1. Literacy & Evangelism International The History of:
1800 S. Jackson Ave.
Tulsa, OK
(918)

2. Dr. Robert F. Rice 1921-2002 . Introduction
Literacy & Evangelism International is the fruit of seeds which were planted around the time of the Second World War. In 1945 a young man from Kansas City, Missouri was preparing for the ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey. During that year, Robert F. Rice was invited to attend a Christian conference in nearby New Hampshire, where a noted missionary was speaking.

3. Dr. Frank Laubach 1884-1970 Dr. Frank Laubach
Know as the “Father of Literacy Missions” or the “Apostle of Literacy”

4. Frank Laubach was a missionary to a Muslim tribe in the Philippines
A. The Maranao Tribe in the Philippines
Frank Laubach served in the Philippines among the Maranao people. This tribe was Muslim and very closed to the Gospel. Laubach efforts to reach them ended in failure until he taught literacy. After reducing their language to writing, he developed a simple method for teaching adults how to read their own language. The principles he used were both easy and effective. Initially, Laubach trained 20 teachers to spread literacy throughout the tribe. As he did, the barriers between them came crashing down. Men who were originally opposed to him and his message soon became open and receptive. By 1929 a strong literacy program was going on among the Moros of Mindinao.

5. Literacy Campaign on Lanao:
“Teach or Die”
70,000 people learn to read/write
“Each One Teach One”
Primers in 300 languages & 100 countries
“The Apostle of literacy”
B. The Stock Market Crash & Depression
The Stock Market Crash in 1929 and subsequent Depression severely affected Laubach's work. Funds which come from the US to pay teachers a modest stipend were suddenly cut off. The saddened missionary called together 400 leaders and told them the bad news. A dozen teachers would have to be eliminated and everyone else would have their stipend cut in half. After a period of silence, one of the Moro chiefs spoke. "This campaign will not stop.... Everybody who knows how to read, teach somebody else or I'll kill him. "Nods of approval rippled through the assembled leaders. The chiefs' words became galvanized into a simple slogan, "Teach or die." The program continued and grew. [SLIDE] A total of 70,000 illiterate Moros eventually learned to read and write their mother tongue. Laubach simple method for teaching illiterates proved a great success. [SLIDE] He later took the Moro motto, "teach or die" and transformed it into "Each One Teach One " This program was so effective in the Philippines, other countries invited the missionary to develop primers and begin a literacy ministry elsewhere. [SLIDE] He developed primers in over 300 languages and in 100 countries around the world. [SLIDE]This remarkable achievement marked him as "The Apostle of Literacy. "

6. Laubach said to Ghandi in India:
“The greatest single blessing that ever came to the world was the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. If Christ had not been written and if we had not been able to read the Gospels, we would know very little about him.”
At one time he met the famous Mahatma Ghandi in India and said, "The greatest single blessing that ever came to the world was the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. If Christ had not been written and if we had not been able to read the Gospels, we would know very little about him."

7. Bob Rice meets Laubach in 1945 Inspired by the man and his message A vision was born…
“ I saw the importance of adult literacy and at the same time an evangelistic potential in literacy missions.”
. The idea - planted - evangelistic potential
When Robert Rice attended the conference in New Hampshire in 1945, he was impressed with not only the literacy work Laubach pioneered, but the strong evidences of spirituality which were so evident in his life. But most importantly, the conference planted an idea in the heart of Bob which has never changed. He said, "I saw the importance of adult literacy and at the same time an evangelistic potential in literacy missions."

