Impacting an Empire

The Morrison Center takes on a prime challenge in China ministry.

Challenges in China ministry span the centuries. Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China, faced a cantankerous ship owner on his initial voyage to China in 1807. “And so, Mr. Morrison, you really expect you will make an impression on the idolatry of the great Chinese Empire,” the owner inquired. “No, sir,” replied Morrison, “I expect God will.” And God has.

During Morrison’s term of missionary service, he baptized less than a handful of people; now the church numbers in the millions. Nevertheless, challenges to ministry, while different from those Morrison faced, remain. Today, poorly-trained foreign workers who have not been through an adequate selection process pose one of the primary challenges in China according to ministry leaders and the Chinese church. “There is a virtually unanimous consensus in the China ministry community that foreign workers are being poorly prepared,” said Gary Russell, executive director of China Harvest.  Until now, no one has known of any North American-based training center that prepares individuals specifically for China service. In response to this trend, a handful of ministries have joined in partnership to establish the Morrison Center.

Lack of Preparation

Mr. Russell, co-founder of the Morrison Center, had his own eyes opened to problems in selection and training of workers several years ago. One young woman from the States wanted to serve in China long term. Through China Harvest she found a position in a Chinese city and began her service. Initially, her character defects had remained hidden, but once in China, before long, she broke up the marriage of one of the local Christians, began an immoral relationship and ruined her Christian testimony.

“Everything seemed to be in order,” Russell said. “Then she went over there. It was totally destructive. I saw a casualty that I had recruited and helped. This got me thinking.” Incidents like this are not confined to China Harvest. Other agencies have had similar experiences. However, not all problems are so extreme. They range from immorality to immaturity, from emotional pain to egoism, and from marital problems to money matters. Though the Morrison Center can in no way address every single problem, it can be a beginning by providing basic preparation and identifying problem areas.

The Center’s Beginnings

Two men, Gary Russell and Dr. Rudolf Mak, director of Chinese Church Mobilization with OMF International, have spearheaded the effort to establish the Center. Dr. Mak has long considered the need for such a training center. About four or five years ago, he and another Chinese leader, based in the States, recognized the need for basic training for both overseas Chinese and Caucasians. However, they did not know what to do nor did they have the time to follow through on their concerns.

In 1999, China Harvest encouraged Calvary International and World Indigenous Mission, both of whom had no previous involvement in China, to send people to China. In return, the two groups asked Gary Russell how these people would be trained. He had no answer for them. This encounter gave rise to initial discussions on the establishment of a training facility during a meeting on mobilization in November 2000.  In early 2001, Mr. Russell and Dr. Mak achieved a breakthrough in their discussions. Through their dialogue they saw they shared the same vision for a center. Later that spring they formed a launch committee for the school. Then, in September 2001, the two men, along with a group of other leaders in the China ministry community, gathered and gave the Morrison Center its name and laid out a time line.

The Morrison Center

The Center, scheduled to open in September 2002, is a cooperative joint venture established as a separate entity by a number of China ministry agencies. As a cooperative effort of numerous ministries it can serve a broader range of the body of Christ. Dr. Mak believes that if a single agency were to sponsor it alone, it probably would not work because of a lack of wider appeal and endorsement by other agencies.

The Center is a “China-focused, cross-cultural school launched to train long-term workers.” Thus, as its name indicates, the Center focuses on China—not Thailand, Taiwan or Malaysia—just China.

Preparation at the Morrison Center consists of a cross-cultural, intensive, three- to four-month program designed as pre-field training for families and individuals prior to their move to China. The end product of this training program is excellence in the worker going to China. That excellence means some academic equipping such as cultural and historical knowledge and some non-academic equipping in areas such as emotional maturity, family stability, and flexibility. The Morrison Center is a place where experience on the field can be simulated. Issues and difficulties can be identified before going to the field. Thus, much focus will be on spiritual formation and on preparing one to serve in a country like China.

Courses will come in modules. Teachers, each with a different background, will conduct training sessions for one or two weeks. Subjects will cover a wide-range of topics yet not deviate from the focus of serving in China. The curriculum will be both practical and academic, enabling students to practically apply and practice a range of skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary for long-term effectiveness in China.

Students will learn about China’s history and its implications for contemporary society, the history of missions and the church, a strategy to acquire Mandarin or some other dialect, crosscultural dynamics and change, Chinese lifestyle and family culture, culture shock and culture stress, the effects of transitioning into life in China when first making the move there, attitudes and perspectives necessary for working with a team and much, much more. While the Morrison Center is not a fulltime language school for the study of Mandarin, a full-time instructor from Mainland China is on location for language training and practice and to help students understand Chinese culture, history, literature, and society.

The board of directors for the Morrison Center recently chose the Center’s first director, Tim Frazier. Tim and his wife, Vicky, have been in full-time Christian service for more than 22 years, serving in pioneer church planting in Mexico and Russia and in recruiting, training and development for several North American agencies.

The Center is designed for those interested in long-term China service— not for those interested in short-term ministry trips. Any interested agency may have its workers attend the Center. The Center is open to all regardless of denominational affiliation, their type of work or who they will be serving with in China. Students not already affiliated with an agency will be introduced to a range of options, and an attempt will be made to connect them with a suitable organization as part of their training at the Morrison Center.

Impacting the Empire

Training at the Morrison Center will not nullify ministry challenges, but it will help to minimize them, not only for the China worker but also for the national church. Did God impact the “idolatry of the great Chinese Empire” in Robert Morrison’s day? Indeed He did. Will God continue to impact that great land? Surely that is His desire. As committed Christian workers prepare for China service, they offer themselves as instruments through whom God can continue His work.

If you would like more information about the Morrison Center, please contact Morrison Center director, Tim Frazier at mc@securenym.net.