Reformation Period 1517-1792 This was the beginning of change, but the Reform Church brought a lot of baggage with it (i.e. church-state concepts, infant baptism, sacramentalism, formalism, and territorialism).

Reasons the Reformation began Renaissance education emphasized critical thinking Availability of printed material & Bible Abuses of the Roman Catholic Church: Pope Leo X’s lifestyle Sale of Indulgences and Relics Sales of Church offices: “simony” Mariolatry, saints intercession, infallibility of pope, celibacy “Once you hear the money’s ring, the soul from purgatory is free to spring” Tetzel

Martin Luther (1483-1546) Luther was a professor at Wittenberg University Religious truth found only in the Bible Sales of indulgences reduced/cancel purgatory suffering ensuring heaven Supported lavish lifestyles of Church leaders Financed the building of St. Peter’s Basilica for 400 years Criticized Church practices and leadership in 95 Theses

Spread of Lutheranism

Spread of Lutheranism 1560 Wittenberg

John Calvin (1509-1564) French student associated with Radical movement in Paris, fled to Geneva wrote Institutes at 19 Calvinism/Presbyterianism Sovereignty of God who determines everything and every destiny of man Theocracy in Geneva (church-state) Established a training Institute in Geneva which sent out graduates to spread Calvinism

Spread of Calvinism from Geneva

Reformation Period: 1517-1705 Protestant Reformation was attempt to return to apostolic Christianity New truth did not affect missions for 200 yrs Roman Catholic counter reformation resulted in more missionaries—RCC gained more than lost! (approx 1560-1650) Reasons for apathy among early Protestants: Some taught Commission only for apostles Lutheran and Reformation churches fighting among themselves– 30 yrs War left Germany in economic and social chaos Protestants tended to Deterministic Theology: God does it without human intervention! Protestants had no religious order dedicated to evangelizing as did the Catholics: Franciscans, Dominicans and Jesuits Counter reformation of RCC: Such reforms included the foundation of seminaries for the proper training of priests in the spiritual life and the theological traditions of the Church, the reform of religious life by returning orders to their spiritual foundations, and new spiritual movements focusing on the devotional life and a personal relationship with Christ, including the Spanish mystics and the French school of spirituality.

Limited Missionary Effort for 200 yrs In 1555 French Calvinist Huguenots went to Brazil Chaplains primary concern was French, not Brazilian Little success (less than 1-yr) and soon murdered by Portuguese Catholics In 1649 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England formed to reach the Indians of New England John Eliot spent two years learning language of Algonquians and by 1663 completed NT translation Formed Christian Indian “praying” towns

Limited Missionary Effort for 200 yrs In 1664 Baron Von Welz criticized the Lutheran church for lack of missionary interest, gave up his title, sailed to Surinam, SA Official refutation of Welz’s view was 1) difficulty of missionary task, 2) difficulty of recruiting, 3) depravity of heathen making conversion nearly impossible, 4) great need at home, 5) it is the responsibility of the few Christians already there

Reasons for the Great Omission Difficult circumstances of the Protestants Always a minority in Europe, fighting for existence Authorized killing Protestants, like the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572 where 3000 killed resulted Edict of Nantes, 1598, gave rights to Huguenots Protestants drawn into Religious Wars to survive Protestants argued among themselves theologically each with threats of capital punishment Lutherans and Calvinists joined to persecute the Anabaptists, who wanted radical reform of Protestant church Protestants only reluctantly took advantage of Protestant countries’ colonial expansion – then only as chaplains of their people, often prohibiting the preaching within the colonies Religious Wars around 1600 - Population of German states killed 30% in 30-years War Male population reduced to 50% In some areas 75% of population killed

More Reasons for Omission Lack of Para-church Orders (mission agencies) Nothing compared to the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and Jesuits Not until para-church mission boards formed did Protestant missionary movement begin (1792) Common Rationalizations for disinterest 1. “Charity begins at home” to justify unconcern Rebuttal: We can never reach our homeland, so time will never come to send out missionaries! 2. Heathen are too depraved and quote, “The holy things of God are not to be cast before such dogs and swine” (Mat 7:6)—Does not refer to heathen but false teachers! Rebuttal: All men are equally depraved (Rom 3:22-23), nor did they understand the power of the Spirit to convict and convince men of truth

Theology of the Reformers Exegetical excuse: Commission only given to Apostles – problem: phrase, “until the end of the age”! Exegetical excuse: Col 1:23 ingressive aorist participle, “the gospel that you have heard, which is beginning to be proclaimed in all creation under heaven.” Political excuse: Held that the Commission was the responsibility of the government Anabaptists held to a separation of church and state Reformers held to a Landeskirche, a territorial church—any church outside the territorial church is illegal Theological excuse: it is God’s responsibility to save the heathen, not ours—since regeneration is not necessarily related to preaching or faith, we are not needed to evangelize! Theological excuse: Most believed that the end of the age was soon, so there was no time to evangelize – though it is clear that no one can know the time (Mt 24:36)

