In 1934, a missionary from Ireland and five American businessmen initiated something that no one had ventured into before.
When no one was able to entrust financial resources to national workers, they did the complete opposite. These six people placed their trust in the locals and decided to provide financial support for a group of ordinary national co-workers. In the 20th century, such partnership was distinctive. Since then, it has become an effective missions strategy.
Today, CNEC (known as Partners International in North America and other western countries) has centers spanning 56 countries, reaching out to 392 people groups, providing support for 5000 national co-workers to manage over 100 projects. In His faithfulness, God has brought together CNEC workers from different cultures and languages, opening doors for CNEC to minister even in the least evangelized places, from Shanghai in China to Timbuktu in Africa, participating in the call to proclaim the Gospel for the extension of the kingdom of God.
The key role of CNEC is to be the vital connection between overseas resources (from donors, sponsors and volunteer groups providing expertise) and the national co-workers in each of the countries that CNEC works in.
In allocating resources, CNEC is involved in a wide range of local projects, including church planting, training of national leaders, construction of homes for children, student centers, schools, drug rehabilitation centers, developing micro-enterprise projects and setting up scholarships for students. The CNEC headquarters, where all administrative matters are processed, is located in Singapore. Currently, CNEC has missions projects in countries below:
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Laos
- Cambodia
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- East Asia
- Vietnam
- Philippines
Myanmar
In the villages of the Chin, the Shan, the Lhaovo, the Miao and the De'ang in Myanmar, CNEC is engaged in the work of evangelization and training. Through the ministry in children homes, student centers and schools, we prepare the children for life and also nurture the next generation of Christian labourers. The children in CNEC's homes for children come from different ethnic groups, but they live in harmony with one another. The financial support that funds the Sponsor-A-Child program goes a long way to help supporting the children from families with fianancial difficulties. Most importantly, the program opens doors for the local church to share the gospel with the children and their families. Micro-enterprise Projects (MEP) are also initiated to help the local churches and national co-workers so that they are able to better support themselves financially. Other ministries include theological training and outreach to the people of Myanmar through the 'Love Myanmar Project'.
Thailand
75% of the church planting work has taken place in villages in the hilly and mountainous regions of Thailand, reaching people such as the Yao, the Akha and the Yunnan ethnic groups. The local churches, through the Sponsor-A-Child ministry and student centers, have supported literacy programs and are nurturing the children spiritually. Other than this, there are translation projects for the Akhas, drug rehabilitation centers, homes for children and micro-enterprise projects that help improve the quality of life for the locals. There is intensional outreach to the Thais who are majority Buddhists.
Laos
Through helping locals develop work skills and developing suitable micro-enterprise projects, CNEC sought to help the people become more independent by making a living. However, much more resources are needed to help the Laotian Christians to take initiative and play a more active role for their own growth, governance and propagation. To this end, local Christian leaders must be nurtured and equipped so that they are able to nurture believers and bring the blessings of the Gospel to their own people.
Cambodia
The setting up of centers for university students are to nurture and equip these students so as to develop future leaders for God in Cambodia. Through the ability of these students to make a difference where they are and through their vocation, these students have been leading other Cambodians to Christ. The ministry vision of "Life Influence Life" has taken root in changing and transforming the lives of many students that they may be light and salt to the nation of Cambodia.
Malaysia
Being able to spread the word of God among the natives is the main focus of CNEC's ministry in Malaysia. This country has 18 people groups, with significant differences be it in culture or language. However, they have one similarity, which is their religious practice - animism, witchcraft, and worshipping of idols and spirits. This requires the national co-workers to make strenuous journeys over mountainous areas so as to bring the Gospel to groups in diverse locations. In addition, CNEC partners with local churches to minister among foreign workers who are working in Malaysia. When they are thousands of miles away from home and face various struggles, many have encountered the grace of God and the care and support of Christians and thus enter into the new life and blessings that God pours into their souls.
Indonesia
The initial work was focused on evangelism to the ethnic Chinese with the purpose of establishing the Dayak church through them. Presently, the church there is moving towards independence and being self-sustaining. The work of the gospel has also spread from the West of Kalimantan to its South. They include scholarships for children, a Dayak student centre, micro-enterpirse projects as well as theological training etc.
East Asia
B Country
Youth Ministry
C Country
Working hand in hand with the local Bible schools to equip and train indigenous workers, setting up the 'Titus fund' and the 'Philip fund' to assist and send local pastors to pastor churches as well as pioneer evangelism to the unreached. Like in 'Go', the traditional Chinese chess game, where the opponent's chess pieces are neutralized when fully surrounded; the gospel is preached to the unreached people groups through the surrounding people groups who have already received the gospel.
K Country
Neighbour Ministry
Vietnam
This is new ground that we have ventured into. Besides training the local ministry workers to have a stronger foundation in the word of God, scholarships for children have also been set up with the purpose of helping them to receive an education as well as to reach out to their families with the Gospel. Other social concerns projects like care for the elderly, home reconstruction and water tank installations are being used to demonstrate Christ's love and have become a platform for sharing the Gospel.
Philippines
With the vision of reaching the unreached groups through empowering the existing church started our partnership here. Partnering with a young yet determined church to fulfil God’s great commission to 'go' reach all nations in their own country.