Shelly Bryant lets her light shine across Southeast Asia — in more ways that one.

The American-born church member writes haiku, a Japanese style of poetry, and worked with Chinese artist Peter Zhou to create “Dark ‘til Dawn,” a series of designer lamps bearing her verses. “When viewed as a whole, the series points to a bright future, even in darkest times,” according to the series’ catalogue.

Bryant, 38, sees a bright future for Christianity in Asia — but one that requires commitment and patience.

A missions major, she graduated from Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City in 1992. A year later, she moved to the island nation of Singapore to work with Christians there.  

Home to 4.9 million souls, Singapore has residents from China and other Asian nations. Its people practice a variety of faiths — Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism to name a few.

In 1999 she helped plant the Woodlands Church of Christ on the northern part of the island. She spends about half of each year in other Asian cities, helping with other new works. The League City, Texas, church oversees her ministry.

Bryant earned a master’s in English literature from the National University of Singapore. Her first book of poetry, “Cyborg Chimera,” was released in 2008. The collection of 42 poems uses robotics and science fiction to ponder issues such as free will.

In what ways has your faith been tested on the mission field?

Each culture operates under a different set of assumptions about the world, about people and about all of the interactions that make up human life. It can be tricky to learn to distinguish between which practices grow out of these assumptions and are matters of “faith” and which are more accurately labeled “cultural tradition.”

The process of adapting to a new environment challenges assumptions that one has carried into the new culture, and requires a good deal of thought to work through.


Do you notice any changed attitudes toward Christianity in your years in Asia?

In different parts of Asia, there have been different changes. One major difference that seems to be common in many parts of Asia is that the generation of leaders in the church now did not grow up in a colonial society, and so their attitudes about the relationships between “the West” and Asia are slightly different from the older generations.

This is significant because Christianity was long seen as a “Western religion” in most Asian countries. That perception is changing slowly.

 
What attracts the Chinese to the Christian faith?

In my experience, most Chinese are not especially open to a spoken message but are extremely responsive to a lived message. If a person lives well among them and demonstrates that this is a direct result of his or her faith, then the Gospel is well received. If one serves others in the name of Jesus, then the name of Jesus becomes dear to those who witness that service.

It is a repetition, really, of God becoming human and bringing his Gospel into our midst. We too are able to live the gospel out in the places we serve as missionaries, bringing God nearer to the people with whom we live.

 
What measures will advance Christianity in Asia?

I think that it will always boil down to Christians living their lives in such a way that the Gospel shines out from them into the community — whether that be at school, home, office or in social relationships. There is no substitute for this. The less our faith is about mere institutions that wear the label “Christian,” and the more it is about people who actually act, speak and live in the name of Jesus, the more effective we will be in spreading his message to the nations. 

In order to be effective, then, churches must consider more carefully how to teach their members to be faithful disciples in their daily lives, and focus less on simply building up church programs.


Does Christianity face any serious threats in Asia?

I think the biggest threat is the temptation to “grow weary in well doing.” Most Asian fields bear fruit slowly. The harvest might be plentiful, but it will seldom be quick.

This slow process of growth can become tiring, especially if we are more result-driven than people-driven. I know many Asian Christians who listened to the Gospel for 10 — or even 20 — years before finally deciding to follow Christ. This sort of long, slow witnessing can sometimes be discouraging, especially if one is looking simply for numbers to validate the work put in, rather than focusing on the depth of faith grown over that time.

This can be true for individual missionaries, the Christians they work and serve with in the field and the churches that send and support them.

 
What are the greatest cultural challenges to the Christian faith in Singapore?

The greatest challenges are the allure of materialism, the fear of failure and a tendency toward syncretism. At least one of these three things will affect almost every Singaporean.

Many of the Americans who have visited me over the years have expressed surprise when they find that Singapore might be even more materialistic than the U.S., but that is the reality. Add to that the long tradition of a serious Chinese work ethic, and the fear of failure becomes understandable.

The tendency toward syncretism also grows out of mindsets that have long been a part of Asian thought. Historically, Chinese culture has been adept at absorbing new belief systems and incorporating them into the prevailing thought and culture.

This sometimes leads to a tendency to meld Christianity in with practices that are not actually compatible with its teaching.


What special challenges do you as a single woman face on the mission field?

For the most part, life as a single woman has led to more opportunities and benefits than challenges.

I am able to live more simply than I would with a family, and I am often invited into the homes and lives of others who might not be as open to hosting a whole family.

I do, however, find that a single woman is something of a puzzle to others and often raises questions from others that seem quite foreign to my own experience. For me, it is just a way of life that suits mission work very well, as it allows for total focus on the work at hand.


How should churches that want to get involved in Asian missions prepare?

Prepare for a very long-term commitment.

Longevity in service is valued by Asians and is especially necessary in fields where the work progresses slowly.

This does not necessarily mean that there is no place for short-term mission trips, but those who only intend to send groups for short trips should establish a plan whereby there is a core group of people who will make repeated trips over longer periods of time. Their frequent visits will demonstrate a form of commitment that will be appreciated by most Asian churches.

Asian missions will always be relationship-based, with missionaries demonstrating by their lives, over a long period of time, that following Jesus is not only a good life but the best that one can live.

The goal of Chinese thinking and religions has always been geared toward living a good life in this world, rather than aiming for redemption after death. If Christians in Asian countries demonstrate by their lifestyle that disciples of Jesus live upright lives that are worthy of respect, their message will spread.
 

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