Missions History of Missions

Dr. Robert PattonMissionary to Suriname,

South America

Radio ministry

Advantages Pre-evangelism Building churches & strengthening

believers It can go where people cannot go

Problem with small groups - tape recordings may be a solution

Clarence Jones & HCJB

He endured ridicule, even in his home church. He had a Salvation Army background, was converted & went to Moody Bible Institute, graduating valedictorian.

He was an expert trombonist working with evangelist Paul Rader. Initially rebuffed in South America (Venezuela, Colombia, Panama & Cuba), he was depressed.

Clarence Jones & HCJB staff 1946

Clarence Jones & HCJB Then missionaries Larsons came and

helped him start in Ecuador, getting a 25 year contract, though with many difficulties. It ended up being an ideal place to broadcast. Starting December 25, 1931 with 250 watts, but donations fell off, their bank & Chicago Gospel Tabernacle went bankrupt.

They were careful to cooperate with the government and support patriotism and educational programs. They were positive, not directly attacking the Roman Catholics.

Clarence Jones & HCJB They gradually increased to 10,000

watts, (supported by R.G. LeTourneau) and could be heard across continents.

Jones demanded top quality for the broadcasts.

They had two disastrous accidents – the second killed their only son

HCJB

The ministry has expanded to two hospitals, mobile clinics, a printing press, etc. as well as two sister broadcasting stations – Panama and Texas

Now is HCJB global, with emphasis on internet & helping others set up radio stations

HCJB

John Broger and the Far East Broadcasting Company:

John Broger started a station after being in the military in the far east during World War II. After many problems, in 1948 they were able to set up a broadcast in Manila, and received permission for unlimited power. Finances were a great problem.

However, they have had great success in receiving letters and other indications of impact.

By 1970 21 stations 1000-250,000 watts broadcasting 1400 programs per week

Broger & FEBC; using portable machine in barrios of Philippines

FEBC – three murdered by Muslim extremists 1992

Trans World Radio Trans World Radio - 5,000,000 watts

power, can reach 80% of the world. They have 6 major broadcasting locations and broadcast in 80 languages.

Paul Freed started the ministry in 1954, joined by his father, who turned down the presidency of Western Canada Bible Institute He trained, then worked for Youth for Christ and felt a burden for Spain. When Morocco nationalized the radio, they relocated in Monte Carlo with God supplying the money in miraculous ways.

TWR in some of its locations

Trans World Radio Then after a heart attack, he

opened a second station in Bonaire, and now has 4 additional stations - Cyprus, Sri Lanka. Swaziland, and Guam.

Joy Ridderhof and Gospel recordings

Joy Ridderhof and Gospel recordings - while sick after initial missionary work, she caught the vision of making simple recordings in different languages which could be played on simple recorders - distributing more than 4000 languages with 40 full time volunteers.

Joy Ridderhof

There are now 5944 languages recorded with a total staff of over 100

Gospel Recordings

Aviation Mission aviation fellowship = best

expertise and equipment in jungle flights.

Later JAARS, (Wycliffe), NTM, SIM, AIM have had their own programs. Some are using helicopters to avoid having to build airstrips.

Aviation Betty Green - first pilot. She was

trained in WWII flying B-17 bombers after joining the WASP. She was invited to join Jim Truxton to form MAF.

She was the first pilot first in Mexico, and then in multiple other locations including Peru, flying across the Andes. She went to Nigeria and Sudan and two years in Irian Jaya. She was an expert flier and also ended up being a rep for MAF

Betty Greene, MAF first pilot

Aviation Nate Saint - Trained in WWII, he was

also an expert repairman. He was inventive but also daring. After a crash, he became more cautious. He also developed an alternate fuel system which was later patented, and also the bucket drop.

He died with 4 others at the hands of Auca Indians

Nate Saint’s plane displayed at MAF

MAF Twin Otter Papua New Guinea

Aviation JAARS developed after Cam

Townsend was injured along with his family in a plane by an inexperienced Mexican pilot. They had an exceptional flight record. One fatality was made when a mechanic tied a nut without tightening it with a wrench, and 7 persons died the next day.

Aviation

Even more risk in the arctic with low temperatures, high winds, etc.

Often used to reach the Eskimos scattered broadly in the arctic

Gleason Ledyard - his own pilot - Eskimo Gospel Crusade. Very successful in evangelism and also rescue. The challenges are even greater in the cold

Aviation Mark Poole - missionary doctor to the

Congo, was able to fly his own Piper cub donated by a church, and greatly expand his ministry.

Clair McCombs - many schools developed - MBI, Piedmont, LeTourneau college, McCombs was an expert pilot for years after WWII, got saved, went to GRSBM, and was asked to start a program in pilot training, which he did. He has been joined by his wife, also now an expert pilot.

