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?1

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)2

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• Became radical and sects emerged

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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

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1900

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 Missions, (4) Specialized Missions 6

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 missionary strategies as well 8

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

• 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• Western education contributed to nationalism 9

Religious Turbulence1. Doctrinal Issues

Religious Turbulence1. 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

• Pentecostalism starts

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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 charismatic agencies 11

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 Turbulence2. Liberation TheologyReligious 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 13

Religious Turbulence3. 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

Pentecostal (typical in most of world) 14

Kane: Reasons for Pentecostal Growth1. 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 felt6. Occurrences of healings and miracles draw

many (Kane 1982: pp. 148-149)

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More on PentecostalsMore 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 17

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 18

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 non-

Christians (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

• 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• Never do any ministry that a national cannot do

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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%20

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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

access area—called “strategic coordinators” 23

People Groups of

Ghana

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Personnel for MissionsPersonnel 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 25

Controversial Areas• 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

• 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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