In 1992, OMS joined the CoMission, a
federation of more than 80 organizations
responding to the call from the Russian
Ministry of Education for Christians to go
to Russia to train public school teachers
in Christian ethics. Spearheading the OMS
response was the late J.B. Crouse. Comparing Russia’s potential spiritual harvest
to an orange grove that had just been hit by
a hailstorm, J.B. feared that if the church
did not respond as a united front while the
door was open, the “fallen fruit” would rot.
Communist Russia collapsed in 1991; after
70 years of spiritual silence, the Russians
threw open the doors to receive the Gospel.
J.B. urged Bruce Wilkinson, a leader of the
CoMission, to send out the rallying cry to
mission organizations to join with them. It
was time to act!
Moving forward with this endeavor was
a financial risk for the organization as it was
six months from bankruptcy. Yet, OMS was
convinced God was moving and wanted
the ministry to be a part of it. Profoundly
depending on God, OMS pledged to send
100 missionaries over the five years of the
CoMission. Despite the risk, OMS made
the radical move to depend on God, and
he honored the efforts. More than 250 missionaries served in Russia through OMS
with the CoMission, with more than 30 becoming full-time career missionaries.
Firmly and prayerfully grounded, One
Mission Society, once again, proved it was
a force to be reckoned with in the cause for
Christ and has not backed down from its
kingdom focus and disciple-making mission. Since the days of Charles Cowman,
radical love has been the outcome of radical dependence on God. As One Mission
Society embraces the future, its collective
hands raised in prayer, join us in asking God
and depending on him to provide a love that
matches his radical love for the nations.
7