8. Literacy As a Means of Evangelism on the Foreign Mission Field – Princeton Seminary Thesis
“Only the everlasting gospel which is for every nation and kindred and tongue and people can redeem literacy. Then will literacy evangelism be like a sharp sword and a polished shaft in the hand of the Lord. It will not only be a channel for introducing the good news of Christ, but a primary means for enabling the good news to take firm root and bear fruit in ever widening dimensions.”
B. Master's thesis
Rice returned to Princeton and finished his B.D. degree. A year later he wrote as his Master's thesis on, "Literacy as a Mean of Evangelism on the Foreign Mission Field." The seeds of literacy missions were already firmly planted in his heart and mind. He wrote, [SLIDE] "Only the everlasting gospel which is for every nation and kindred and tongue and people can redeem literacy. Then will literacy evangelism be like a sharp sword and a polished shaft in the hand of the Lord. It will be not only a channel for introducing the good news of Christ but a primary means for enabling the good news to take firm root and bear fruit in ever widening dimensions."

9. Mission to Korea: 1950-1965 Rural evangelism Bible Institute
Ministry to 700
“street children”
Literature
Literacy
. 15 years of service
After seminary, the Rices were commissioned as missionaries with the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions to Korea. They began a 15 year career of service in Korea beginning in During that time, Rev. Rice was involved in rural evangelism, teaching in a Bible Institute, literature production, literacy work and ministry to 700 beggar boys (street children). While in this Asian country, Bob saw firsthand the power of the Word of God to transform and change. He observed the importance of every church member becoming a daily Bible reader.

10. Alice & boys in Japan
Mom taking care of three Rice brothers in Japan during the Korean war. Bob continued to serve in Korea w/out the family.

11. Where’s the current LEI director?
The Rice siblings….Voting left to right (skipping my sister in the dress)

12. Dr. Sam Moffatt,
“In the early days of the Korean Church, wise missionaries and pastors said, ‘all you need to be saved is to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you want to become a full member of his church in Korea, you’re going to have to learn to read. You’re not going to be equipped Christians until you read the Word of God for yourselves. Then and only then are you equipped to tell others… what God’s Word is saying to them.’”
B. Literacy necessary for full membership
Dr. Sam Moffatt, the grandson of pioneer missionary to Korea, writes about the
importance of literacy in the church. "In the early days of the Korean Church, wise missionaries and wise pastors said, 'all you need to be saved is to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. But if you want to become a full member of his church in Korea, you're going to have to learn to read. You're not going to be equipped Christians until you read the Word of God for yourselves. Then and only then are you equipped to tell others ... what God's Word is saying to them. "
You probably know that Korea is the site of the largest and fastest growing churches in the world. The city of Seoul has over 7,000 churches in that city alone. And Korea is also the 2nd most literate country in the world.
SENDING more missionaries than any other country except for the US
Story of Gamaliel Kim (Central Asia director) living at tutor place. Christianity today magazine ….

13. Birth of Literacy & Evangelism
Oral Roberts University
Laubach co-teaches
Rice invited to join LL
Bob instead begins
“L & E”
. Literacy & Evangelism begins in 1967
A. Professor of Missions
In 1962 the Rice family returned from Korea for a year of furlough in Stony Point, NY.
While still under the Presbyterian misison board, Bob worked on a Doctoral Temple university while serving in local churches in the Philadelphia area.
In 1965 the Rice’s moved to Tulsa OK where Bob Rice took a position as a teacher of Mission's at the newly opened Oral Roberts University.
[SLIDE] During this time, he invited Dr. Frank Laubach to co-teach a course "Literacy Techniques in Missions. "
[SLIDE] Dr. Laubach invited Bob to join his growing organization in Syracuse, New York, however Bob felt the Lord was opening a door for him to establish a related yet different ministry.
[SLIDE] In 1967 the organization called "Literacy & Evangelism" was begun. It would be a "faith mission" supported by the prayers and financial contributions of churches and individuals who shared the vision of Bob Rice. Bob looked to WEC International for many of the guiding principles of this new mission.

14. Laubach’s Endorsement
“The L&E program is closer to the heart
of God than any other…because (it can)
win souls to Christ.”
F. Laubach
B. Laubach's endorsement
Dr. Laubach however fully encouraged this new work and agreed to serve as the first Board member. He wrote to Rice, "The L&E program is closer to the heart of God than any other program .... because (it can) .... win souls to Christ."

