Transcript Brief History of Methods of Missions

Brief History of
Methods of Missions
Part 2
How did we get to where we are today,
and
what can we learn from the past?
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American Involvement (1810-1832)
• American home missions to frontier and Indian tribes
• Student movement at Andover Seminary and Williams
College in New England -- “Haystack Prayer Meeting”
• Led by Adoniram Judson and Luther Rice, first
American missionaries
• Formed ABCFM 1812 and went to India to work with
Carey
• Studied Bible en route to be convinced about
believer’s baptism—
• decided to leave ABCFM
• Judson goes to Burma and Rice returns to US to raise
support
• Rice met Furman and formed the General Missionary
Convention of the Baptist Denomination (origin of the SBC)
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Significant Events and Missionaries
(1832-1865) : 2nd Awakening
• Formation of the SBC in 1845 and Foreign
Mission Board (later IMB)—not to defend
slavery, but to facilitate missionary effort by
cooperative, volunteer support
• Most mission agencies would not accept
missionaries anyway related to slaves
• Second Evangelical Awakening among
laymen who emphasized prayer,
discipleship and godly lives
• Led to numerous mission boards and hundreds
of missionaries
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• Became radical and sects emerged
Golden Age of Colonial Missions
(1865-1910): 3rd Awakening
• Mission efforts tied to colonial expansion of major
powers
• Advantages:
• Brought entry into new fields
• Brought needed political development
• Brought education
• Disadvantages:
• Gunboat commercialism associated with missions
• Exploitive
• Generated resentment against Western Christianity
• Premature indignation resulted in failures in India
• Resulted in pious paternalism or benevolent imperialism4
Development of Colonialism
1900
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More on Golden Age of Colonial
Missions
• Missionary strategy aimed at individual conversion,
church planting, social transformation through
evangelism, education and medicine.
• Initial “radical discontinuity” declined with inroads of
liberalism and pluralism
• 1860 saw first single women’s appointment
• Faith Missions started
• Hudson founded China Inland Missions (CIM) in 1865
• Student Volunteer Movement sent 6,000 to China
• Four types of Missions now functioning: (1)
Interdenominational, (2) Denominational, (3) Faith
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Missions, (4) Specialized Missions
Outstanding
Missionaries of Era
• Charlotte “Lottie” Moon (1873) pioneer
single female missionary, became
evangelist and church planter. Died in
1912 as a result of semi-starvation
• Amy Carmichael (1893): service in India
and author of many books. 55 years of
service rescuing girls from Temple
prostitution in Hindu worship
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Evaluation of Colonial Missions
• William Carey envisioned a global missionary
conference
• In 1910 it was realized: World Missionary
Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland. 1200
representatives present.
• Coined the phrase “The Evangelization of the
World in this Generation.”
• Association with colonial governments gave
missions an imperialistic reputation or image
• Governmental paternalism reflected in
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missionary strategies as well
Advances in 20th Century
• Wars: 1900-1941 = 24 international wars
1945-1969 = 100 wars of independence!
• Optimism crushed after holocaust of WWII
• After WWII major base of missions shifted to US
• Massive evacuation of China has remained permanent
• Nationalism on rise
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51 nations started UN in 1945
192 Present membership of UN (2010)
Operation World lists 237 countries
Annulled the colonialism influence
• Political imperialism ended, but economic imperialism
continued
• Independent nations condemned former colonial masters
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• Western education contributed to nationalism
Religious Turbulence
1. Doctrinal Issues
• Ecumenical Movement and response
• Comity Agreements –mission fields divided
up to eliminate competition
• Theological and methodological
differences (social emphasis) led to
breakdown
• 1932 a move to favor social action rather
than conversion as chief aim
• Liberalism controversy led to
denominational splits and new mission
organizations
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New Organizations
• WCC—formed in 1948 in Amsterdam:
Evangelical doctrine marginalized = liberal
• IFMA—formed in 1917 by NAE “Faith”
interdenominational missions – Now: Cross
Global Link
• EFMA—formed in 1945 by NAE
denominations and Para-church (IMB joined
the EFMA in 1995) – Now: Mission Exchange
• FOM—Fundamentalists Missions
• AIMS—formed in 1985 (Assoc. of
International Mission Services) formed for
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charismatic agencies
Independent Missions
• Many independent missions remain
unaffiliated with any national association
• Wycliffe and New Tribes Mission are largest
• 50% of all missions are not associated
• Organizational thrusts of WCC has not
been successful, rather are decreasing
• Evangelical denominations and mission
boards are growing substantially
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Religious Turbulence
2. Liberation Theology
• Concept of human rights driving theology
• Began by Peruvian priest, Gustavo Gutierrez
in 1968
• Inequalities resolved by Marxist-style
rebellion against oppressive dictatorships
• Allegorical interpretation of Exodus,
“liberating the captives”
• Rejected by evangelicals, esp. hermeneutics
• With fall of dictatorships, reason for existing
dissolved, but rejuvenated for poverty
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Religious Turbulence
3. Pentecostal Explosion
• Beginning in 1900 in small Kansas BI – Charles
Parham and William Seymour
• Oral Roberts and Full Gospel Businessmen’s
Fellowship in 1951
• 1960 –11 million (14% of Evangelicals)
• 1990—93 million (31% of Evangelicals)
• 2006 – 524 million (70% of Evangelicals) est.
