Historical Perspective of Missions Periods of Missions

Why study history of Christian missions? Periods of Missions Why study history of Christian missions? God’s mission takes place in history Acts reflects the historical dimension of Christian missions Helps us to know the direction we need to go Learning to do mission better Jesus calls on us to reflect (Jn. 4:36) See the larger picture and our part Reminds us that missions takes place in historical and cultural contexts

Periods of Missions Early Church Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Renewal Movements Wycliffe (1329-84) Jan Hus (1373-1415) Reformation Luther’s 95 Thesis (1517) Main concern to reform Catholic Church Believed Great Commission for apostles only

Periods of Missions “Further” or “Radical” Reformation Andrea Savaria (1531-1613) Proposed Great Commission for all times Danish Halle Mission Morovians Movement out of renewal movements A missionary movement Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzindorf (1700-1760) Jacob Spener (1675) – “Father of Pietism” Auguste Franke (1663-1727) Read Spener’s “Pia Desideria” (Pious Desires) First professor of Pastoral Ministry

Periods of Missions Pioneer Period - Beginning of modern missions Key contributors to modern missions William Carey – India (1761-1834) Wrote “Enquiry into the Obligation of Christians to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen . . . (1792) Founded first missionary society, Baptist Missionary Society, 1792 Sailed to India in 1793 “father of modern missions” Dr. C. H. Carpenter (Burma) Removal of subsidy system Three principles Preach without subsidies Organize churches without intervention of outside organizations Churches and missionaries should participate in “self-denying” labors

Periods of Missions Pioneer Period - Beginning of modern missions Key contributors to modern missions Dr. John L. Nevius (China & Korea) Rufus Anderson put forward the three-selfs concept in 1869 Applied three-selfs: self-supporting, self-propagating, self-governing Advocated wide itineration for the missionary’s labor Policy of strict church discipline Benevolence to be practiced by Christians in their own culture

Periods of Missions 20th Century Emphasis in Missions Indigenous Church Emphasis Key contributors to modern missions Sidney Clark – The Indigenous Church (1928 second impression) World Dominion Press published material of Indigenous Church Dr. Roland Allen (China) Advocated indigenous church concept Wrote and early influential book: The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church (1927) Wrote classic work: Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours

Periods of Missions 20th Century Emphasis in Missions Indigenous Church Emphasis Mission principles advocated for indigenous churches Begin work in strategic population centers of influence Don’t aim at a particular class Don’t take money from the churches to give to the mission church (subsidy) Don’t administer local funds Churches should be self-supporting from their inception Preach the simple doctrine as Paul did Organize the church in the simple New Testament Pattern Encourage self-discipline on the part of the new church

Periods of Missions 20th Century Emphasis in Missions Social Gospel Period (1930’s on) Emphasis from Jerusalem Missionary Conference (1928) Built on the philosophy that humanity is progressing Religion differs in degree, not in kind Rethinking Missions: A Layman’s Enquiry after One Hundred Years Non-Christian religions should not be debated by missionaries Christianity and non-Christian religions should share thoughts and the best from each adopted Neo-orthodox Period (1930’s on) Lifted missions to a spiritual emphasis as opposed to humanitarian only

Periods of Missions 20th Century Emphasis in Missions Anthropological Period (1930’s on) Particularly discussed the relationship between missions and the cultural context J. Merle Davis (Japan) 2nd generation missionary wrote and anthropological study of missions New Buildings on Old Foundations (1945) Introduced a new dimension of missions theory and research with cultural anthropology Continues today into the 21st century Paul Hiebert Charles Kraft Robert Priest

Periods of Missions 20th Century Emphasis in Missions Church Growth Period (1955 on) Began with Donald McGavran with publication of The Bridge of God, 1955 Emphasis on planting and maturing churches Make disciples, not just proclaim the gospel Goal is to plant churches Christians and missionaries need to know the dynamics of how churches grow Look for receptive fields and people Use of anthropology and sociology as tools

Periods of Missions 20th Century Emphasis in Missions Contextualization Emphasis – 1975 on Contextualization – communicating the gospel in a new context in a way that is understandable to the recipients in order for them to do theology, develop church life, be involved in ministry which is biblically based and culturally appropriate.

Periods of Missions 20th to 21st Century Emphasis in Missions Missional Church Period (1998 on) Definition: The missional church is the church that sees itself and operates as being sent into the world to reach the lost through contextualizing the message to non-believers through deep community involvement. Holistic Missions Definition: Mission that considers the needs of the whole person, spiritual, social, and personal with evangelistic, church planting humanitarian emphasis, and socio-cultural transformation.