SEANET and RESOURCES for the BUDDHIST WORLD
Alex
G. Smith, D. Miss.
Minister-At-Large
for Overseas Missionary Fellowship, Portland, OR, USA
Published
in Global Missiology, Spiritual Dynamics, July 2005, www.globalmissiology.net
OMF and the Buddhist World: From the early days of Hudson Taylor the CIM, now OMF, has
been working primarily among peoples with predominantly Buddhist worldviews.
Though some OMFers work with a few Muslim groups or
animistic tribes, the majority of populations and peoples that most OMFers serve are either folk Buddhists or
those significantly influenced by Buddhism, even among some tribes. Within OMF
are some careful researchers and excellent scholars of mission. But most in OMF
today are dedicated, hard working practitioners. This article will introduce
some resources that may help to enhance vital church multiplying efforts among Buddhist
populations in Asia. SEANET is one of those resources available especially to
aid practitioners.
Background of SEANET: In November 1998 Steve Spaulding, Jim Morris and Alex
Smith shared their joint vision for developing a network for reaching the
broader spectrum of Buddhists. Plans began to gather national church leaders,
missionaries, missiologists, pastors and theologians.
With Alan Johnson (AOG Thailand) and others, an initial general gathering of
like minds was organized. Sixty delegates from twenty nations were invited;
half were indigenous leaders/workers. Thirty-five attended the initial
conference.
Annual Working Conferences: At that first meeting in Bangkok February 15-18, 1999,
this network adopted the name SEANET (South, East, South-East
And North Asia Network).
Yearly gatherings in Thailand have continued, the latest being SEANET VII held
in Chiang Mai in early 2005, with about seventy participants from approximately
twenty countries.
Working Groups: The three foci of Prayer Mobilization, Training
and Research, and Strategy Development became the emphases for the
annual participant work-groups (by nations or the major kinds of Buddhism).
Each year all participants are required to sign security agreements. A simple
loose organizational structure was ratified. A small Steering Group was elected
to help organize the events. SEANET also highly encouraged national initiatives
to be developed locally.
Current Steering Group: Steve Spaulding (USA/Manila - DAWN), David Lim
(Philippines-CMI), Kang San Tan (Malaysia - OMF), Liz Adleta
(USA - GCNI), Ramesh Sapkota
(Nepal - GNCC), Paul DeNeui (Thailand/USA - Covenant
Church), Rosalie Rivera (Philippines - DAWN), and Alex Smith (Australia/USA -
OMF).
Theological Forum: Serious academic reflection on the issues of the Buddhist
world led to the holding of an annual Forum where relevant papers could be
presented. The Forum aimed to integrate theory, theology, socio-anthropology
and grassroots practice. The first Forum, attended by 75 delegates, was held in
March 2002 under the capable direction of Dr. David Lim. Each set of annual
Forum papers are published by SEANET. These books are vital since there is
comparatively little serious missiological writing on
Buddhism available. Key papers have included works by academicians like
Johannes Aagaard, David Burnett, Terry Muck, and
James Gustafson. Excellent contributions of Asian Christian scholars such as Nanthachai and Ubolwan Mejudhon (Thailand), Michal Vasanthokumar
and G. Somaratne (Sri Lanka), Mitsuo
Fukuda (Japan), and David Lim (Philippines) have added a crucial contextual
flavor. OMFers Kang San Tan, John Davis, Alex Smith,
Mark Dominey, Jim Morris, Marten De Visser, and Eunice Burden have presented papers at these fora. A similar Forum on Buddhism is to be held in the USA
to stimulate seminaries to consider the urgent needs of the broader Buddhist
World, and that of the growing trends of burgeoning Western Buddhism
especially.
Research and Writing: SEANET encourages efforts to research the Buddhist world -
its peoples, the progress of evangelization and case studies on strategy and
church planting. If you have a serious contribution to such knowledge, please
advise us.
Regional Emphasis: From 2005 three regional conferences were projected: 1) Theravada
in Thailand, 2) Mahayana in North Asia, 3) Vajrayana
(Tibetan) in North India. This will give a stronger focus for meeting
specialized needs of workers from each major kind of Buddhism.
Motivating, training and mobilizing are important elements for these areas.
