E.M.S.I.(Evangelical Missionary Society of Italy) was conceived in March 1997. It was then founded officially in October 1997. One of the founding members received a strong inner conviction from the Lord to start this society with the purpose of sharing the missionary vision with His Church and to help us recognise that we ourselves are the answer to His challenge: “Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send (us) forth labourers ...” Matthew 9:37-38.

There is therefore a need for information about mission and missionaries so that we may pray and support them. We desire to encourage people to get personally involved, prompted by the Lord, in expanding the Kingdom of God, so that we may catch a vision for the Lord’s work and become sensitive towards the needs of others; keeping in mind that Christian service is born out of, and is the result of, a real reconciliation between Christ and ourselves. It is on the basis of reconciliation that service is rendered. 2 Corinthians 5:18, 20.

Having a vision or being a missionary (i.e. being sent) does not just involve preaching a message. It has to do, above all, with personal living, following in Christ’s footsteps in such a way as to reveal His character, His methods, and His aims. According to the teaching of the NT, serving means to “do service as deacons”. This idea did not appeal to Greek society of the day, because the term ‘deacon’ described servants as those ‘waiting on tables’, belonging to the lowest social classes. The teaching of the NT, however, puts an emphasis on that kind of service which comes from off the Altar and reaches out to all men. Philippians 2:5-8.

For this reason, E.M.S.I. would like, where possible, to help prepare those who have the ‘calling’ and the ‘will’ to serve the Lord, but lack the basic knowledge necessary to minister intelligently and profitably. As a Church we should always be looking to, or be prepared, to send out workers into the Mission Field, wherever God wants and to be more generous in giving both people and resources, so that others can be encouraged to do the same. It should be the job of the Elders to prepare others to have this vision. The local Church should not consider the departure of someone as a loss, but as a privilege given by God. A Church in which these things happen should feel blessed, because it is in giving that we receive and if we are generous in giving men to the Lord for Him to use, we will see God supplying every need.

‘Proclaiming Christ until He returns’: is the Christian mission and therefore an urgent commission, for we do not know how much time we have. We certainly have no time to waste. To make progress more quickly with our responsibilities we have to meet certain requirements, especially in unity and sacrifice. Many of us have seen the Great Commission as a free choice, to accept or to refuse, but we have no option. It is the message of the Church!  It must be the most important task of the Church.

The world population is nearing six billion. A third of which has only nominally confessed Christ, of the remaining four billion only half have heard of Him. In the light of these facts, we can judge our commitment by considering four categories of Christians:

1. Committed people: a consecrated people and a potential Missionary labour force.

2. Un-committed people: people who attend meetings, are baptised but  have no notion of a personal commission for Christ.

3. Un-evangelised people: those who can be reached by the believers, if only they will get moving.

4. Un-reached people: those that have never heard of Jesus as Saviour. Of these there are two billion.

There are in fact 2000 ethnic groups or nationalities that do not yet have an indigenous church. Within each of these 2000 groups, there are today about 12,000 people who have not yet been reached, therefore our task is not impossible. But at present only 7% of all Missionaries are working amongst these groups, the remaining 93% are working in the other half of the world already evangelised. To rectify this imbalance, a strategy of relocating the missionary work force is needed. (source: Elements of Missiology - Book 3 of Study of Theology 1990).

We wish to dedicate this Missionary Society to Norman Meeten because he is a living example and a constant inspiration regarding Missionary work and it is with this kind of attitude which should be found in those wishing to serve in E.M.S.I.

In conclusion, we quote* a significant dialogue between Hudson Taylor, a missionary in China, and a new convert from Buddhism:

‘A few nights after his conversion he asked how long the Gospel had been known in England. I answered that we had known it for several hundred years. “What” he exclaimed in surprise “is it possible that you have known this Good News for several hundred years and only now you have come to tell us? My father sought the truth for more than twenty years and died without finding it. Oh, why did you not come sooner?”. A whole generation has passed since this heart-felt question was put, but how many could say the same today? More than two hundred million people have gone into eternity since then without having been offered salvation. How much longer will this situation continue and the words of the Master, directed to each one of us, remain unheeded? J.H.Taylor

*Translated from: Hudson Taylor - ADI - media.

Signed by the Founding Members:                    Enzo Paci

                                                                        Davide Ciaccio