Clair McCombs

Nationalization Third world is demanding and taking

leadership positions in the churches and also in cross-cultural evangelization.

Revolutions and oil have resulted in changes

One of the keys has been Theology by Extension.

The biggest increases are through Pentecostal and charismatic movements.

Nationalization Many martyrs - especially as missionaries

were lumped together with all others as imperialists. Hopevale - 12 missionaries were lined up after being found and shot by Japanese, including 2 doctors – Panay, Philippine Islands, dec. 1943.

The Boxer Rebellion killed many Many problems came with leftist

revolutionaries being opposed by those who did not espouse Marxist philosophy and were targeted.

Dr. Chestnut

Built hospital with her own funds. Once used her own skin for a graft done under local anesthetic for a coolie who had an amputation. She escaped a mob, returned to rescue 4 missionaries, and helped a young child with cloth from her own dress before she was killed.

John & Betty Stam

Much turmoil in China between communists and Chang Kai-Shek

CIM director Hoste asked for 200 volunteers. Betty went to China, loved John, but John finished school, and re-met Betty who came to Shanghai for health reasons. They were married next year and studied the language

John & Betty Stam

John was extremely adept and became fluent quickly in Chinese

The couple went to a small town in the interior of China

The country was overrun by Communist bandits. They seized both and held them for ransom

John & Betty Stam

John and Betty Stam

While held, the bandits talked about killing their 3 month old baby. When a prisoner protested, he was hacked to pieces. Betty hid the baby in a sleeping bag with money. When led to execution, a man protested. They found a Bible in his home, and he was executed as well.

John and Betty Stam

John and Betty Stam were executed by the communists publicly. - with a great outpouring of support for missions following.

The baby was hidden & brought by a Christian evangelist to another missionary family and was raised by family in the USA

Missionary Martyrs Other famous martyrs were John Birch,

evangelist who preached and rescued many during Japan’s invasion – from Hangchow.

Eric Liddell, great Olympic champion, grew up in China and returned after his Olympic victory. He evacuated his family but died later of a brain tumor when in a concentration camp. He gave a powerful witness in the camp.

Eric Liddell, missionary and Olympic champion

Missionary Martyrs Graham Staines, 58, director of Leprosy

work in Orissa, India was murdered; burned to death with two sons while he slept while returning from a camp meeting. Graham was popular and a humble man who had served the lepers 35 years.

His wife publically forgave his murderers. The perpetrator was arrested 4 years later. Ferment was because the Christians abandoned old tribal customs

Graham Staines

Paul Carlson Born in 1928, got training as MD, married

with 2 children, wife a nurse. 1961 CMS asked for MDs for Congo and went where the political situation was volatile – stayed 5 months, felt the call to permanent missions

He left medical practice, came as missionary to Ubangi Providence. Communists came, and Paul moved his family to CAR. When he returned to close the hospital, the Simbas captured him. He was tortured 3 months, and then killed during a rescue operation when helping another missionary over a wall

Dr. Paul Carlson

Dr. Paul Carlson

Other martyrs – Simbas

Hector McMillan gunned down and two boys shot. They were rescued, had to leave Hector’s body behind. His wife had come to peace reading about Adoniram Judson’s mourning Ann’s death. The two boys faked death – one had prayed “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do – 12 years old.

Other martyrs – Simbas

Jay Tucker, Assemblies of God 25 years, tortured and killed. They took 45 minutes torturing him, then dumped his body in the river for the crocodiles. But a convert used a tradition that someone’s blood in the river will carry the truth – and the majority of the tribe was saved

Other martyrs Betty Olson - Vietnam... Initially other

were killed in a leprosarium by the communists.

She had a difficult childhood as a MK raised in Africa, and then sent to boarding school. Her mother died of cancer when she was 17. Her father remarried, and she took training as a missionary nurse.

She went to Africa to work with her father and step-mother, but relationships were so difficult that she was asked to leave. She became depressed age 29

Other martyrs – Betty Olson

She escaped, but 6 years later was captured during the Tet offensive. She and two men were on a death march, malnurished with malaria, leaches, etc. One died. She was tortured and eventually killed. She suffered terribly and died of dysentery and malnutrition, but came out of a deep depression and resentment of her parents, and lived a selfless life her last years.

Other martyrs – Betty Olson

Benge, who survived, gave a strong testimony of her witness – he had survived 5 years in prison marches. Benge said she was the most selfless person he ever met – giving her meager food to indigeous Christians and coaxing him out of meningitis.

