Perspectives On The Church s Mission Part 2: Missions In Historical Perspective

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1 Perspectives On The Church s Mission Part 2: Missions In Historical Perspective George W. Peters [George W. Peters, Professor Emeritus of World Missions, Dallas Theological Seminary.] The year 1792 has been pinpointed as the birthdate of modern missions, and William Carey has been called the father of modern missions. Both facts are only relatively true. Nevertheless they are remarkable and of world significance. This is so because within half of a century after that date every Protestant country had been awakened to world evangelization, missionary societies had been formed, missionary training centers had been established, and scores of pioneers had been recruited, equipped, and sent out into Asia, Africa, and the islands of the South Pacific. In all of this the American churches did not lag behind. Within seven years ( ) three major societies had been organized and by 1825 all major denominations were involved in missions abroad. Once the breakthrough had come, the missions movement continued to gain momentum and soon became a world phenomenon. Though an ebb and flow is evident in the history of missions, the flow has continued to gain over the ebbing and only recently has it leveled off and in some areas somewhat receded. What was the milieu that brought about missions or made it possible for missions to break through? What historical factors have aided missions in its motivation and expansion? From history it is evident that three factors played a most decisive role in the creation of the missionary movement. These are Western expansionism of Protestant countries, Western enlightenment and philanthropy, and Western evangelical restoration. The first two factors will be bypassed, not because they are insignificant but because they are dealt with adequately in sources of secular history. In Western evangelical restoration, two main currents a theological restoration and a spiritual restoration merged and became a stream of living water on parched Protestantism. Western Evangelical Restoration Theological Restoration It may seem strange to speak of the need for liberating theology. But such was the case. Theology may become ensnared, yea, imprisoned in scholastic shackles which make it impossible for certain truths to break forth. This is what had happened in the course of history following the Reformation. It made the breakthrough of a missionary theology practically impossible. These shackles were broken in the evangelical restoration. The world owes much to the Protestant Reformation. It can be said with great delight that the Reformers discovered the missionary message without which missions would be purposeless. However, it is evident that the immediate successors of the great Reformers did not advocate world evangelization. A new orthodox Protestant scholasticism soon captured Protestant theology, which was interested mainly in theological rigid confessionalism. Theology became enshrined but not incarnated. Therefore, it became a lifeless skeleton of speculative dogmatics and not the dynamic of God unto salvation and missions. Yet theology in the proper sense of the word is the science of God and ought to lead to light, life, liberation, and power. In order to do so, it has to be liberated from the sacred shrines of rationalism, sentimentalism, traditionalism, and even creedalism. It must be free to set forth the word and mind of God in every age anew. Strangely enough, this came in Europe mainly through laymen and theologians on the periphery, and in the English world from men of freedom, the Puritans, and mainly in America, the land of freedom. In Europe there were such men as Adrian Saravia ( ), Baron Justinian von Weltz ( ), Jakob Spener ( ), August Herman Francke ( ), and

2 particularly Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf ( ). In America there were such men as John Eliot ( ), Cotton Mather ( ), and Jonathan Edwards ( ). The latter broke through every recognized system of theology in his theologizing, and became a liberated person to whom God could speak afresh. In consequence God not only made him the sharp and central instrument initiating the Great Awakening in Northampton and then throughout New England, but also used him in giving to the Anglo-Saxon world a dynamic missionary theology. The first revival wave visited Northampton in It came as a result of a series of messages on the Book of Romans. In 1740 Edwards sensed that the revival in his church was ebbing. So he preached a series of messages on the history of redemption in which he charted the operations of God in history. His emphasis was on God s controlling history and His progressively expanding the realization of redemption. He pointed to the glorious triumph of the church in the course of history, which would bring about not only the destruction of Antichrist but also the Christianization of the world. At the conclusion Christ would appear, judge the world, and the church would be glorified in the millennial reign of the Lord. This would be the full realization of the kingdom of God. As a result of the messages, a greater revival than before visited the church and the community. It was in these messages that the missionary theology of Edwards took shape. In this history of redemption five elements are discernible elements which became the framework of Anglo-Saxon missiology. First, Edwards had strong faith in God who controls all of history and who works out a glorious purpose in history. God can never be defeated. The kingdom of God will be realized in history. Second, the church, which he (erroneously) identified with the kingdom of God, is central in the purpose of God. It is assured of its triumph over Antichrist and all evil in this world. It will be composed of peoples from among all nations. At the coming of Christ it will manifest the mercy and glory of the Lord. Third, the church in history has a missionary purpose and is called to be a colaborer with God in proclaiming the gospel among the nations and thus to actualize the purpose of God. Fourth, man is a responsible, moral being and in hearing the gospel man is able to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation if he so wills. Fifth, God is operative in history. The church must be God s colaborer in history because God s cause will triumph in history. Here was fresh air in stale, static, and stately Calvinism. It was evident that a new era in ecclesiology and world missions was dawning. The church, in order to function as the church of God, must move from the position of a passive recipient to the position of an active participant in the realization of God s purpose. Edwards s emphasis was a tremendous advance over anything that had come from the pen of previous scholars and theologians in relating to missions. Optimism, assurance, responsibility, and possibility became great motivating impulses in Edwards s theology of missions. Any historian of missiological theology realizes that with some modifications Edwardian theology of missions remained dominant in Anglo-Saxon missiology. British and American missionaries went forth to build the kingdom of God and bring back the King. Eventually this type of postmillennial theology led to a head-on collision with German missionary theology. In Pietism, as expounded by Spener and Francke, the salvation of the individual and the gathered-out church of truly converted people were dominant concepts. This type of missionary theology was incarnated in the movement of the Herrnhuter Bruedergemeinde, or Moravian Brethren, under the guidance of Count Zinzendorf. Basic to this missiology was the concept that the world was evil, lost, and doomed, and therefore it was the mission of the missionary to proclaim the gospel in all the world and save as many souls as possible out of this world before the Lord would return to judge the world. Thus the saving of the individual and the gathering of the saved persons into Gemeinschaften, or fellowships, and building them into churches after the confession of Lutheranism became the dominant note in continental missions. Gustav Warneck later gave theological content to these pietistic concepts, considerably enlarged