15. Influence of the Summer Institute of Linguistics:
Education & research arm of Wycliffe Bible Translators
Reduce oral languages to writing & translate the Bible
SIL training Norman,OK
Dr. Sarah Gudschinsky (pictured here)
Influence of the Summer Institute of Linguistics
A. Dr. Sarah Gudschinsky
For further preparation for literacy mission Bob attended the Summer Institute of Linguistics in Norman, Oklahoma for specialized training. [SLIDE] SIL was at that time the education and research arm of Wycliffe Bible Translators – [SLIDE] whose work of reducing oral languages to writing and then translating the Bible is well known. [SLIDE] While studying at SIL, [SLIDE] Bob met a literacy specialist by the name of Dr. Sarah Gudschinsky.
…GAIL – Dallas area – President toured LEI campus last yr. and agreed to send someone to teach an overview of linguistics.

16. Literacy & Literacy Workers:
“That person is fully literate who in a language that he speaks, can read and understand anything that he would have understood if it had been spoken to him; and who can write anything he can say, so it can be read.”
Sarah Gudschinsky
“Literacy workers are needed wherever translation is being done. After all, what’s the use of giving people the Bible if they can’t read it? It would be like putting in a water system for people dying of thirst but not providing any faucets.”
“In Other Words”
Wycliffe Bible Translators
B. Translation without literacy
Dr. Gudschinsky helped Wycliffe workers develop primers to teach tribal groups how to read the newly translated Bibles. A Bible translator may take years to produce a translation. Unless someone uses they key of literacy, it will still remain a closed book to the people.
She defined "literate" in this intriguing way:
"That person is fully literate who in a language that he speaks, can read and understand anything that he would have understood if it has been spoken to him; and who can write anything he can say, so that it can be read. "
Literacy is vital to Bible translation.
"Literacy workers are needed wherever translation is being done. After all, what's the use of giving people a Bible if they can't read it? It would be like putting in a water system for people dying of thirst but not providing any faucets."

17. LEI Approach to Primer Construction
Consistent lesson format – Laubach
Syllable boxes – Gudschinsky
Bible-content – Rice
Bible reference in every lesson
Name of Jesus introduced in Lesson 12
Simple stories about Him in each lesson
26 simplified passages of Scripture
VII. LEI approach to primer construction
A. Consistent lesson format
After his training at SIL, Rice had the tools he needed to implement the vision God had given him. From Dr. Laubach he received the inspiration to use literacy for evangelism. He saw the importance of a consistent lesson format which Laubach used so effectively.
B. Syllable boxes
From Dr. Gudschinsky, he acquired an understanding of syllable drills to break down and build up words. His studies there also deepened his appreciation of linguistics in developing primers which can be used in worldwide.
C. Bible content
His own unique contribution was the addition of Bible content to every literacy primer. So as people are learning to read, they are reading simplified portions of the Word of God. God promises:
VIII. Characteristics LEI primers
A. Bible reference in every lesson
In every LEI primer, there is a Bible reference printed in every lesson. The teacher reads the Scripture to the new learner. Later, when sufficient reading level is reached, the new reader can read the passage in a simplified translation. This becomes part of the literacy lesson.
B. Name of Jesus
In Lesson 12, the name of Jesus is introduced. There is a simple story about Jesus in every subsequent lesson. Elementary truths like: "Jesus loves all people. Jesus forgives sins. Trust in Jesus" are introduced. In this way basic Christian teaching is introduced during the reading lesson.
C. 26 simplified Bible stories
The last 26 reading portions of every primer contain simplified Bible stories. There are 3 from the Old Testament (Creation, Fall & Flood) and 23 from the New Testament. These cover the birth, ministry, death, resurrection of Christ, as well as selected individuals from the Book of Acts. By the time a new reader has finished the primer, he has a thorough understanding the Gospel message and is well on the way to reading the Bible for himself.
Also, progressive creationism (in process of being formalized) particularly for Muslim contexts