Nationals as martyrs

Chang Sen, blind evangelist, gave himself over when 50 Christians would have died – body cremated because they were afraid he would rise from the dead

Terrorism & martyrdom Terrorism viewed missionaries as

enemies. Often they were considered CIA spies. Some Catholics were murdered by right wing groups. In Guatemala, 9 priests were killed in 9 months

Both left wing and right wing terrorists were active

Wycliffe decided not to yield to kidnapping demands

Terrorism & martyrdom Chet Bitterman, struggling linguist, was

singled out in Columbia when they did not find the head of mission. He had been there 2 years with his wife and two children. His wife’s parents were missionaries in Columbia. He was held 48 days, and then found shot in the chest.

Wycliffe was deluged with 200 volunteers to take his place.

Chet Bitterman

William Donald McClure

Old time missionary – evangelist, “doctor” without training, vet, agriculturalist, set up very successful broadbased ministries

Church planter, opposition from witch doctors – some were saved

He was shot to death by guerillas after Haile Selassie was deposed after 50 years in Ethiopia

3rd world national missionaries have increased dramatically

Some organizations support strictly national missionaries, who are often doing an outstanding job:

Some organizations support national organizations, which support national evangelists

There are some organizations which would not be in our direction - Liberation Theology

Groups are working together with national missionaries

Luis Bush started an evangelistic church with 1000 members, 7 daughter churches.

Later started Partners International to help fund national missionaries

Pandita Ramabai

Educated about 1860, she began to advocate women’s rights. Went to England, saved via Zr. Geraldine, baptized Anglican

She continued to allow caste rules and to read Hindu scriptures along with the Bible

She worked with women, started Mukti Mission Revival broke out & spread

Translated the Bible into her native tongue

Pandita Ramabai

Other Indian evangelists

V.S. Azariah – Indian evangelists in his own country and elsewhere in Asia. He was trained in the YMCA and made the first Anglican bishop

Watson came 5 days, had one convert who followed him, memorized John and converted many. His son translated the Bible, and started mailing NT to every home

Other Indian converts

Imad-ud-din, Muslim convert converted and became a famous author, translator and preacher

Narayan Vaman Tilak given a NT by a stranger, converted, baptized and ordained Presbyterian. Great poet and wrote many hymns

K P Yohannan

Initially shy, came under the influence of Verwer of OM. Started Gospel for Asia, has thousands of native evangelists and many churches and continues to be effective now

K P Yohannan

William Wade Harris

Born in Liberia 1860 of the Grebo tribe. He was arrested when he tried to make Liberia a British protectorate. He had been trained as a Methodist, and then Episcopal. First tried westernizing, later became a wandering prophet.

He confronted demonic power. Natives left their fetishes and he “baptized them”

William Wade Harris

He claimed to have a vision of the angel Gabriel while in prison. He walked barefoot with a simple garment, white turban, Bible, gourd for baptizing, and a rattle. He and his lady assistants would sing, come into the village, and ask those to give up witchcraft. They claimed that those who did not had their fetishes burned anyway.

William Wade Harris

He never condemned polygamy, and was accompanies by 3 women in his travels. His native church associated with various protestant and catholic churches. The church was free of witchcraft.

He died a poor man, never left the church. He had another follow him, and several splits off the church, which was one of the four recognized churches in Ivory Coast

Prophet William Wade Harris

Semisi Nau 1866-1927

Polynesian son of a Methodist missionary; college in Tonga, lost ¾ children; worked under John Goldie

He and another waited 3 months on a coral reef to come ashore. Eventually allowed ashore, he had a power encounter – the Christian god had more power.

Semisi Nau

Replaced by an Australian missionary, he went elsewhere; replaced there by native missionary. He was involved in persecution of the Wesleyans by the free church and jailed

Did see some volunteer as missionaries when he returned home; eventually pastored there till his death age 70

Semisi Nau

John Sung 1901-1944

Father minister, mother converted, he was saved at 9 and soon preaching. Offered a scholarship, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Ohio Wesleyan, got PhD in chemistry at Ohio State. He then went to Union Seminary, very liberal.

He went through doubts, then regained his faith and sang songs of the faith

John Sung He was confined to a psychiatric hospital but

witnessed there & read the Bible 40 times He returned to China in 1927, turning down

offers to teach science, and preached with 14,000 conversions in 6 months and started training others

He was a great prayer warrior, praying 2-3 hours per day.

He was a fiery preacher emphasizing repentance

He married, had 5 children; died of intestinal Tuberculosis at age 42

Dr. John Sung

Elka of the WaiWai

Elka felt he was getting messages from the spirits. He became a very well known witchdoctor.

When missionaries came, he helped as translator. He eventually left his witchcraft.

He began witnessing to other tribes, first closer, then farther, and was a true missionary. The tribe began reaching out to surrounding tribes

Elka