CIM now called OMF

                     140 Years of CIM, now called OMF

The China Inland Mission (CIM) was established by James Hudson Taylor on June 25, 1865. Eager to reach the inland provinces of China with the gospel, the mission prayed hard and sent out waves of workers to China throughout the late nineteenth century.

In 1900, a group of Chinese called the “Boxers” set out to

 exterminate all foreigners in China in a reign of terror during 

which hundreds of missionaries and Chinese Christians were put to 

death. The China Inland Mission (CIM) lost 79 people. Taylor died 

in 1905 after 50 years of active service for China, and D.E. Hoste, 

one of the Cambridge Seven, was appointed mission director.

Many missions pulled out in 1948-49, but the China Inland Mission

 (CIM) was one which attempted to stay. Having so decided, the 

China Inland Mission (CIM) took a further step of faith and 

brought in 49 new workers to Shanghai in 1948 and in 1949. It 

eventually became plain that the continued presence of the 

missionaries was causing suspicion and harassment for the Chinese 

believers. In 1950, the momentous decision was made that, in the 

best interests of the Chinese church, the China Inland Mission 

CIM) would withdraw. The mission began again in East Asia, 

establishing headquarters in Singapore.

A new name, Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF), was 

adopted in 1964 (changed again to OMF International in 1993) and 

the old name (China Inland Mission) was dropped. Asian 

Christians also began to be accepted into membership during this 

period, and home councils were formed in Japan, Korea, 

Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and 

Indonesia. Today, nearly 20 percent of OMF International’s 

membership comes from Asia.

The nations of East Asia are still teeming with thousands who need 

to receive those “glad tidings” that Hudson Taylor sought to bring 

to the furthest points of China, and God is still leading. OMF 

International currently has nearly 3,000 staff, field workers and 

committed volunteers from 30 nations—1,400 of those are workers 

reaching out in East Asia. In 2015, a fellowship-wide celebration 

will take place to recognize God’s faithfulness to OMF 

International over the past 150 years.

OMF International is still breaking new ground in the most 

dramatically changing region of the world—whether in outreach to 

more than 100 people groups, working with disadvantaged 

children, seeking new ways of evangelizing the unreached of 

Manila, teaching and influencing students in Taiwan and 

Indonesia, pioneering a witness among the Malays in South 

Thailand, translating the Bible, or living as “salt and light” 

(Matthew 5:13-14) in countries closed to traditional missionary 

service. OMF International missionaries are giving their energies 

towards building a strong church in the countries of East Asia.