Dan Wooding interviews Bill Bray at NRB 2008

He added: "Even fewer experience dynamic church life or study with small Christian groups. We must change these figures and help visiting students go back home with a new vision for their lives and nations."
Bray said he is contacting student leaders on over 850 university and Bible School campuses in the United States to discuss the need and possibilities for such a campaign. In addition, he is hoping to contact local churches to improve campus outreaches and enlist existing outreach ministries and denominational leaders in the joint venture.

Speaking at a reception for Christian leaders in Alexandria, Virginia, Bray said that campus leaders from groups like Bridges International, International Students, and Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship are expressing strong interest in the united effort.

"This is an urgent opportunity for American Christians to welcome the world," says the 62-year-old leader of OSM, "we have to work together to recruit Friendship Partners and host families to welcome these students."

Bray says it is sad that international students come to countries like the United States to enjoy academic freedom and the other blessings of democracy, but never understand the Christian faith and culture which makes such freedom possible in the first place.

"The Lord Jesus Christ is concerned about the tragic violence that continues in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan or Somalia and the suffering of hidden people groups in Asia and Africa. International student leaders are the best hope for change in the places where humanity is hurting the most," Bray said.

Bray revealed details of his proposed a ten-year campaign to make 2010-2020 the 'Decade of International Student' on Saturday night, March 7, at a dinner for interested supporters of international student outreaches. The event was hosted by the Korean Community Church on the old Christian Aid campus, in Charlottesville, Virginia.

There are over 624,000 international students in the United States alone, says Bray, and he is currently in touch with international student ministries on 850 of the 900 campuses, which offer programs to international scholars.

"Our goal by 2020 is to help 1800 local churches, 900 student campus ministries and 300,000 'Friendship Families' encourage choice international students to return to help the needy and oppressed in their homelands," he added.

"This means we have to identify chosen students support then with the help of local pastors and churches. We are praying to return thousands of international students to needy areas in their homelands where people are hungry, oppressed and suffering -- especially those from the millennial generation."
Bill Bray also celebrated the completion of his first year as president of OSM on March 7.

Bray is an ordained minister who has served indigenous church movements in over 200 countries since 1966. He was honored with a Doctor of Divinity in missions by Emmanuel Seminary in Kota, Rajasthan (India) and has now traveled to over 65 countries on assignments.

Overseas Students Mission was founded in 1953 by Dr. Bob Finley to help assist gifted student leaders return their homelands in apostolic service. It opened offices in Charlottesville in 1973 and is now headquartered here. Dr. Finley also founded Christian Aid and International Students, both of which have a strong presence in the local community or at the University of Virginia.

For more information about OSM or to contribute financially, please visit www.OSMission.org  or call OSM at 434-295-6488.

To contact Bill Bray or the Overseas Students Mission, go to www.OSMission.org   or call (434) 227-0811.

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael has traveled to Albania and the former Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany and the former Czechoslovakia, Israel,and Canada. He has reported for ANS from Jordan, China, Russia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International.

Source: Assist News