How to be Invited
to SEANET Events: Because of the sensitive peoples
that some of the attendees work amongst, SEANET has been security conscious
from its inception. Attendance at any of SEANET gatherings is by invitation
only, usually by email notices. A number of OMFers
from various countries as well as many from other agencies and denominations
have attended past events. Practitioners among Buddhist peoples make up the
majority of attendees, though some who attend the Forum are focused more on the
academic aspects. Most of those attending each Forum stay on for the general
gatherings. If you would like to be involved in any of these, please contact
Alex Smith or Kang San Tan (for OMFers) or Steve
Spaulding and David Lim (for other groups), advising us of your desire,
information and email address. Your name will be passed on to the Steering
Group for clearance. This also will give you access to the SEANET website.
Buddhist Peoples Prayer Guides: Considering the needs of the world’s one billion
Folk Buddhists, the SEANET prayer work-group launched a Prayer Movement
called “Billion Hours” in 2001 (OMF-US already had “One Billion Wait” prayer
focus). The year after our first conference, the IMB published Days of
Enlightenment: Prayer for Buddhists. In 2001, SEANET’s initial 15 day Buddhist
Prayer Guide by countries, titled A Billion Wait, was available “on
line”, and a revised 36-page booklet was published in early 2002. Copies can
still be ordered by e-mail at mgfd@gmx.net.
Several translations of these SEANET prayer guide were made in various
languages. SEANET also encouraged and stimulated Paul Hattaway
in the production of Peoples of the Buddhist World: A
Christian Prayer Diary (2004). Other groups have developed prayer guides
for specific Buddhist peoples: Tibetans, Dai, and North Vietnam (2002),
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and North Korea (2004).
Institute of Buddhist Studies: The training work-groups highlighted the need for
Institutes of Buddhist Studies. Lanka Bible School in Sri Lanka held several
short courses, including one with David Burnett. Cooperating with SEANET, Alan
Johnson initiated the Asia Pacific Institute of Buddhist Studies in
November 2002 in the Philippines. The recent third session of four two-week
courses was scheduled for April/ May 2005 with Professors Terry Muck, Alex
Smith and Dave Oleson. Each of the professors named
above has taught “Buddhism and Christianity” in Seminary Courses in America. For information contact ibs@apts.edu.
Emphasis on Christward
Movements: At SEANET’s annual conferences
training was given on Church Planting/Multiplying Movements (CPM), Saturation
Church Planting, House Church Movements, and Family Group Evangelism, as well
as Community Development and Micro-Business approaches. Case studies from
various Buddhist countries and some “Models of Hope” were presented to
stimulate cross-pollination of ideas on strategies. Several associated workers
have conducted short-term training workshops in various parts of the Buddhist
world. SEANET is willing to help with relevant training.
Training Workshops for
Asian Buddhist Contexts:
Contact direct for availability.
Dr. David Lim: House Church Movements, Tentmakers, Community
Development,
Micro
Business, Strategy: cmiphil@jmf.org.ph
Dr. Alex Smith: Understanding Buddhism (all branches), Folk
Buddhism, Beliefs and
Worldview,
Church Multiplication, Contextualization, Buddhist/ Christian Encounter,
Strategy: asmith@omf.org
Stephen Spaulding: Strategy, Saturation Church Planting, Christward
Movements :
Liz Adleta: Prayer Mobilization and Development, Tibetan/Shamanistic
Contexts, CPMs,
Micro Business
for Church Planters asianrd@pactec.net
Dr. Kang San Tan: Christian/ Buddhist Encounter: ihq-dmr@omf.net
Dr. Paul DeNeui: Indigenous Contexualization,
Holistic Development, Theravada
Contexts: pgdeneui@loxinfo.co.th
Alan Johnson: Cultural Communication, Church Planting: alan.johnson@agmd.org
Related Websites: SEANET has a website: http://www.seanetwork.org/. Because of security concerns
visitors need to have clearance. A separate open website for registering prayer
commitments is http://www.billionhours.org/.
OMF’s websites also have good information on Buddhist work and opportunities: http://www.us.omf.org/ and http://www.onebillionwait.org/.
Jim Stephens’ Sonrise Center for Buddhist Studies in
California also has interesting data at: http://www.sonrisecenter.org/.
