3 Practical Impacts on Missions of NZ as an Ends-of-the-Earth Country

In the previous post, I discussed New Zealand’s Key Role in completing the Gospel Mission.

Through the Acts 1:8 infographic on that post, I’ve shown that New Zealand is one of the “Ends-of-the-Earth” or EOTE countries.

So, having established New Zealand as an EOTE country, I would like to talk about the three practical impacts I have identified.

1. Missionaries have been coming to New Zealand

Yes, missionaries—hundreds of them—have been arriving in New Zealand, but not in the traditional and institutional way that most Baptist churches understand.

New Zealand’s migration program has become a vital pathway for EOTE missionaries eager to obey Acts 1:8 and make a meaningful impact in NZ’s communities.

Let me generate an estimated number of possible missionaries who entered NZ last year using the census data.

In October 2017, the net permanent and long-term migration was 70,700 migrants. The chart below explains further:

 

From the 2013 Census, 47.65 per cent expressed that they are affiliated with a Christian religion and out of this percentage, 1.39 per cent specified that they are Baptists. (Source: Religion in New Zealand – Wikipedia)

Mirroring this percentage trend on the October 2017 net permanent and long-term migration of 70,700 would give us 33,688 (47.65%) Christian migrants.

And approximately, there might have been 468 (1.39%) Baptist members.

There you are, about 468 Baptist Christians from among those who migrated to New Zealand based on the October 2017 data.

Yes, they are missionaries or let’s call them migrant missionaries.

They participate in spreading the Gospel of salvation through their faith practice. They are believers responding and obeying the Great Commission.

Many of them have taken the initiative to start small groups. Some of these small churches progressed as an established church.

I do acknowledge that one could easily dismiss my estimates as unscientific and incredible.

Well, if it is not true that migrant missionaries have been coming to New Zealand, why are churches, big and small, sprouting everywhere around New Zealand?

Answers and comments are welcome. Please post them by scrolling down the page and filling up the comment form at the bottom of this post.

[note note_color=”#fffff3″ text_color=”#1a7616″ radius=”10″]In my next post, I will discuss the second practical implication. WATCH OUT![/note]