Final Reasons Limited concept of Missions Thought the church was merely to grow within its national boundary —as ripples across a pond Thought reaching numerically more people, was equal or better than reaching all peoples Thought a special call from God to be a missionary was necessary to make a commitment—the expressed desire of Christ was not sufficient! Spiritual Weakness of the Reformation The Reformation was not a revival in which millions were born again Most were sweep along with the territorial church Reformers did not spell out a clear doctrine of regeneration or the new birth – still depended upon baptism and communion (“sacraments”) and the church Sardis church, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead” Rev. 3:1

Beginning of Missionary Movement Pietists of central Europe started movement Reacted against barren orthodoxy and formalism of Reformation churches Philip Spenser (1635-1705) sought to renew church through small groups, personal conversion experience, Bible study, prayer, godly living, compassion and missionary zeal In 1705 first mission, Danish-Halle Mission, sent out first missionaries, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and Heinrich Plutschau, to Danish colonies in East Indies Second step was Moravian Church in 1722 Count Zinzendorf gave refuge to Anabaptists. In less than 10 yrs 226 Moravians sent to 10 countries. Puritanism under Jonathan Edwards, a missionary to the Indians, challenged through “Concert of Prayer” for spread of Gospel to world—origin of Wed. night prayer meeting

Early Missions to S. America

Launching of Missions 1792 William Carey’s book “An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen” Carey’s mentor responded, “Young man, sit down. When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine” Carey founded the Baptist Missionary Society; took family and 2 associates to India for 40 yrs Carey called “Father of Missions” Soon all European denominations had a mission

European Explorations

Three Early British Missionaries Robert Morrison, Pioneer to China (1782-1834) After training sailed to China in 1807 China was very closed to “foreign devils” plus British Trade Companies opposed them (opium trade) Prohibited to learn Chinese—he witnessed secretly and translated Bible Motivated Parliament to permit missionaries to evangelize

Three Early British Missionaries Robert Moffat: Pioneer to Africa Evangelist, translator, educator, diplomat and explorer A Scotch Calvinist saved through new Methodist movement Arrived in 1816, Married on the field, started “mission compound”, mediated tribal warfare, failed to evangelize through trade language, translated Bible but British presses refused to print it, first converts in 1829, eventually would win about 200, after 53 years in Africa with 1 furlough returned to promote missions in British Isles

Three Early British Missionaries David Livingston (1813-1873): Explorer in Africa—Most famous missionary Semi-nomadic ministry of exploration and witness, opening central Africa Henry Stanley, American newsman, went to find and interview Livingston – found him in 1871—later challenged and surrendered to be a missionary

American Join World Evangelism Samuel J. Mills, left a farm, went to college to prepare for ministry in 1806 At Williams College he was challenged by 4 other students: often met for prayer During a storm they fled to a haystack for protection—Famous “Haystack Prayer Meeting” Adoniram Judson joined Haystack prayer group at Andover Seminary Together they formed the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in 1810 In 1812 Judson and seven colleagues sailed for India as first of thousands of American missionaries En route Judson and Luther Rice became convinced of believer’s baptism – Luther returned to start mission “Why, how stupid, stupid I have been! Missions, why the NT is all missions!” Judson. Luther started the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society in 1814 Dedicated to language learning and publishing Bible, health problems, death of son, seven years before first convert, appealed to Emperor for permission to evangelize but was denied, converts pled that he say even if it meant martyrdom! He did! Ann Judson returned to US for health reason for 2 years. Emperor eventually favored Judson, invited him to capital Ava, but British declared war in 1824. Emperor captured Judson and put in “Death Prison” presumed a spy, tortured, awaiting execution, asked to translate in peace negotiations with British The couple met after 18 months of prison for only 2 weeks, followed by months of negotiations during which his wife, Ann, died delivering a baby, who also died. The next 14 years spent translating and evangelizing, completing the Burmese Bible in 1840. He took one furlough after 33 years returned to Burma where he died 3 years later—leaving a vibrant Burmese church and Bible

Missionary flow from America

3 Eras of Mission Activity First Era: to the coastlands—William Carey (1761-1834) Mobilized by early student movements Typically nondenominational missions Astonishing readiness to sacrifice Second Era: to the inland areas—Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) Mobilized by Student Volunteer Movement Many “Faith” Missions planted churches in every geographical area by 1940.

3 Eras of Mission Activity Third Era: to the “unreached people” —Cameron Townsend (1896-1982) and Donald McGavran (1897-1990) Mobilized by Inter-Varsity Fellowship, Campus Crusade & Student Foreign Mission Fellowship Townsend discovered languages groups needing translations, started SIL and Wycliffe Bible Trans. McGavran focused on social groupings and Church Growth Principles “People Group” concept was born: defined as ethno-linguistic groups (cultural traditions and prejudices) Missions is defined as: “From all nations, to all nations.”