People from the Ends of the Earth: Mission Begins Here

Rev. Kwangyoung Park(Bethel Canadian Reformed Church)

Every summer, many churches send short-term mission teams around the world. This is valuable work, and the Korean church has a strong passion for world missions. Yet we must also recognize another reality: the nations are coming to us. Toronto is home to people from nearly every part of the world. In our neighbourhoods, workplaces, and schools, we meet people from China, Iran, India, Africa, Latin America, and beyond. Some come for education or employment; others seek safety, freedom, or a new beginning. Many carry painful memories, unanswered questions, and a deep longing for hope.

In my ministry at Bethel Canadian Reformed Church, I have had the privilege of meeting people from many cultural and religious backgrounds. It is especially humbling to share the gospel with those who have come from countries where Christian witness is restricted and believers may face persecution. In their homelands, some had little opportunity to enter a church, read the Bible openly, or ask honest questions about Jesus Christ. Yet here in Canada, they can worship, study Scripture, speak freely, and hear the gospel without fear. What a privilege it is to place God’s Word into the hands of someone who could not freely receive it in the land of his or her birth.

These encounters have taught me to view immigration through the eyes of faith. It does not fall outside the providence of God. The Lord who commands His church to make disciples of all nations can also bring the nations to our doorstep. This may be one of the greatest missionary opportunities He has placed before us.

Our new neighbours need more than settlement assistance, social programs, or cultural hospitality. They need Christ. They need Christian friends who will welcome them, listen to their stories, invite them into their homes, share the gospel clearly, open the Bible with them, and patiently walk beside them. They need faithful churches in which the truth, love, holiness, and hospitality of Christ are not only proclaimed but also embodied.

Korean Christians may have a particularly meaningful opportunity. Through the growing influence of K-culture, many people have developed curiosity about Korea and openness toward Korean people. Cultural popularity can become a bridge for relationships. Perhaps God has given Korean Christians this unexpected platform so that we may testify to something infinitely greater: the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

The missionary call may lead someone onto an airplane. But it may also lead us across the street, into a coffee shop, or to the home of an immigrant family. The question is not only, “Where should we go?” We must also ask, “Whom has God already brought to us?” The mission field is not only far away. By God’s providence, it is here.