18. Isaiah 55:8-11 “ My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.
   Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
Rain and snow fall from the sky. But they don't return  without watering the earth that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat. That's how it is with my words. They don't return to me without doing everything I send them to do." (CEV)
   
As people are learning to read, they are reading simplified portions of the Word of God. God promises like…
“ My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.  Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, my thoughts and my ways are higher than yours.
Rain and snow fall from the sky. But they don't return  without watering the earth that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat.
That's how it is with my words. They don't return to me without doing everything I send them to do." (CEV)
   

19. Literacy Needs Today: Conclusions drawn from Laubach, ABS & SIL
90% world has entire Bible in Mother Tongue
95% world has the New Testament in MT
98% world has some Scripture in MT
Yet 45-55% of the world is unable to read the Word of God!
These people are totally or functionally illiterate.
This is a “blind spot” in mission’s today.
. The Literacy Needs Today
A. Rice's conclusion
From his contacts with organizations such as Laubach Literacy, Summer Institute of Linguistics and the American Bible Society, Rice concluded:
90% world has entire Bible in MT
95% world has NT in MT
98% world has some Scripture in MT
[SLIDE] Yet, 45-55% of the world is unable to read the Word of God. These people are illiterate (either totally or functionally). Either way the result is the same: the Bible is a closed book. Its truth remains hidden. Its contents are unavailable. For anyone who cannot read the words on its pages, the Word of God is locked.
…Story of Philip first learning to drive… “blind spot” 15 degrees…
Despite the tremendous need literacy continued to be a "blind spot" in missions today.

20. Literacy Evangelism begins
Founded 1967
½ bedroom of the Rice home in Tulsa
Primer done in the Indonesian language
Bob traveled 3-6 months a year overseas
Over 40 round-the-world trips
. The Bible a closed book
In 1967, the organization of Literacy & Evangelism was founded. It began in half of a bedroom of the Rice home here in Tulsa. A primer was done the same year in the Indonesian language. Since then, Bob traveled 3-6 months every year around the world. My mom Alice stayed at home, raising the family and keeping the books. They never envisioned more than a small family ministry. But God has blessed and the ministry has grown.

21. Expansion & growth:
Bob began to mentor others as he traveled overseas. This led to expanded workers trained in primer construction including: Rev. Carey Jo Johnston, Bob Biederman, Tedd Lodes and others (Bob Mulloy, John Taylor….

22. An office was built in 1980 and the Tutor Place dormitory in 1987.
Dormitory was primarily constructed by volunteers. “Mission impossible” STT app. 100 strong from FPC Aurora, IL. In two wks. Framed the entire top two stories.

23. Rev. John Taylor Appointed Executive Director in 1994 Raised in India
Served in Nepal for 7 years then as Director for 10 years
In 1994, Rev. John Taylor was appointed as the new director of LEI, succeeding him in his retirement. John served for 10 years. In February 2006, the Board appointed Rev. Sid Rice as the new Executive Director for the ministry which his father began.

24. Rev. Sid Rice – Executive Director
Worked in corporate world for 20 years
Graduate of Fuller Seminary
Appointed by the Board in February 2006
Married to Christa
Sons: Phillip, Daniel & David

25. Goals of Literacy & Evangelism:
Teach Christians to read so they can be daily readers of the Bible.
A Pastor in Tambo, Ecuador said,“Some people here want to read more than they want to eat or drink.”
Literacy is a problem in the U.S.
Africa, India, China have larger opportunities
Goals of LEI that formed the history of LEI
A. Teach Christians to read so read Word daily
1) Teach Christians how to read so they can be daily students of the Scripture.
To the illiterate the Bible is closed book. Matt. 4:4, Rev. 1:3, Acts 17:11, I Tim. 4:13.
[SLIDE] One pastor in the Baptist Church in Tambo, Ecuador said, "Some people here want to read more than they want to eat or drink. " So great is the hunger for literacy among many Christians. The Bible is often available and in print, however it remains closed to much of the world's population.
[SLIDE] Even here in the U.S. literacy is a great problem. Our prison’s are filled with illiterates (70+% functional illiteracy rates).
[SLIDE] Yet in other lands it is much worse: Africa can be called the illiterate continent with up to 80% illiteracy. The government of India says 50% population is illiterate yet most knowledgeable people say it is more like 70%. In other countries it is even higher.

