A recent report on the history of Asia pioneering is a clear example of what I’m talking about. Here is an excerpt for the positive-only UBF report:

“She offered her five loaves and two fish for HK pioneering mission. As a result, HK UBF has grown rapidly by raising 6 native Sunday messengers and more than 115 Sunday worshipers. Now 5 chapters are having worship service independently and 6 Korean missionaries are co-working together. We thank and praise God for using M. Angela so preciously as a mother of prayer for HK campus souls.” (source)

However, in spite of the rosy picture painted by the UBF report, the reality is very different from their perception. Clearly there has been an ongoing exodus of leaders in Hong Kong UBF. The report also includes glorious-sounding words about India UBF, completely glossing over the exodus of leaders that happened there recently.

The UBF reporter and those who posted the report and those who approved the report all know about the painful reality going on for more than a decade in Hong Kong. Yet the UBF report focuses on the sacrificial life of one missionary and ignores the division completely, just as the majority of UBF leaders continue to ignore any differing opinions regarding their ministry methods and beliefs. I pray that UBF leaders will face the facts and begin to report honestly and factually.

Praise God and ignore division? Serve God and forget about your neighbor? Sacrifice your life and mitigate the mercy of God? I don’t think so. Abraham repented of doing such things, and was blessed for it. We dare not talk about faith and serving God and obeying Christ if we cannot face the facts of our reality. How can I claim to know God if I do not attempt reconciliation, love my neighbor and fall at the mercy of God? We are in danger of becoming mystical fools if we do not face the facts of our situation.

“Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead–since he was about a hundred years old–and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.” Romans 4:19 (NIV84)

UBF Mission Statement for the Next 50 Years
Our Mission Statement for the Next 50 Years

2 Timothy 3:16-17

“All scriptures is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

1) At this ‘UBF shepherd and missionary seminar’ at our 50th anniversary, we shared the ‘spirit, ministry and vision’- the spiritual heritage that God has handed down to us.

2) This spirit is: ‘The spirit of discipleship,’ ‘the spirit of world mission and self-support’, ‘the spirit of community,’ life –giving spirit,’ ‘manger spirit-to live a sacrificial and simple life,’ and ‘pioneering and independent spirit.’

3) Our ministry is : ‘discipleship and house church ministry,’ ‘one-to-one Bible study,’ ‘daily bread,’ ‘testimony writing’, ‘raising and sending professional, self-supporting missionaries,’ ‘social responsibility in action,’ and ‘prayer for the ends of earth: North Korea and beyond.’

4) We confirmed that this spirit and ministry came out of the Bible

5) The key point of this spiritual heritage is ‘who we are and what we do.’

6) This is our identity.

7) We thought about how this heritage contributed to our community, to churches in Korea and throughout around the world, and to universities and societies.

8) At the same time, we also shared our future direction.

9) We give our thanks, praise and glory to god who has accomplished his amazing work in campuses in Korea and around the world for the last 50 years.

10) Nevertheless, we repent that we have not lived up to this beautiful spiritual heritage well, and developed it well.

11) We have a historical mission to keep this spiritual heritage well and pass it on to our descendants.

12) Therefore, looking forward to the next 50 years, we pledge as follows;

1. We pledge to devote ourselves to live up to the spirit, ministry and vision that God has passed down to us, and to develop it further

2. We pledge to dedicate ourselves to the ministry in our native country and to the task of sending out 100,000 missionaries to 233 nations, including 140 unreached nations, by 2041.

3. We pledge to give a good influence to the society and churches in our native country and around the world by being salt and light in each of our respective mission fields.

June 1, 2011

Pledged by all the attendants of the UBF shepherd and missionary seminar.

UBF Mission Statement for the Next 50 Years