Former Council for World Mission (CWM) missionaries, current Partners in Mission (PIM), and members of the Welsh Presbyterian Church came together on 2 July during the CWM annual missionary gathering at the Clapham Welsh Presbyterian Church in London.
Besides being an annual event that recognises CWM missionaries and staff, the missionary gathering spotlights the CWM PIM programme and its current partners while inviting CWM colleagues and missionaries, old and new, to prayer and fellowship.
Rev. Yufen Chen, CWM Partner in Mission from the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT), preached during the service, highlighting the challenging landscapes in which missionaries often work, adding that “mission is not just the stage – it is the hidden struggles behind.”
Affirming Chen’s sermon, Rev. Nigel Lindsay from the Congregational Federation (CF) reflected on his two missional experiences in Grenada and Nauru. He shared about his engagement in ministry during a hurricane, helping with job creation, and ministering to children across language barriers while he was in Nauru.
Lindsay began his new role as a Mission Enabler with the Nauru Congregational Church (NCC) on 29 January for a two-year term. Previously in his first term as a PIM, he served as a pastor and chaplain with the Presbyterian Church in Grenada from September 2021 to August 2024.
Coming fresh from the recently concluded Annual Member’s Meeting (AMM) in South Korea, CWM Mission Secretary for Finance Soonyew Sum, shared an account of the AMM, bringing the good news of four new member churches joining the CWM global family.
A key highlight of the gathering was the corporate singing of “Lord for the Years” which served as a powerful faith reminder to those gathered that they were joined by a cloud of witnesses who have not only contributed to God’s missional vision in the past, but continues to surround and journey with the current missionaries as they soldier on to realise the life-flourishing mission of God.
In closing, CWM Mission Secretary for Discipleship, Spiritualities, and Dialogue, Rev. Dr Graham McGeoch, who was also the service’s liturgist, held a brief memoriam as he recalled the names of dearly departed CWM missionaries in the past year.
CWM invites frontline and retired missionaries to mutual exchange, encouragement, and support
Published by Taiwan Church News, 28 July 2025
The Council for World Mission (CWM) held its annual missionary conference on 2 July in London, United Kingdom. The event not only connected former CWM missionaries, current CWM mission partners, and members of the Welsh Presbyterian Church but also honoured both retired and deceased missionaries, encouraged those still serving on the frontlines, and provided space to share cross-cultural mission challenges.
During the conference, CWM also announced the addition of four new member churches, witnessing the continuation of the global mission legacy through remembrance and renewal.
The event was hosted at the Clapham Welsh Presbyterian Church, a building established in 1897, with its signature western stained-glass window dedicated to Mair Eluned Lloyd George, the eldest daughter of David Lloyd George, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1916–1922) and the only Welsh person to have held the post.
Unfortunately, Mair would die at the age of 17.
On the day of the gathering, over 30 participants endured the summer heat in the church as Rev. Graham McGeoch led the service.
During the meeting, CWM Mission Secretary for Finance, Soonyew Sum, reported the welcoming of four new member churches: the Presbyterian Church of Mauritius (EPIM) in Africa, the Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago (PCTT) in the Caribbean, the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV) in the Pacific, and the Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC). This brings CWM’s total membership to 36 churches.
Rev. Chen Yu-Fen, a mission partner from the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) currently serving in the UK, delivered the sermon, opening with the story of the restoration of missionary Dr James Maxwell’s cemetery.
Chen reviewed the beginnings of the PCT and cited the biblical story of Elijah passing on his cloak to Elisha, emphasising the inheritance of mission. She mentioned how Maxwell’s two sons continued his medical mission in Taiwan after he returned to the UK due to illness—his second son serving for 22 years at Sin-Lau Hospital.
“The struggles you face in mission won’t defeat you. Weariness won’t discourage you. Instead, they shape you. When your steps halt, let your prayers continue. When your voice fades, let your story proclaim life,” exhorted Chen.
Field reports: glimpsing the frontline
Current mission partners also shared frontline experiences. Rev. Jung So-young of the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK) who serves at Kingston United Reformed Church and New Malden United Reformed Church, both with significant Korean and even North Korean populations, expressed joy in being able to share the Gospel with them.
The day before the gathering, Jung had stayed up until 2 a.m. accompanying a friend in the ICU, and after the event, she still needed to rush to children’s and women’s ministries. She described this busy schedule as her daily reality in mission. In a follow-up interview, she shared that the friend who had been in intensive care ended up attending the gathering and accepted Christ.
Rev. Nigel Lindsay from the Congregational Federation (CF) spoke of his past mission work in Grenada, where a hurricane severely damaged the church. Despite Grenada being a mountainous island, its low-lying areas are at risk due to rising sea levels.
Lindsay then launched a five-day fundraising walk, raising USD $20,000 for reconstruction, and urged the global church to pay serious attention to the threats of climate change to island nations.
Lindsay recently began service in Nauru, where the local Nauruan language dominates, requiring him to preach through a translator. Just as he hoped to see his ministry flourish, he had to return to the UK due to health issues, where he now prays for God’s guidance, patience, and wisdom.
Rev. Chen Yu-Fen also shared her mission challenges. In mid-June, her London Taiwanese Fellowship was notified that it could no longer use Lumen United Reformed Church as a gathering venue. Describing the ensuring negotiation process as exhausting, Chen explained that “venue access” continues to be a common challenge in overseas mission work. The lack of a stable location often severely limits ministry activities, sometimes resulting in a “wandering church.”
While Christian fellowship is not bound to buildings, a stable venue is crucial for building a “spiritual home” for believers. This reflects the universal challenge of sustaining overseas mission work.
Just like in the past, today’s missionaries face similar challenges. Dr James Maxwell once wrote about being driven away by locals, searching for a place to stay, enduring typhoons, illness, and financial shortfalls, as well as cultural and language barriers.
As the gathering concluded, the atmosphere turned solemn as McGeoch read aloud the names of deceased missionaries and lit candles for each, honouring the lives they gave and the seeds they sowed.
Even as attendees were deeply moved, they were also reminded that on the seemingly lonely road of mission, mutual sharing and support can bring immense comfort and strength as CWM reaffirmed its role as a steadfast supporter of its missionaries.
By Hsin-I Chien , CWM PIM
