Transcript Missions in Transition

Missions in Transition
Everything is changing: the political
environment, economic climate, religious
confrontations, economic instability,
military and terrorist threats, and new
diseases that have no apparent cure and
are wiping out entire nations, yet there has
never in the history of the Church been a
better opportunity for finally accomplishing
the task of the Church: World
Evangelization
“The 25
Unbelievable
Years”
• Before 1945 – 99.5% of
world under political
domination of west
(Europe)
• By 1970 – 99.5% of
Third World was free of
Colonialism
• Called the “retreat of the
West”
• Some countries had to
fight for freedom:
Angola, Mozambique,
Kenya, etc.
Nationalism
1. Obligated indigenization and cease dependence on
foreign funds
2. Revealed imperative of starting churches with
indigenous principles (John Nevius, Roland Allen)
3. Changed status and role of missionary: no longer barda
shib (“great master”) or patron (“father”), rather
became co-worker or servant!
4. Exposed suppressed resentment/bitterness for
dominance of western missionary – both attitudes were
wrong and new roles minimize conflict.
5. Tested the genuineness and soundness of national
church (i.e. China church responded well)
6. Image of Christianity was de-westernized – not a foreign
religion now.
Communist expansion and defeat
• Until WWII Communism was limited to Russia
• Communism filled the power vacuum in E. Europe in
1945
• Communist armies took China in 1949, then N. Korea,
Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos and Angola, Mozambique,
and Ethiopia; And Cuba and Nicaragua in LA.– it was
conquest by ideology.
• Persecution severe and many restrictions for church and
Christians ostracized or thrown out– until death of Mao
• Missionaries thrown out of most communist countries in
1950 leaving approx. 1 M believers.
– Today it is estimated there are 70-90 millionbelievers
– Communism forced cessation of ancestor worship – making them
more responsive to the Gospel!
Changes within Christendom
• Protestants shifted toward liberalism
– WCC in 1948
– International Missionary Council (IMC) in 1958 merged with WCC and
evangelism became socio-political programs, i.e. subsidizing Marxist
guerillas in Zambia
– Inclusivist message
– Membership (Protestants and Greek Orthodox) nearly reached 1Billion
as the RCC.
• Use leverage to repress evangelical witness
– Old line denominations discriminated against
fundamentalists/conservatives
– Evangelicals kept out of influential churches, no representation on
home boards for help in visas, claims of comity violation, use of media,
etc.
– Scholarships given to liberal seminaries for youth
• Results now show a decline in liberal institutions in the US, but harm
damage irreparable internationally. They need accreditation too
much
Vatican Council II (1962-65)
• Persecution of Evangelicals was common till the 60’s.
• Vatican Council II forced the change in attitude toward
Protestants from villains to “separated brethren”
• Liberal and evolutionary theologies were recognized and
are taught in their seminaries to become more relevant
• Liberation Theology evolved out of this quagmire
• Charismatic Movement invaded RCC to and est. 20%
• Countries with concordats with Rome have separated
themselves from Rome and granted full civil rights to
Protestants (i.e. Spain, Argentina).
Pentecostal/Charismatic Boom
• Began in 1900 in Kansas, spread to LA, the global
• Pentecostal denominations marginally accepted until
1960s.
• In 1956 an Anglican priest “spoke in tongues” and the
Charismatic Movement began
– Defined as the same Pentecostal experience crossing
denominational lines, even into Catholicism.
• Today this movement is the far majority of Evangelicals
(est. as high as 60-90%)
• To confuse the issue: the largest grouping of
Pentecostals are “Jesus-Only” (deny the trinity) and RCC
• No group has ever been as aggressive in evangelism, nor
committed to “felt needs” of people around the world.
Missionary Personnel Changes
• Indigenous concepts brought about change of role
– Sometimes Nationals wanted same pay as missionary
– Often Nationals formed their own mission board and
send out their own missionaries – presently as many as
from US and Europe!
• Surge of missionaries after WWII
– Many exposed to global needs had to return to help
• In 1945 only a handful of missionaries in Europe, in 1980
reached 4000, and by 2000 reached 6700!
– Short-term missionaries (1 month to 3 years) explode
– Career missionaries have been stable even with 10%
attrition rate, but this is increasing since missionaries of
the 50’s are retiring in large numbers.
New Attitude towards Nationals
• Some missionaries liked control and resisted letting go
and trusting Nationals, causing conflicts =Paternalism.
• Many missionaries struggled with the issue of identifying
with Nationals, especially indigenous lifestyle (clothes,
food, social relationships)
• Younger missionaries adapted easier, and caused friction
with older missionaries
• Pentecostal missionaries and non-Pentecostal
missionaries have long remained separate. Often
Nationals don’t share this need of separation and accept
many Pentecostal practices and theology, bringing
division and disputes.
From Where are Missionaries Sent?
Methodology and Missiology
• Innovations in missionary methodology
– Bible translation surge:
• Cameron Townsend from colporteur to translator to founder of
Wycliffe Bible Translators (SIL).
• They have translated 2149 Bible projects/ 1638 in progress
• They have a goal of reaching the last 3,000 language groups by
2025!
– Bible Correspondence – Theological Education by Extension
– Literature Ministries: books, magazines, newspapers
– Chronological Bible Storing /Teaching
– Christian Day School/ Christian Colleges/Online DLP programs
– Modern Media: HCJB, TWR, FEBC, Back to the Bible Broadcast
(rebroadcast with small transmitters)
– Jesus Film is available in 547 languages and has been seen by
2.6 billion people (next slide)
Incredible growth in Scripture translation
Software for language comparison
People Groups with Evangelicals
related to Suffering/Poverty Index
Unreached People Locations
Where the most Languages without Scriptures?
Where are the largest populations?
Where are the Evangelicals?
Evangelical Growth Rate
Muslim Populations by Country
Percentage Roman Catholic
What are the Fastest Growing Religions?
Non-Western Christians as a
Percentage of all Christians1900-2020
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1901
1920
1940
1960
1980
2000
2020
State of the Christian Church
60
Catholic, 51%
Catholic, 51%
50
40
Indepentent,
19%
Orthodox,
22%
Protestants,
20%
30
20
Indepentent,
10 1%
Anglicans,
6%
0
1900
Protestants,
16%
Orthodox,
10%
2000
Anglicans,
4%
Now what are we to do?
You will have to decide
where you want to
invest your life: with
the biggest
concentration of
evangelical believers
in the history of the
Church, or on the side
where there are very
few to share the
Gospel with the
millions who have
never heard.