26. Where illiteracy reigns, the church is impoverished
Written on a blackboard of a Christian school in Harrison, Arkansas, “the devil doesn’t want people to read, because God wrote a book.”
John Wesley said, “it cannot be that people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading (the Bible).”
Morris Watkins said,”there is no record of the church in any land, being strong spiritually where the leadership was illiterate or where laymen were not encouraged to read the Bible.”
Morris Watkins, a Bible translator, missionary and founder of the All Nation's Literacy Movement, wrote in a book on literacy:
"The devil doesn't want people to read, because God wrote a book. " Where illiteracy reigns, the church is impoverished. John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church rightly observed,
"It cannot be that people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading
(the Bible). "
"There is no record of the church in any land, being strong spiritually where the
leadership was illiterate or where laymen were not encouraged to read the
Bible. "

27. Allen & Joan Lovekin serving in Kinshasa, Zaire
“Its wonderful. Ten new classes on the coast, 40 new teaching centers in northern Zaire, 100 teaching sites in Kinshasa…. Illiterate people are learning to read their own language from a Bible-based primer. They are having their faith deepened and their minds opened to health, farming and nutrition…”
Literacy, Bible Reading & Church Growth
Allen & Joan Lovekin, LEI missionaries to Zaire, wrote in one of their monthly reports of the impact the literacy evangelism classes were having on Christians in that country.
"It's wonderful! 10 new classes on the coast, 40 new teaching centers in northern
Zaire, 100 teaching sites in Kinshasa .... illiterate people are learning to read
their own language from a Bible-based primer. They are having their faith
deepened and their minds opened to health, farming and nutrition ideas. "

28. Goals continued:
Teach non-Christians to read and witness to them of the Living Word through the Written Word.
Laubach’s motto , “Each One Teach One and Win One to Christ.”
“literacy mission… is a potent opportunity for evangelism.” Christianity Today Magazine
India Bible Literature
“In every land, in every language, it is the same; where the Bible is read… the life is changed… people are transformed.” Amy Carmichael
In 1994, the Director of LEFK, James Kigamwa, attended literacy training in Tulsa. As head of an indigenous sister organization in east Africa, James uses Bible-content primers in many languages there. He said in class that their use of the primers is primarily with Christians. He has seen it as tremendous discipling tool, to help non-readers develop skills to read the Bible.
Teach Non-Christians to read and hear Good News
The motto of LEI is "Each One Teach One and Win One to Christ" adapted from
Laubach's motto. It can be an effective means of evangelism and church planting. This is what Robert Rice saw in his early contacts with Frank Laubach.
[SLIDE] An editorial in Christianity Today said,
"They will take our hands and be lifted up, if we reach down to help .... literacy
mission ... is a potent opportunity for evangelism, for among the illiterate billion
it is the best vehicle for communicating the Gospel."
[SLIDE] India Bible Literature headquartered in Madras, India. This ministry sponsored Literacy & Evangelism primers in 19 languages in India. Over the last 25 years, they developed perhaps the most exciting literacy program in the world! Over 10,000 house churches raised up through LEI formatted primers.
Statistics from one year, late 90’s showed they taught over 67,000 people around the country the skills of reading and writing. Of those non-readers who begin, 93% complete the 10- month course. What is most fascinating, around 35 % make a profession of faith in Christ by the end of the literacy classes! In the literacy classes there is no evangelistic emphasis. They simply let the Bible content in the primers speak for itself. More than any other ministry
. we know, IBL is tapping the potential of literacy for sharing the good news with non-readers.
[SLIDE] Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India was right, "In every land, in every language, it is the same; where the Bible is read. .. the life is changed. .. people are transformed. “
EXTRA Stuff…
In another example, a Khmer primer was done with CMA in Training was provided to missionaries and nationals. A year later a group of missions started an adult literacy program. 283 volunteer teachers were trained who then began classes. With over 5,000 students enrolled they saw 474 come to faith and 10 new churches started. This early success made them plan to double their enrollment to 10,000 people the following year.

