Changing the Face of Global Mission

Summary: This article reflects on the changing face of global mission, especially as the Global South Church reimagines its role in the Great Commission. Rather than viewing mission through Western, colonial, or wealth-dependent models, the article calls for a renewed vision shaped by Scripture, the early Church, and Spirit-led participation from the whole body of Christ.

A Prophetic Impression

In November 2011, shortly after moving from Izmir, Turkey to Chiang Mai, Thailand, Ryan Shaw describes experiencing a profound moment of clarity. While driving, he sensed the Holy Spirit impress a phrase upon his heart with authority: “I Am Changing the Face of Global Mission!”

In the years since, that phrase has been confirmed by scholars and practitioners from both Western and majority world backgrounds. Shaw explains that while global mission is often viewed through the lens of history, God is bringing shifts in how the Church, particularly in the Global South, perceives and engages the Great Commission.

Interpreting the Statement

Shaw applies the phrase primarily to his ministry context of mission mobilization among Global South churches. He focuses on the meaning of “the face of” global mission, interpreting it as the way mission looks, is perceived, and is understood by believers and churches around the world.

For many believers, especially in the Global South, the face of mission has been shaped by history, power, funding, and Western examples. The article unpacks several areas where Shaw believes God is bringing needed change.

1. Decoupling Mission From Colonialism

One of the article’s central arguments is that global mission must be separated from the perception that it is a Western, colonial, or empire-driven endeavor. Shaw acknowledges that mission history includes the use of wealth, power, and even military might in ways that distorted the witness of the gospel.

This does not mean every Western missionary or society made those mistakes. However, the article argues that the broader mission system was influenced by colonial culture, including assumptions of superiority and patterns connected to empire-building.

Because of this history, many believers in the Global South have inherited the perception that mission belongs to those with wealth and power. Shaw notes that he has often heard statements such as, “global mission isn’t for us, we’re poor,” or “mission is from those who have to those who don’t have.”

The article challenges these assumptions by returning to the New Testament model. Jesus gave the Great Commission to poor, relatively uneducated disciples living under foreign occupation. They possessed no state power and little material wealth, yet God used them to turn the world upside down.

2. Reimagining Mission Funding

The article also calls for a reimagining of how mission is funded. Shaw argues that the traditional Western support model, where churches, friends, and family financially support a missionary, may work in some economic contexts but can become limiting in others.

Instead, he points to the early Church and much of mission history before the modern missionary movement, where believers used jobs, trades, careers, and occupations to sustain themselves while doing Kingdom work among unreached peoples.

This shift could remove a major barrier for the Global South Church. If mission is no longer seen as something only possible for those with outside financial support, more believers may be mobilized to go, live, work, and witness among unreached communities.

3. Activating the Whole Body

Shaw also challenges the belief that only a few believers are meant to be involved in global mission. The article affirms that every believer has a role in the Great Commission.

One expression of this is what Shaw describes as a possible “20% scattered vision,” where churches intentionally mobilize a meaningful portion of their members to relocate among unreached peoples. Some may cross ethnic or cultural lines within their own nations, while others may cross language and national borders.

This model is not framed as traditional missionary sending, but as Spirit-inspired scattering. Believers move with their jobs, families, skills, and everyday presence, living as salt and light among people who have not yet been reached with the gospel.

Imagining a New Future

The article closes by acknowledging that change is often difficult and disruptive. Yet Shaw argues that if the Church takes seriously the phrase “I Am Changing the Face of Global Mission,” then adopting these changes in outlook, perspective, and practice could lead to a significant acceleration in Great Commission mobilization.

The future imagined here is one where global mission is no longer seen as Western-dominated, wealth-dependent, or reserved for an elite few. Instead, it becomes a Spirit-led movement of the global body of Christ, free from unhealthy power dynamics and rooted in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the article about?

The article is about how global mission is being reimagined beyond Western, colonial, and wealth-dependent models, especially through the growing role of the Global South Church.

Why does the article discuss colonialism?

The article discusses colonialism because the history of mission has shaped how many believers perceive global mission today. For some, mission has been associated with power, wealth, and Western dominance rather than biblical obedience to the Great Commission.

What is the article’s view of mission funding?

The article suggests that mission funding should be reimagined through models that allow believers to sustain themselves through work, careers, and occupations while living among unreached communities.

What does the article mean by activating the whole body?

Activating the whole body means helping every believer understand that they have a role in the Great Commission, whether through going, sending, praying, supporting, or living missionally in their own context.

Source: Ryan Shaw, “I Am Changing the Face of Global Mission.”