Missions History of Missions

Dr. Robert PattonMissionary to Suriname,

South America

Kenneth Strachan & Latin American Mission He changed the direction after the

death of both parents, allowing intermarriage with Latins, Latins in leadership, and all business in Spanish.

He became more ecumenical toward WCC & the Roman Catholics while fighting communism. .

Kenneth Strachan He pushed Evangelism in Depth,

working on mobilizing the local church to reach out.

It persisted after his death from Hodgkins – and also the use of national leadership

Orlando Costas 1942-1987 Born in Puerto Rico, saved in Billy Graham

crusade, trained and eventually returned to Puerto Rico.

Served with LAM in Costa Rico. Turmoil came where he taught; liberation theology was part of the turmoil. He went to school in Holland, then taught in England. He returned to Latin America , then taught missions in the USA

He believed the USA needed the simple gospel

Donald McGavran

Born of missionary parents in India; went to Butler University, influenced by the SVM and went to India as missionary.

He taught there for 20 years, and became especially interested in church growth and mass movements.

He started the Institute of Church Growth

Donald McGavran

He felt that the mission compound fractured Christians into isolated groups who had minimal effect on their families

He wanted people movements, which were resisted by Western missionary emphasis on individual decisions. However many disagreed with his homogonous people groups

Donald McGavran

Ralph and Roberta Winter

Born in 1924, went to Cal Tech, got PhD and theology degree, and went to Guatemala as a missionary.

He taught at Fuller for 10 years, and then started US Center for World Mission with only $100 to rally people to see how to reach 17,000 people groups and establish churches there

Dr. Ralph Winter

Lesslie Newbigin

Born 1909 in England, converted and involved in open air evangelism first there and then in India. He became the first bishop of United Church of South India.

He agreed with nationals reaching others but not in homogenous units

Lesslie Newbigin

Age 70 he started a church in Birmingham reaching the Asians in a rough neighborhood. He preached a gospel against the materialistic culture of England.

Election – focus on God’s goal and responsibility, not the reason for God’s choice

Lesslie Newbigin

Bob Pierce and World Vision He had a very stormy early work and

marriage history, neglecting his wife and daughters.

Finally on a trip for youth in China he saw the needs of orphans and started a humanitarian outreach.

He was extremely effective raising money for hospitals, orphanages, etc.

Bob Pierce and World Vision His family life was a shambles, and he

resigned from World Vision in a rage. He later founded Samaritan’s purse, and he eventually died of leukemia.

Stanley Mooneyham took over, and organized the relief organization properly and it is still effective.

They want to combine help with self-help and Christian evangelism

World Vision

Now the one of the largest relief organizations in the world – total budget is $2.6 billion dollars

World Vision USA headquarters

Bruce Olson

Left home age 19 to evangelize a tribe in Columbia.

He succeeded and translated much of the Bible, helped with health and agriculture, etc. 70% of the tribe is now Christian, reaching 18 other tribes

He was held by guerillas but released after a 9 month captivity

Brother Andrew - Open Doors. He originally survived the Nazis in

Holland, and then was a commando in Indonesia - foolishly brave. He survived being wounded, started reading his Bible, and joined WEC after learning English. While visiting East Europe, he found the lack of Bibles and vowed to bring Bibles there.

He made many trips for 15 years, but after his book was published, no further trips

Bruce Olson – Motilone indians

Brother Andrew - Open Doors. He continued risky smuggling with

God’s help to communist countries The largest smuggling was 200 tons of

Bibles in China to be distributed by 20,000 Christians. The majority were properly distributed though many Christians were arrested.

He continues to speak in his 80s. Open Doors ministers to the persecuted Christians

Brother Andrew

Mother Teresa

Born in Albania 1910 as the youngest of 3, poverty after the death of her father, she went to India as a nun age 19. She taught geography and was eventually headmistress

She had a vision to help the poor, and after 2 years, left the mission with three others.

