September 2024 RCMI Newsletter

We sincerely invite you to attend

the 55th Anniversary Celebration of Revival Church

The Bonded Missionary and the Bible

The first group of missionaries from the China Inland Mission,

led by James Hudson Taylor, set sail from England in May 1866

and arrived in Shanghai in September 1866. This journey

took approximately four months.

Pastor Dennis began to serve in the most

grassroots areas of Hong Kong

The Bonded (grounded) missionaries refer to those missionaries who strive to integrate into the local culture and society during the missionary process. They not only share their faith, but also spend a lot of time learning the local language, customs and habits, and participate in community activities to build deep relationships and trust with people.

For example, when Dutch missionaries came to Taiwan's indigenous Siraya people in the 17th century, they learned the indigenous language and culture, combined Christian beliefs with local customs, and provided education, medical care, and social assistance to Local communities bring real help and change.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China's first Western hospital, was founded by American missionary Peter Parker in 1835. The hospital is the birthplace of Western medicine and Western medical education in China.

The first Protestant British missionary to China in modern times, Robert Morrison, compiled the first Chinese-to-English dictionary, "A Dictionary of the Chinese Language", in 1823. Published in Macau.

He also translated the first complete Chinese Bible, New Testament and Old Testament, which was published in Malaysia, Malacca in 1823.

China's first English dictionary "Huaying Dictionary"

Pastor Dennis in Hong Kong in September 1974

April 1971 Dennis and Kathy Balcombe got married

The following is the example of Pastor Dennis, the founder of Revival Chinese Ministries International and Revival Christian Church in Hong Kong. A grounded missionary, he shared with us his 55 years of missionary experience in China. Pastor Dennis and his family currently live in Hong Kong and have two children, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. We sincerely invite everyone to participate in the 55th anniversary celebration of Revival Christian Church.

Letter from Pastor Dennis in Hong Kong -

The Bonded Missionary and the Bible

Dear Friends of RCMI

Missionaries not only bring the message of salvation through faith in Christ to people and nations in spiritual darkness but their ministry also profoundly impacts society and entire nations.

Christian missionary work is inextricably linked with the Bible. The sacred text is translated, printed, and widely distributed throughout nations. Both foreign missionaries and locally trained clergy preach and teach from the Bible, leading to conversions and the establishment of churches.

To ensure proper training of local clergy, Bible schools and seminaries are established. Throughout history, these institutions have evolved into great centers of learning. In Europe, North America, and many other nations, including China, many leading colleges and universities originated as Christian Bible institutes.

RCMI hosting Ethnic minorities Seminary and

mobilize theological education

RCMI Seminary in Central China

Pastor Dennis promote cultural exchanges

between China and the West

Many key leaders in society, business, education, and government are products of these institutions. In certain Asian Christian communities such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Indonesia, Christians often represent the more affluent and better-educated segments of society.

Interestingly, few of the missionaries who have made significant historical impacts were highly educated linguistic scholars. Most were ordinary believers, like you and me, who answered the Lord's call in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).

A powerful example is Hudson Taylor and the hundreds of Westerners who came to China under the China Inland Mission. Unlike their well-supported counterparts, they didn't stay in the main coastal cities with consular protection. Instead, they ventured deep inland where few people were educated or spoke English, facing daily challenges of poverty and danger from bandits and wars.

These missionaries fully immersed themselves in Chinese society, adopting local dress, eating local foods, and learning the language by living among the people. While well-funded and educated missionaries from major denominations spent years studying the language in the safety of coastal cities, these 'bonded' missionaries living among the people became fluent in Chinese within a year or so, leading many to Christ and planting churches. Their ministry was also deeply related to the Bible.

In the 1980s, Thomas and Elizabeth Brewster published two small booklets that have influenced me and thousands of other bonded missionaries: "Bonding and the Missionary Task" and "Language Learning is Communication, Is Ministry".

Although I was unaware of these books when I arrived in Hong Kong in 1969, I personally experienced the truths they taught. I lived in a part of the city where English was rarely spoken, and I used the Gospel of John as my language textbook. Consequently, I was able to preach simple Gospel sermons in Cantonese within just seven months.

My wife, Kathy, was the epitome of a bonded missionary. We shared a wonderful marriage for nearly 53 years before she tragically passed away on January 25 due to a sudden illness (brain spasms).

Pastor Dennis, Kathy and their son and daughter

Born to American missionary parents in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Kathy's first language was Thai until she was nine years old. At our wedding in 1971, she beautifully sang verses from Ruth 1:14-17. Like me, she fully embraced Chinese culture, living and ultimately passing away as a Chinese person here in China.

Following in the footsteps of Hudson Taylor and thousands of other missionaries, Kathy completely immersed herself in Chinese culture. Within just one year, she was speaking fluent Cantonese. For the past 53 years, we exclusively used this language in our home.

Throughout my 55-year journey as a missionary to China, I've witnessed numerous bonded missionaries who, in about a year's time, became proficient in speaking and ministering in Chinese or the local language of their assigned nation.

Certainly, many others have been called to serve international communities, as people from every nation are represented in today's large cities. For them, learning the local dialect may not be necessary. However, like the missionaries of the 19th and 20th centuries, much of their work revolves around the Bible.

While a few are still engaged in translation work, most are distributing the Bible in areas where people lack access to God's Word. All of them, in some capacity, are teaching the Bible and, as Jesus commanded, making disciples.

The era of missionaries serving foreign nations is not ending; it's just beginning. The need is universal. However, in many countries where the need is greatest, obtaining a missionary or religious visa can be challenging.

Nevertheless, many can enter as students, teachers, businesspeople, or even immigrants. Many Asian nations offer visitor visas valid for 2-3 months, which can be easily renewed. Some missionaries have successfully used this approach for years with minimal difficulties.

At 16 years old, I received the call to serve in China, knowing it would be a lifelong commitment. When I began my ministry in Hong Kong at 23, I was determined to fully bond with the Chinese people.

Dennis sent to China by the American Mother Church -

embarking on the missionary journey

After retiring from the Vietnam War, Dennis flew from the United States to Hong Kong on March 24, 1969, to embark on a new journey.

1965 Dennis was an American soldier in Vietnam War

I learned Chinese through the Bible, and when China opened up in 1978, I realized my entire life would be dedicated to providing the Bible to the Chinese people and teaching the Word of God.

Recently, my granddaughter, along with her American husband and two children, has immigrated from the USA to Hong Kong. Next year, my grandson will marry a local member of Revival Christian Church.

The greatest need now is for more laborers, as our Lord said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Matthew 9:37-38 ESV)

Yours

Founder of RCMI and Lifetime Honorary Chairman

Pastor Dennis Balcombe