Historical Perspective of Missions

1. Historical Perspective of Missions Periods of Missions

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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” • AugusteFranke (1663-1727) • Read Spener’s “PiaDesideria” (Pious Desires) • First professor of Pastoral Ministry

5. 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

6. 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-selfsconcept 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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.

13. Periods of Missions • 20thto 21st Century Emphasis in Missions • MissionalChurch 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.