3 the scope of missions, enriched its content, and molded it into a solid and reputable theology. Thus it is clear that missiology had broken through in theology. Spiritual Restoration As valuable as the contribution of theology was, theology alone does not move the church to missions. Theology can be trifling and stifling, it can be chilling and killing. However, it can also be thrilling, enlivening, and compelling. Biblical theology, infused with the fire of the Holy Spirit, is the greatest dynamic that can be released in this world. it overcomes all obstacles and sufferings; it inspires the deepest devotion, dedication, and commitment; it generates the greatest compassion and constraint; it sustains the most lasting motivation. It has sent men and women to the farthest corners of the earth and to the most savagelike people, into the most trying circumstances and the most painful experiences, and into martyrdom and death. It simply knows no limit in its outpourings for the benefit of others in sharing with them the greatness of God s salvation in Christ. This fire of the Holy Spirit did come on the germinating missionary theology in waves of Great Awakenings, which God graciously sent to Protestantism. Spiritual restoration within formal but lifeless Christendom came in three forms: German Pietism in Europe, evangelicalism in Great Britain, and the Great Awakenings in America. Although these movements differed considerably, essentially they were one great movement of the Holy Spirit. They all helped to quicken the life of the church; to deepen the spiritual experience of the professing church memberships; to convert the church from traditional rationalism, orthodox scholasticism, and introversion to evangelicalism, evangelism, and extroversion; and to motivate God s people in the evangelization of the multitudes who knew experientially nothing of Christ. At the same time they ignited the fire which eventually sent its rays and beams around the world, lighting the fire of God in every country of the globe. As a result the church of Jesus Christ today is present in the whole of the inhabited world. Continental beginnings. Early in the course of the evangelical restoration, the concern of the conversion of the heathen became a lively issue. World missions became a subject of serious discussions, prayer, and concern. Its firstfruits manifested themselves in Denmark in 1705 when King Frederick IV, under the guidance of Chaplain Luetkens, sent forth two German Pietists, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and Neinrich Pluetschau, to India with royal endowments. This mission continued for many years as the pioneer mission to India s millions and is now incorporated in the Lutheran Church of India. A breakthrough of greater historic significance came in Herrnbut among the Moravian Brethren because of a revival which began on February 10, 1728 and continued for many years. Four years later, in 1732, the first Moravian missionaries were sent out, with literally scores following in the next years. Soon the voices of Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were heard, and the words of John Wesley began to echo through the church: The world is my parish. It was evident to the spiritually discerning that God was moving in on His church in an extraordinary manner. The breakthrough in Great Britain. Inspired by unique circumstances Edwards published in 1747 a missionary treatise entitled An Humble Attempt to Promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union among God s People, in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion, and the Advancement of Christ s Kingdom on Earth. This book, to quote Charles L. Chaney, had a fantastic influence in stimulating missionary interest, organization and support in the early National Period and throughout the nineteenth century. This book came into the hands of Andrew Fuller, a prominent Baptist minister of Northampton, England, who already had been seriously stirred by reports of the Great Awakening in America

