By Rev. Dr. Kenny Kapfo / National Director Tentmakers International, India

   Welcome to the 4th South Asia TI Congress and thank you for embracing TI. I hope you will have a good time and have a meaningful fellowship

with one another.

   The TI Asian Congress, in partnership with IMA was held in 2010, January 20th to 23rd, in Hyderabad. The 1st South Asia TI Congress was held

in 2014, Feb. 17th -19th at MI India Center in Dimapur, Nagaland. The 2nd South Asia TI Congress was held during November 3rd -5th 2015,

in Nagaland House at Salt Lake City, Kolkata and November 7th at MI India Center, Dimapur in Nagaland. Regional Conferences were held twice

at Word for the World Church, City Centre, Siliguri in West Bengal during April 27th and November 28th, 2016 and in Kohima, Nagaland on 22nd

Oct. 2016 at Nagabazar Baptist Church.

   The 3rd South Asia TI Congress was held in Hyderabad at Marriot Hotel from January 26th -27th 2017 with the initiation and partnership of IMA

under the able leadership of Rev. Dr. I. Wati Longkumer, the present General Secretary of India Missions Association and Head Chairman of Asia

Missions Association (AMA).This 4th South Asia TI Congress was supposed to be held this year in March at Chiangmai, Thailand but for good

reasons we are having this time in New Delhi, India through the initiation and support of the Tentmakers International (TI) under the good

leadership of Rev. Dr. Johnny Chun, the present Executive Secretary of TI and the President of Mission International, Korea.

   Every nation, and every organization belonging to both Christians and secular, every local church and down to the smallest unit of mission force

has raised its slogan and has been working hard in facing the new challenges and opportunities today. So the voice of William Carey, who is called 

the ‘Father of Modern Missions,’ still echoes in our ears and say, “Expect Great Things from God; Attempt Great Things for God”. The World Mission

Movement has been moving toward its zenith point, the highest point in the history of World Mission because no greater movement than today had

ever been before in terms of both the quantity and quality of World Mission. Tent-making mission movement is the 21st Century mission trend.

   Our best textbook for mission is still the Book of Acts. It is called the Acts of the Apostles or the Acts of the Holy Spirit. We can even say the Acts

of the Risen Lord through His people empowered by His Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 is considered to be the table of contents for the whole Book of Acts and

the rest are historical accounts and the spread of the Gospel beginning from Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8 has two parts:

The first part is a promise, i.e., the promise of the Holy Spirit and the second part is a prophecy i.e., the worldwide spread of the Gospel. Both are

being fulfilled in the Book of Acts and in the books of our lives and history. The Great Commission is given to the Whole Church to bring the Whole

Gospel to the Whole World. That means every individual believer has responsibility and has a part to play. No one is
exempted from the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ.

   In Acts 8:1, we see the Apostles continued to stay in Jerusalem in spite of persecution and spread the Gospel. They can be called Stayed Missionaries.

There are believers today who stay back and do home missions. They are M1.

   In Acts 8:4 and 11:19-21, we find the Scattered believers in Christ. They shared the Gospel wherever they went. They were nameless witnesses.

They can be called Scattered missionaries. They are M2. In Acts 13:1-5, Barnabas and Paul were set apart by the Holy Spirit and the Church.

They were set apart and sent Missionaries. They are M3.

   The dimension of World Mission is so great and the missionary enterprise is not easy, it is both difficult and costly because the Gospel must be

preached to the Whole World (Matt. 24:14) and still larger portion of the World Population needs to hear the Gospel. Today, we have come together

as followers of Christ and professionals of 21st Century to be challenged, convinced and clothed with new vision and vigor to be more effective and

productive Tentmakers. Tentmakers or Professionals can be called Scattered Missionaries because they are scattered today due to their professions,

not because of persecutions as in the Early Church, and enter the marketplaces, remote places restricted and persecuted areas where they share

their skills, resources and lives to win their colleagues, neighbors, friends and even strangers to Christ.

   So called Christian Professionals can go where traditional missionaries or sent missionaries cannot go due to legal or religious restrictions.

Christian Professionals have access to all nations and they are needed in every society because they contribute both their skills and resources for

the welfare of the people and growth of the nations. They are equally access to their own colleagues and workplaces. So today ‘Workplace Witnessing’

has become more crucial and essential to fulfill the Great Commission. The Great Commission Mission is to every ethnic group, from all nations

to all nations, from everywhere to everywhere (Matt. 24:14; 28:19). Therefore we need more urgently the Scattered Christian Professionals or

Tentmakers who can significantly reach out to a larger portion of the World Population where traditional missionaries
cannot go and are restricted.

   TI Congress in every nation and context is to motivate and mobilize the potential professionals to become 21st Century mission force for World

Evangelism and accomplishment of the Great Commission. Last year from August 6th-9th, 2018, Mission Korea was held at Sejong University with

the theme, “RE”, to restart. Likewise, we need to rethink, renew and refocus our mission forces and strategies to reach out this fast changing and

challenging World today. TI Congress provides a platform where one can exchange ideas, strategies, network and partner, encourage and support

as well as promote the Tent-making Movement and network together as we believe in Synergy and practice Teamwork in our endeavors.

As always, we need RE-filling of the Holy Spirit, power, prayer, Patience, as well as Renewal of our conviction, compassion and commitment to fulfill

the Great Commission.

   May our Missionary God and the God of all missions, help us today to relax and be refreshed to renew our love and commitment to Christ through

this Congress. Thank you very much once again for you have come with great sacrifice. May God abundantly bless you! Soli Deo Gloria!