Audio-Visual Resources (OMF):
1. Videos
- highly recommended: a) Theravada Buddhism, b) Mahayana Buddhism,
c) Tibetan Buddhism, d) One Billion Wait - Prayer
Challenge.
2. Teacher’s Resource
Packet: Buddhism: O/Heads or PPT, VBS Lesson Plans, etc …
3. Brochure: One
Billion Wait: The Challenge of Buddhism
4. Buddhism: Full Color
Poster – 16” X 24”
5. Book: Buddhism Through Christian Eyes – Alex G. Smith
Order all above via OMF National Offices: or in USA 1-800-422-5330 http://www.us.omf.org/
Books on Specific
Buddhist Peoples and Prayer Focus:
A Billion Wait…A Prayer
Guide for the Buddhist World. SEANET, Chiangmai,
Thailand. 2002. (Available from OMF Mekong Office, Chiang Mai).
A Prayer A Day for
Myanmar. Source Publishing, Hawthorn,
Victoria, Australia. 2004.
Harvesting Souls through
Prayer: A 30-day prayer guide for Cambodia. Lau Pak Soon,
Goh Kailin, Editors,
Singapore. 2004.
Peoples of the Buddhist
World: A Christian Prayer Guide, Paul Hattaway, Editor,
Piquant, Carlisle, UK. 2004 (Note: good
articles are dispersed throughout)
Strongholds of Central
Tibetans: A 31-day Prayer Guide. Edited David Plymire, from
High Adventure in Tibet, Springfield, MO. Gospel Publishing
House. (1959).
Tearing Down
Strongholds: Prayer for Buddhists. Elizabeth Wagner, CLC, Hong
Kong. 1988.
The Dai of China. Caleb Project, Littleton, CO. 2002.
30 Days of Prayer for
Laos. OMF Mekong,
Chiang Mai, Thailand. 2004.
31 Days of Prayer North
Korea: The Land of Juche.
OMF Int., Singapore. 2003.
31 Days Prayer Guide:
Praying for North Vietnam’s People Groups. All4Him
Ministries. 2002. (Orders email: motivate@yahoo.com)
Some Key
General References on Buddhism:
Buddhism and The Spirit Cults in Northeast Thailand. S.J. Tambiah,
University Press,
Cambridge (Eng). 1970.
Buddhism in Chinese
Culture. Chew Hock-Tong, Pelanduk Publications, Selangor
Daryl Ehsan, Malaysia. 2000.
Buddhism Through Christian Eyes. Alex G. Smith, OMF (USA), Littleton CO. 2001.
Poles Apart? Contextualizing the Gospel.
John R. Davis,
Theological Book Trust,
Bangalore, India. 1993.
Sharing Christ in the
Tibetan Buddhist World. Marku Tsering, Tibet Press.1993.
Sharing Jesus in the
Buddhist World.
David Lim and Steve Spaulding, editors, William
Carey Library, Pasadena CA. 2003.
Sharing Jesus
Holistically with the Buddhist World. David Lim and Steve Spaulding,
editors, William Carey Library, Pasadena CA. 2005.
Siamese Gold: The Church
in Thailand. (2nd
Edit.) Alex G. Smith, Kanok Bannasan
(OMF Publishers) Dindaeng, Bangkok, Thailand.
1999.
Steppe By Step: Mongolia’s
Christians - from ancient roots to vibrant young church.
Hugh P. Kemp, Monarch Books, Great Britain. 2000.
"The Christian Response to Buddhism,"
Alex G. Smith in Christian Witness in
Pluralistic Contexts in the 21st Century, Enoch Wan, Editor, William Carey
Library, Pasadena CA. 2004.
The Spirit of Buddhism: A Christian
Perspective on Buddhist Thought.
David Burnett,
Monarch Publications, Crowborough, East
Essex. 1996.
Conclusion and Request: If you have other resources that you have proved
effective in reaching Buddhists, please feel free to write us. If you know of
and/or have researched cases of family conversions or situations of
community transformation, or dramatic stories of
individual converts please write them up and send them to us. We’ll share
helpful information widely. Send to asmith@omf.org
or mail to Q-Plaza P.O. Box #311 (Cainta), 1900
Rizal, PHILIPPINES.