Nestorian ‘merchant missionaries’ - a model for Christian Chinese migrants

Abstract

Both the Old and New Testament lay a foundation for the role of migrants in God’s mission, missio Dei. With the unprecedented rise of the Global South to prominence in the world mission enterprise, China is poised to play a major role in fulfilling the Great Commission Mandate. Already Christian Chinese migrants are in many countries, possibly in over 140 countries of the world, including many of the unreached, unengaged people groups. The Nestorians, also called ‘merchant missionaries’, were amongst the first to take the gospel to China. They can serve as a methodological mission model, using some basic biblical principles, to help Christian Chinese migrants today, especially the Wenzhou businessmen, to fulfil their apostolic role in world mission.