Written by OM in the UK. Extract from our Global magazine.

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Led by faith and fuelled by purpose, Matthew Skirton, the CEO of OM in the UK prepares to pass the baton as he moves into a new season within OM. In the following interview, he shares his highlights, future plans, and the heart behind his leadership.

 

Could you let us know a little bit about your new role as Director of Mobilisation for OM International?

In OM, our vision is “to see vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached”; we want to see these communities/churches within reach of everyone so that all might have the opportunity of hearing about and responding to the Lord Jesus.  For this to happen, we need to see many more followers of Jesus mobilised to go out and make disciples, and this is where this new mobilisation role within OM comes in. My mandate is to champion mobilisation internationally and to work with fields within OM to establish practices and models through which we can see a significant increase in Jesus followers going out to engage in God’s Mission to all peoples. This is a new role for OM, and one I am very passionate and excited about.

 

In what ways will your new role differ from leading OM in the UK?

The UK field leader’s role is very broad and varied, needing to ensure the running of a legally registered organisation, as well as giving oversight to outreach, training, mobilisation and partner/communication ministries. My new role is more focussed, concentrating specifically on mobilising people towards our vision – although broader in the sense that it spans all 145+ countries we serve in, rather than only the UK.  I’ll miss the day-to-day direct connection with one team in one country, but as a member of the International Global Leadership Team, I will be a part of the team that oversees and provides leadership to the direction of OM as an International movement.

 

Over these last 10 years, what have been your main highlights leading within OM in the UK, and mobilising the UK church?

As I reflect on my time with OM in the UK, I am so thankful to God for His faithfulness and leading.  We have often experienced the Lord’s provision as He has brought the right people (and finances) at the right times.  Seeing young people take first steps in mission work, and discover that God calls and uses ordinary people to fulfil His purposes is always exciting and rewarding.  Highlights for me include seeing our DMM work in the UK develop with people coming to faith and churches among least reached peoples growing, long term workers being equipped, sent out, cared for and flourishing in ministry, the launch and development of missions discipleship programs like REACH and TeenStreet in the UK, new exciting short term outreaches like Hope for Hebrides and Race Across Europe, the rebuilding of our short term outreaches post pandemic, and certainly seeing British Christians continue to be mobilised into mission work through church and conference speaking has been a highlight for me.

 

Following on from the previous question, could you also let us know what some of the main challenges have been for you?

Of course, the pandemic, in the middle of my time as field leader, provided a significant challenge for us as it did for so many Christian ministries.  But what also comes to mind for me is the significant cultural change that I had to navigate through as I moved from ministry in Eastern Europe to the UK.  It was a steep learning curve for me to operate and lead in an environment where compliance, legal governance, data protection, safeguarding and risk assessments often threatened to dominate my ‘to do’ list.  I fully appreciate the importance of these things when leading an organisation, but I have found it challenging to ensure we faithfully adhere to these things whilst also ensuring that we do not lose the cutting edge, risk taking, innovative, living by faith heart of OM.  Of course, the ‘decline’ in many areas of Church and Christianity in the UK coupled with a noticeable decline in depth of discipleship, a watering down of the understanding of ‘mission’ and seemingly, at times, less passion for Jesus has all, inevitably, led to less passion for and engagement in mission. 

 

How do you feel that God has been preparing you for your new role?

I believe that I have grown in my passion for mobilisation in these last years as I have continued to see ordinary people stepping out by faith and understand how they can be used by God in extraordinary ways. This has encouraged me end excites me to want to champion mobilisation and help OM fields more widely engage more efficiently in inspiring people towards God's mission.  We are Operation MOBILISATION, and I would like to think that my growing passion for wanting to know Jesus and make him known will continue to encourage and inspire others to be involved in reaching the world for Christ.

 

What are some of your hopes and dreams for this new phase of leadership?

My dream would be that all around the world OM fields would be seeing a huge increase in the number of followers of Jesus who are inspired to begin a mobilisation or discipleship journey towards sharing the good news in places where Christ is least known. My prayer is that we would not just see some hundreds joining OM each year, but tens and hundreds of thousands inspired to engage in ministry - not necessarily to work with OM but having been inspired somehow through OM.

 

As you prepare to depart, do you have a message for supporters of OM in the UK?

I would like to sincerely thank OM partners who have faithfully prayed for and supported the work of OM over so many years.  OM ministry around the world would not be able to continue were it not for the faithful support of so many. So, thank you!  My prayer is that as we continue together to cry out to the Lord of the Harvest, we might experience a growing love for the Lord Jesus, a spiritual revival in our hearts and in our churches and consequently a growing number of followers of Jesus followers who will be wanting to cross geographical, linguistic and cultural barriers to bring the Good News of Jesus to people who have yet to hear.

 

How can we be praying for you and your family during this transition?

Both Helen and I will have a couple of months of sabbatical break this summer before starting fully in the new role in September.  Please do pray we can finish our responsibilities with OM UK well, be refreshed and re-energised over the summer months and jump into the new responsibility with our eyes fixed on Jesus, expectant to see how he may work in and through us for His glory. 

Though Matthew’s season with OM in the UK may be coming to a close, his impact and the relationships built along the way, will leave a lasting mark. It also serves as a reminder that through every season, the mission and ministry for Christ remains the same, and carries on with renewed purpose.

Please pray for Matthew, Helen and their family as they transition into a new phase with OM.