Christianity made its appearance in the early 16th century, brought by the Portuguese, Spanish, and, somewhat later, the French, and it formally spread in connection with European colonial powers. It was not until the latter part of the twentieth century that churches transitioned from European colonial control to a new Asian identity under indigenous leadership, discovering their own mission among other religions and cultures. Now Christianity has manifested major trends in the Southeast Asian scene, including independent Asian church movements, Christianity’s relationship with other religions, and the growing awareness within the Asian church of its missionary responsibility as well as the continual impact of the Asian church on its societies and cultures.