• Evangelicals have grown at 4.5% (but driving
forces is Pentecostal growth at 7.4%)
• 70%+ of all Protestants in Latin America are
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Pentecostal (typical in most of world)
Kane: Reasons for Pentecostal Growth
1. Generally indigenous from inception
2. Strong emphasis on every believer being a
personal witness
3. Focus has been the lower classes looking for
acceptance and hope
4. Emotional and celebration style appeals to
emotional make-up
5. Emphasis on fullness of Spirit that can be felt
6. Occurrences of healings and miracles draw
many (Kane 1982: pp. 148-149)
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More on Pentecostals
• Charismatics have penetrated Catholics,
orthodox and Protestant denominations around
the world
• Growing acceptance of forms of worship (praise
chorus, clapping, lifting hands, dancing and
praise banners)
• Acceptance of worship form has not led to
acceptance of Pentecostal doctrine
• Female “liberation” found favor in Pentecostal
movement with many women pastors
• Success of Charismatics has led many to
overcome criticism and join the movement 16
Post WWII Mission Innovations
• Faith Missions—following Hudson Taylor and George
Mueller’s example
• Most missionaries came from BIs (esp. Moody)
• Utilization of radio, aviation, Bible correspondence, gospel
recordings, cassettes, films, TEE
• Largest are Wycliffe, Campus Crusades, NTM
• Bible Translation
• Cameron Townsend—Guatemala in 1917 tried to reach
indians in Spanish. Not their heart language. An indian
asked him, “Why, if your God is so smart, hasn’t He learned
our language?”
• 6,528 languages in world, 4,564 no portion of Bible yet
• Represent only 6% of world’s population
• Wycliffe has 6,267 missionaries
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More Post WWII Innovations
• Media
• Literature production: Bibles, tracts, books, literacy
methods, correspondence courses, SS materials,
newspapers, magazines, music recordings
• Radio: HCJB, Trans World Radio now online
• Films: esp. Jesus Film in 270 languages, 2 billion
viewers, 500 million conversions
• Student mission emphasis
• Major driving force of missionary movement
• 3 student movements have motivated 70% of
missionary force
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More on WWII Innovations
• Training of Nationals
• Major aspect of missions—many leaders, but some
limitations
• Move to take seminary to student’s home: TEE
• Introductory correspondence courses even go to nonChristians (Muslims)
• Role of missionary
• Rise of national churches assume much of missionary work
• Need to learn to be mentor, coach, trainer of nationals
• Nevius Plan – to stop dependency
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Converts remain in their occupations and witness where they live
No church programs started that cannot be supported by nationals
Gifted nationals developed for evangelism work
Nationals provide own bldgs w/o dependence of outside sources
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Never do any ministry that a national cannot do
More on WWII Innovations: Research
• Church Growth Movement methodology
• Insight from anthropology, sociology, social psychology
• Research periodicals: International Review of Missions,
Missiology, Evangelical Mission Quarterly, International
Bulletin of Missionary Research
• Research Organizations: MARC (Missions Advanced
Research and Communications) Center, US Center for
World Missions, Overseas Ministry Study Center
(OMSC), Billy Graham Center at Wheaton and Research
Division of IMB
• Demographic change the world: world pop. in 1900—1.6
billion; 1995—5.75 billion; 2000—6.13 billion
• Urbanization: in 1900—less than 15%; 2000—53%
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21st Century Innovations
• 10/40 Window focus: 2+ billion: Chinese, Hindus,
Muslims virtually unreached—Most neglected
people in world: World A
• View of world as people groups rather than
geographical divisions
• 1998—approximately 11,874 ethno-linguistic people
groups; 3,915 virtually untouched
• IMB Concept
• Research and survey of unreached people
• Develop strategy of evangelism and ministry (CPMs)
• Missionary is catalyst to involve many people in different
locations and nationalities to reach a specific group
• Originally called “non-resident missionary”—don’t live in
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access area—called “strategic coordinators”
People
Groups of
Ghana
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Personnel for Missions
• Multiple options for ministry with 4,400 mission
agencies (still growing)
• “Tent-Makers” esp. for Limited Access
Countries
• TESOL, technical, journalist, business
professionals, unlimited
• Major increase of missionaries from 2/3 world
(66% of world population and territory).
• Missionary pop.: 13,000 in 1980 to 36,000 in
1988 working in 2,425 people groups in 11
countries
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Controversial Areas
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Defining “mission”
Eschatological debates
Doctrinal debates on Calvinism, Charismatics
Foreign Financing - Dependency
Holism
Homogenous realities
Identificational repentance
Moratoriums
People Group Orientation
Power Ministries
Proselytism
Lift
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Major Trends
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Interagency Cooperation/Partnering
Missiometrics and technology
Ethnomusicology
Money matters
Shifting responsibilities
Shifts in short-term vs. long-term or
career commitments
• Rise in 3rd World missions
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