Good News. The Lord of the Harvest is raising up laborers by mobilizing people for such a time as this.