(Presented at the InterCity Dialogue in Ottawa, Nov. 29-30, 1996)
CCF: A Marginalizing Ministry
Campus ministry among Chinese students has undergone many changes during the past decade. Among the many changes, two can be identified:
- Demographic Change of Chinese Church
Many Chinese churches in Canada were started with students as the primary congregation. Since 1980's, a huge influx of immigrants has come from Hong Kong. New immigrants in the cosmopolitan cities have soon become the new outreaching target for the Chinese churches. As a result, the ministry focus of most churches have shifted from student-oriented to family-oriented. As churches become more and more multigenerational, ministry to students is no longer the central and sole concern in ministry.
- Demographic Change of Chinese Student Population
Out in our mission field on campus, the Chinese student population has also undergone much changes. The number of visa students from Hong Kong and South East Asia has decreased, while there is a growing number of students in the following categories: local-born/raised Chinese, Chinese scholars from Mainland China, as well as the Taiwanese. The dramatic decrease of visa students on many campus has caused some "downsizing" effect among CCFs. The diversity of Chinese student population also creates much challenges in the "positioning" of CCF. (e.g. the shift from Chinese-speaking to English-speaking CCFs and for some, further becoming Asian Christian Fellowships).
"On the Periphery": A Theological Motif
Instead of viewing the marginalizing effect merely as a threat to the existence of CCFs, it could instead become an opportunity to re-evaluate and re-engineer the vision and mission of CCF. A possible theological motif is proposed, namely. "On the Periphery." Throughout the Bible, it is noted that, God frequently used people "on the periphery" to bring blessings, impacts, and challenges to the central figures:
| Time Period | At the Centre | On the Periphery | Significance |
| Israel Kingdom | The Kings | The Prophets | The prophets were chosen by God to bring messages and challenges to the ruling Israelite kings. |
| Exilic Era | Foreign Powers | The Jews in Diaspora | Overseas Jews such as Daniel & Ezekiel had been used by God to bring impact. |
| Post-exilic Era | Rebuilding of Temple | Rebuilding of City Wall | God's plan of rebuilding did not stop at the central temple, the wall is also an integral part |
| Jesus Ministry | Jesus ministry in Jerusalem | Jesus ministry in Galilee | The early stage of Jesus ministry was spent away from the religious centre Jerusalem |
| Early Church | The Church in Jerusalem | The Church of Antioch | Originally a branch from Jerusalem, the Antioch Church has become the missionary centre of early church. |
The Significance of the "Peripheral Motif"
to the CCF Ministry
- Reaffirming CCF as the "Missionary Arm"
of the Local Church
Rather than a separate entity of its own, the identity of "the periphery" is always defined by its relationship with the centre. Similarly, CCFs need to be reminded of the role as a missionary arm of the local church, not a competitor or duplication. A clear identity on campus is needed for effective ministry.
- Re-establishing the Pioneering Role of CCF
in the History of Chinese Church
Compared to the centre, the periphery is where new frontiers lie. For the past, campus ministry has been the "experimental farm" of many fruitful innovations, e.g. inductive Bible Study and EBS in the 70's, as well as national student networking through internet and national conferences in the 90's. Every generation of CCFers needs to be pathfinders.
(Gabriel Chan is the university ministry staff of AFC)
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