Bishop Emeritus Hwa Yung of the Methodist Church in Malaysia issued a stirring call for Global South leaders to take ownership of the global mission mandate and forge genuine partnerships free from financial dependency or Western theological dominance. His keynote address Sunday evening (April 27) opened COALA 3.0, the third global gathering of the "Christ over Asia, Latin America and Africa" (COALA) movement, immediately following the COMIBAM 2025 missions congress.
Yung, a veteran pastor, bishop, and former principal of Malaysia Theological Seminary, set the tone for the conference by challenging attendees to solidify COALA's vision and direction. "If we are going to be serious about developing true partnerships within the Majority World and with the Western church, we must build a strong COALA that can truly stand up and say, 'This is what is needed,'" he said.
Christian Daily International has closely followed COALA's emergence and previously reported how the movement seeks to foster collaboration among Global South mission leaders as they step into a more active role in fulfilling the Great Commission.
Reflecting on the COALA statement drafted at the second meeting in Bangkok last year, Yung emphasized that it must be seen as a beginning, not an endpoint. "Much work awaits us," he said. "The COALA 2.0 statement should be viewed as an initial document. It is far from final."
He cautioned that without a clear agenda and defined priorities, COALA risks becoming "confused and diffuse." He urged that the next few meetings focus on "systematically spelling out" the movement's shape and purpose.
A mandate for the Majority World
Yung went on to systematically lay out the specific challenges facing Majority World churches.
First, he said, the Global South must "take ownership of the mission mandate." While historically, Western churches carried the burden of missions, the center of gravity has shifted. "How can we challenge Majority World churches to move from passive recipients to active owners of the mission mandate?" he asked.
Second, Yung emphasized that mission must move from "the margins to the centers," following the biblical pattern found in Acts. "In the modern period, missions have largely gone from centers of political, cultural, financial, and educational power to the margins," he said. "But in Acts, the gospel went from the margins to the centers."
Third, he spoke of the need for churches to shed a "recipient mentality" and trust God for provision in missions. "We must step forth in faith, believing that God’s provision will accompany obedience," he said.
Fourth, Yung warned of the dangers posed by money—both from Western and Majority World sources—in distorting mission priorities. "We must resist the distortion of mission priorities and practices caused by money," he said.
Fifth, he challenged Global South churches to develop "meaningful partnerships between churches in different regions," rather than looking only to the West.
Finally, he urged the creation of "truly mutual" partnerships between the Majority World and Western churches, partnerships marked by humility and equality rather than dominance.
"There is a lot of overlap between the challenges I raised last year in Bangkok and the statement we drafted," he said. "But many substantial issues have yet to be addressed."
Learning from the early church
Pointing to the book of Acts, Yung suggested that many modern mission agencies would have their agendas "upended" if they seriously studied and applied the New Testament model.
"The dependence of the apostolic church on the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit is central at every point," he said. "Much of modern mission goes from centers of power to the margins. Acts shows us a mission movement from the margins to the centers."
He noted that reliance on human planning, methods, and money must give way to Spirit-led obedience. "Unless we recapture this model, we risk building in vain," Yung warned.
A candid word to the Western Church
Turning his attention to the West, Yung offered a pointed but respectful critique.
"Western theology is highly contextual, despite claims to universality," he emphasized. "It is deeply shaped by Western history and social background."
Yung also lamented that even within Western academia, there is little interest in Majority World Christianity. Citing missiologists like Andrew Walls and Lamin Sanneh, he noted that while Christianity is a major force in Africa and Asia, Western theology departments often ignore it or relegate it to "comparative religion" studies.
"The Western mind is largely shaped by the assumptions of the Enlightenment and modernity," he added. "Despite the immense growth of Christianity in the Majority World—driven by signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit—this is largely unknown or marginalized in Western Christian thinking."
He criticized what he called "managerial missiology," an overemphasis on planning and strategy at the expense of spiritual dependence.
Finally, he acknowledged an "unconscious dominating mindset" still present among many Western mission leaders, despite good intentions. Financial and structural inequalities continue to skew partnerships, he said, sharing candid examples of how costly conference structures and selective invitations have marginalized Majority World participation.
A moment for self-reflection for the Majority World
But Yung also offered words of caution to leaders in the Global South.
"Christian thinking in the Majority World is still very much domesticated and controlled by Western frameworks," he said, pointing to the fact that most Majority World theologians, including himself, were educated in the West.
He shared a story of a North Indian student who wanted to write a thesis on his region’s century-old revival history but was discouraged by his Southeast Asian seminary from doing so. "Our minds are still locked into a Western framework," Yung lamented.
He also noted that the brightest young people in the Majority World often pursue careers in medicine, engineering, and business rather than theology or missions. "Our best minds are not given to the service of the church,” he said. “This is a major challenge.”
Moreover, Yung stressed that the Majority World must guard against developing a "reverse superiority complex," viewing the declining Western church as irrelevant. “We must work together as journey partners in faith,” he said.
Building critical mass
Yung argued that COALA must become a "critical mass" where Majority World leaders encourage each other, share insights, enhance confidence, and build genuinely mutual partnerships.
"When you’re doing things alone, it's very lonely," he said. "But when we come together, we can protect each other from mistakes and encourage boldness."
He said COALA must prioritize experience-sharing, building theological confidence, and training world-class scholars, particularly for fields like in-depth study of world religions, where expertise is crucial.
Concluding with a personal memory, Yung recalled being invited by John Stott to a meeting in London in 1979. "John said to me, 'As the church in the West continues to decline, we are looking to the people from the Majority World to respond to the Macedonian call.'"
"That was 46 years ago, and that call still stands today," Yung declared. "Will we answer it?"
