Our DBA ethnic church-planting cohort training advocates the use of the Six Best Practices. These practices were formulated overseas and used for ethnic church planters who focused upon and planted among Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims.
When we arrived in Malaysia more than 40 years ago, we thought we understood church planting. We had training, experience, and a deep sense of calling. What we did not yet understand was how profoundly the Malaysian Chinese saw the world — through family obligation, pragmatic trust, layered religious identity, and an unspoken expectation that faith must prove itself useful in real life. Over two decades, the Six Best Practices did not remain a framework on paper; they became the path by which churches slowly took root.
Envisioning came first, though not in the way we expected. Our early vision was large and urgent, shaped by numbers and maps. But as we learned Mandarin and listened carefully, our vision changed. Malaysian Chinese believers helped us see that a healthy church was not primarily a meeting, but a community that could endure pressure. We learned to envision churches small enough to remain relational, yet strong enough to survive family resistance, economic instability, and religious pluralism. Vision became something we carried together, not something we imported.
That led naturally to examining. We spent long hours in coffee shops, hawker centers, and family living rooms, listening more than speaking. We examined festivals, ancestral practices, and business networks, asking how worldview shaped belief. We discovered that many were not asking whether Christianity was true, but whether it was trustworthy—whether it would fracture families or bring harmony. Examination taught us patience and saved us from forcing Western assumptions onto Asian soil.
Only then did Evangelizing bear lasting fruit. Rather than public confrontation, evangelism flowed through relationships—colleagues, classmates, relatives. The gospel was shared as good news for the whole of life, not merely the afterlife. Stories of Jesus resonated deeply, especially His loyalty, sacrifice, and authority tempered by compassion. Conversions were often quiet, costly, and deeply considered. We learned to celebrate slow decisions, knowing they were often permanent ones.
As new believers emerged, Equipping became essential. We resisted the temptation to rush people into visible leadership. Instead, we focused on Scripture, obedience, and character. Bible study happened around dining tables. Discipleship included learning how to honor parents while following Christ, how to navigate Chinese religious customs with wisdom, and how to explain faith without shaming elders. Equipping was not a program—it was life shared.
Over time, Empowering shifted leadership from our hands to theirs. This was one of the hardest and most joyful transitions. Malaysian Chinese leaders brought cultural insight we never could. They preached with nuance, shepherded with sensitivity, and led with quiet authority. Our role changed from initiators to encouragers, from teachers to partners. The churches became unmistakably local—and stronger for it.
Finally, exiting did not mean leaving abruptly but stepping back intentionally. We stayed close enough to encourage, but far enough to allow ownership. When churches faced conflict or hardship without looking to us for rescue, we knew something lasting had been established.
Looking back, the Six Best Practices were not a strategy we imposed, but a rhythm we learned through trial, humility, and grace. God used them to shape us as much as the churches we helped plant. Among Malaysian Chinese believers, we discovered that the gospel grows best when it is patiently embodied, deeply contextualized, and entrusted to local hands.