Mother Teresa

The sisters mixed with the people – not hiding behind doors. Grew to 100 over 3 decades – Missionaries of charity

She did not request funds directly but said people could do something good for God. Soon thousands of sisters and places springing up

She received the Nobel Peace Prize

Mother Teresa and Sisters of Charity

Dr. Helen Roseveare

Born 1925 in England, wealthy family, well educated and received an MD from Cambridge. She became an evangelical, joined WEC, and went to Congo in 1953.

In two years, she established a nursing school at Ibambi. She was moved to another location; set up another school

Dr. Helen Roseveare Had problems with role in terms of

relationships with other missionaries. The mission put Dr. Harris over her to hold her down and he took over “her” hospital.

She wanted to get married, went back to England after 5 years.

She returned to Congo in 1960 and insisted on staying during evacuations.

Dr. Helen Roseveare She was captured and brutally raped by

Simba soldiers in 1964 and held captive for 5 months.

She returned on 1966-1973, but nationalism created many problems for her. She had no authority as a teacher and clashed with students who resented her high standards.

She ended up being a much sought Christian statesman with great humility and spirituality

Dr. Helen Roseveare

Jackie Pullinger

Worked with poor in Hong Kong. She left England and worked with a mission group in the worst part of the city – teaching English, music. She attributes success to speaking in tongues

Eventually the walled city was destroyed and a park placed there, but the ministry spread elsewhere

Jackie Pullinger

Don Richardson

Don Richardson - he wrote Peace Child and Lords of the Earth. He has promoted the Redemptive Analogy. Trained in Prairie Bible Institute. Worked with his wife under Regions Beyond Missionary Union. He worked with the Sawi, headhunters and cannibals who idealized treachery.

Don Richardson

Language learning was a great challenge.

He finally saw peace come between 3 villages when they exchanged children

Richardson’s books

Don Richardson

Nationalism since WWII Hastened the indigenous church

movement The missionary becomes a coworker

and/or servant of the church Exposed the tension between national

workers and the missionary The genuineness of the national

churches was tested The image of Christianity was de-

westernized

Communism Communists took over eastern Europe,

China, much of southeastern asia Communists have generally tried to

destroy the church. But actually the church may have done better under Communist repression in the east than governmental support in the west

In China, the communists released the Chinese from the bonds of ancestor worship, which may have actually made them more receptive to the gospel

Resurgence of ancient religions

Shinto sects are pushing back Muslims are aggressive Also some Hindu and Buddhists are

active and aggressive, persecuting Christians

Transitions in Protestantism

The liberals and neo-evangelicals have highjacked the missions movement to become the social gospel

Many are leaving missions, but infected the churches overseas with liberalism The number has dropped to 10,000

missionaries, and now under 2000

Catholicism has been fragmented

First they violently opposed the protestant churches

Now they are infected with evolution & liberalism, which has developed into Liberation theology - violent overthrow of the government, especially in Latin America

Pentecostal and charismatic explosion Charismatics are overflow of

Pentecostalism into mainline denominations, as well as the Roman Catholic church, which may be the largest group .They are aggressive in evangelism .They meet the practical need where

it is Fastest growing group in Latin and

South America

Missionary trends

Postwar surge has occurred, including now 6700 missionaries in Europe .There are a large number of short-

termers as well, with stable or slowly dropping number of full time missionaries

Evangelical missionaries have grown to 48,000, while ecumenical ones have shrunk to less than 2000

Missionary trends Missionary attitudes

Allowing nationals to do more, and trusting the Holy Spirit in the nationals to develop them

There is a divided attitude about Pentecostals

.2/3 world missionaries - 10x as many as 1960, now 60,000, esp. Korea, India & Nigeria

Missionary trends

“2/3 world missionaries” 10x as many as 1960, now 60,000, Korea, India & Nigeria are leading the

way We anticipate that they will

overtake the west in sending out missionaries