29. International Literacy Training Institutes (ILTI)
Held in Tulsa and Belo Horizonte, Brazil annually
5 week Institute in US
Module 1 is an introduction of LEI ministry
Module 2 is indepth training for overseas workers
2007 we had 24 people from 12 different countries
3 wk. Regional ILTI’s
Trainings
Shortly after its conception, a literacy training called the "Fall Literacy Institute" was held to teach people to use the Bible-content primers and develop a literacy ministry. This developed into am intense, 9-week training for pastors, missionaries and Christian workers. It always involved people from both overseas and N. America. It was taught by Dr. Rice, LEI staff and furloughing or retired missionaries. It usually had two segments: one for those working in N. America and a second for those planning to go overseas.
The current 5-week ILTI is a further refinement those trainings held for many years in
Tulsa, OK.
In the 1990’s LEI began to move Training overseas to better
target those who could most benefit from literacy training and keep costs to a minimum. We've held 3-week regional trainings in: Brazil, Paraguay, Ghana, Kenya, India & Nepal, Peru with plans for the ivory coast, Guatemala, etc…. It is difficult to gauge the full impact of these trainings in terms of the lasting impact for the Kingdom.

30. LEI Missionaries 40+ people serving with LEI working around the globe.
Application process, graduate ILTI, finish orientation and 2 year internship
Faith mission
Affiliates
Missionaries
The Literacy Institute was also used as an orientation and training for missionaries going out with LEI. Today, such people are serving in: US, Dominican Republic, Benin, Ghana, Burundi, India, Philippines and Peru. We've a total of 38 missionaries working with us.
Another category of people "Affiliates" are those who've gone through a Literacy
Institute and wish to be related to LEI while continuing to work in another ministry or mission. Affiliates are serving in many countries around the world and are a far larger number than our missionaries.

31. English Language Ministry
Church-based ESL programs
Passport to the World of English
Rev. Don Edic
Important tool for missions
. English Language Ministry
Another area where LEI is very active is that of ESL. Ever since the Firm Foundations materials were printed, there has been an ESL aspect to the books. Rev. Don Edic worked for many years on the west coast to develop and promote a church-based ESL program. With the advent of Passport to the World of English in 1996, this part of LEI's ministry has grown quickly.
Today there are a dozen LEI people working in ESL around the country. Annually week-long trainings are held in the U.S. to meet the growing needs. Churches are seeing the opportunity at their doorstep to reach out to non-English speakers in the community.
By using material with Bible-content, learners are also introduced to important spiritual truths. This 4 level series uses the latest in training techniques. It includes 13 audio tapes or CD's. There is now a modified form of PWE created for use with short-term mission programs. You'l1leam a lot about ELM in the following week.

32. Our 2020 Word Vision :
Bible-content material for each strategic language
At least some Bible translation
At least 1,000,000 speakers
Church-based ministry for each strategic people group
Indigenous church or church planting effort
High rate of illiteracy or high demand for English

33. Opportunity to join us in shaping LEI’s history…
Use over 200+ Bible-content primers
Lead TTW’s & Institutes
Use Bible-content ESL curriculum
Develop a primer for every strategic language & A church-based literacy ministry for each people group

34. The history of LEI continues to be written in…
India, Nepal, Myanmar
Brazil, Peru, Guatemala
Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast
Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China
Mexico, United States
Korea, Philippines, Laos
....

35. “Would that this one book were in every language, in every land, before the eyes and in the ears and hearts of all men.”
Through translation and more relevant for today….literacy mission.
You are part of an ever expanding history of LEI. You are not here by chance. God has ordained your lives to be knit into the fabric of the future history of LEI.
Martin Luther