1. Historical Perspective of Missions
Periods of Missions

2. 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

3. Periods of Missions Early Church Catholic and Eastern Orthodox
Renewal Movements
Wycliffe ( )
Jan Hus ( )
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 ( )
Proposed Great Commission for all times
Danish Halle Mission
Morovians Movement out of renewal movements
A missionary movement
Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzindorf ( )
Jacob Spener (1675) – “Father of Pietism”
Auguste Franke ( )
Read Spener’s “Pia Desideria” (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 ( )
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-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

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 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.