Effective tent making mission in the 10/40 Window : faithfulness of Seventh-day Adventist Filipinos as a key component

Abstract

There are about 8 to 11 million Filipinos outside of the Philippines. Filipinos are present in 214 countries either on a permanent, temporary, or irregular residence status. More than 3 million Filipinos can be found in 62 of the 65 countries located within the 10/40 Window. In the Middle East, a presence of 2.4 million Filipinos can be found. Saudi Arabia hosts 1.1 million Filipinos. The Christian segment of these Filipinos on labor migration is seen in this study as a potential workforce for the global mission of the church. More particularly, this study looked into the viability of Seventh-day Adventists overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for an effective tentmaking mission in the 10/40 Window. To accomplish this purpose, biblical and theological frameworks were laid. The frameworks of migrations and self-supporting missions in the Bible and the writings of

Ellen G. White were discussed. The migrations of God’s people in the biblical history, either involuntary (scattering, captivity, exiles, and dispersions) or voluntary (migration of Abraham, missionary journeys), accomplished His cultural and missionary mandates. More specifically, the examples of Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla as fellow tentmakers provided a biblical basis for the employment of Christian OFWs as labor migrants to tentmakers in the 10/40 Window. A qualitative study of Adventist OFWs in the 10/40 Window affirmed the viability and strategic role of faithful Adventist expatriate workers as a key component of effective tentmaking mission. Findings from unstructured interview and observation of a sample population of 46 Adventist OFWs have shown the challenges and opportunities that respectively hinder or influence their tentmaking mission effectiveness. The emic (participant) and etic (non-participant) observations of Adventist OFWs in the natural setting of the host country for 15 months found that faithfulness is an important component for effective tentmaking mission. For these research participants, tentmaking mission is a way of life of a truly converted and faithful Christian regardless of his or her occupation. Tentmaking mission is an all-vocational ministry for all faithful Sabbath-keeping Adventists in the workplace. This study concluded that faithful Adventist OFWs are viable tentmaking missionary workforce in the 10/40 Window. Faithfulness of the Adventist OFWs is a key component influencing effective witness in the workplace. The teamwork of Adventist Pauline tentmakers and Priscillan tentmakers for mutual encouragement, support, and nurture found where needed for a continuum of effective tentmaking mission in the 10/40 Window. Recommendations are laid to church administrators, educational institutions, and pastors to help Adventist OFWs to be more effective and faithful tentmaking missionaries in the 10/40 Window workplaces.