4 and who was deeply involved in the evangelical movement in Great Britain. By Edwards s challenge to prayer Fuller became gravely concerned for world evangelization. As a result he conducted concerts of prayer. This was in It was these prayer meetings as much as any other influence which prepared the small group of Baptist ministers (thirteen in all) to form the Baptist Missionary Society. William Carey, the father of modern missions, was himself a fruit of the evangelical movement in Great Britain. Captain Cook s reports about the plight of the people of the islands of the South Pacific stirred his heart to action. Though his suggestion to discuss world missions by the Baptist Association was coldly brushed aside as being the idea of an idle enthusiast, his publication of a tract could not be disregarded. Its title is significant: An Inquiry into the Obligation of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of Heathen, in Which the Religious State of the Different Nations of the World, the Success of Former Undertakings and the Practicability of Further Undertakings Are Considered. The same year Carey preached his world-famous missionary message at Nottingham before the Baptist Association. It was on May 30, 1792 when he read his text from Isaiah 54:2 3 and preached on the subject, Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God. The impact was profound. As a result, ministers in a meeting at Kettering on October 2, 1792 agreed to form a Baptist missionary society known as The Particular Baptist Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen. William Carey became its first missionary, leaving England on June 13, 1793 and arriving in Calcutta, India on November 10 of that same year. The triumph for the cause of God was incalculable. The dam was broken and the waters gushed forth. It was timed by the Lord. The Second Great Awakening was just around the corner to reinforce and dynamize the infant movement as well as to provide prayer partners, financial support, and the recruits needed to launch the world movement. It is impossible to imagine the launching of the Protestant world missionary movement without the Great Awakenings. This truth is fully established by the historical fact that all the early organizers and leaders of the missionary societies were men deeply touched by and involved in the Great Awakenings and/or were its subsequent converts. Somehow the missionary movement has remained dependent for its scope, intensity, and effectiveness on awakenings within the church. Reinforcements through awakenings. The modern missionary movement may be compared to the rhythmic movements of the waves of the ocean with new pulsations heightening the waves intermittently. This was so not merely in the birth of modern missions and its tremendous reinforcement by the revival wave in , but particularly so by the revivals of 1858 and The First Great Awakening in the eighteenth century gave rise to the great historic missionary societies which soon spanned the globe. The Second Great Awakening roused an even larger circle of Christians into activities. It brought about the British and Foreign Bible Society. The missionaries arising out of the awakenings were noted for their heroism and endurance amidst fiercest opposition, indescribable hardships and sufferings, abominable misjudgments by fellowman and often churchmen, and cruel mistreatments by trade companies. And yet the missionaries joyous sacrifices, persistence, and martyrdom equalled in every way the devotion and commitment of the Christians of the early centuries. The Third Great Awakening was of peculiar importance. From it came men and movements of unique character and world significance. Such men were William Booth and the resultant Salvation Army, James Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission with the largest mission staff in the past century, and Andrew Murray and the South Africa General Mission. Also the roots of the Regions Beyond Mission reach back into this Awakening. And it was there that Dwight L. Moody and the Moody Bible Institute, C. T. Studd, and John R. Mott and the great Student Volunteer Movement had their springs. From the Third Awakening came also the world famous Keswick Convention of Great Britain with its worldwide impact in revival and missions.

5 The Great Awakening of Wales, or the Welsh Revival, at the beginning of this century (1904) was unique in many ways. It is evident that it transformed multitudes of people. The profoundest effect of the Welsh Revival, however, was experienced in a number of mission fields. Missionaries coming under the impact of the revival carried the fire into distant lands. Thus the great movements in Madagascar and South Africa, Assam and the Ramabai revival in India, Korea and the Goforth revivals of China, and subsequent great movements in this land in the first and second decades of this century all these are traceable directly to the Welsh Revival. Its echoes were graciously transmitted to distant shores, and in Korea and Assam they are still reverberating. From this spiritual restoration certain truths are evident: First, missionary motivation becomes most dynamic when it is derived from studies of the nature of God and the purpose of God in history as unveiled in the Scriptures. This became the strength of Jonathan Edwards s approach. He discovered the scriptural truth that the unchanging purpose of God demanded missions. The church must be a missionary church. Later Robert E. Speer went one step further and anchored world missions in the very nature of God. Many theologians have followed him. In theology the sources of missionary motivation are either opened or clogged. Second, in order to be lasting and dynamic, theology and revival must be interrelated and must be channelled into evangelism and world missions. It is a sobering fact of history that theology can grow stale and static. It needs the companionship of revival. On the other hand no revival has been able to sustain its glow unless it was built on a sound biblical basis and had built into it an energetic go of evangelism. Therefore, biblical and theological studies must not be separated from revivalism and missions in the training of Christian leaders, and revival and evangelistic fervor are necessary in order to keep evangelicalism from growing stale and becoming a sort of lifeless modern-day scholasticism. The Advances Of Missions Because of these missionary endeavors the church of Jesus Christ around the world is a reality. All major countries have had the witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Its sounds have gone out into all lands. People have turned to Christ and churches adorn almost every major city of the world and countless villages. Millions have heard and responded to the call of the gospel of God. Total islands have turned toward Christianity and the Lord is being acknowledged widely. Today the gospel is heard more widely than ever before. Christian radio studios are producing and releasing scores upon scores of gospel programs. Literally the air is filled with the story of Jesus Christ as the gospel is being broadcast in song and spoken word. The entire Bible, or the New Testament, or portions of the Scriptures are available today in more than 1,600 languages and in the tongues of about ninety-seven percent of the world s population. The ninety percent of the people speaking the world s fifty major languages have the entire Bible. This is an achievement of enormous proportions. The total Protestant missionary force operating overseas is impressive. In 1975 approximately 55,000 Protestant men and women were serving in various parts of the world other than their home countries. More than 35,000 of these were from the United States and Canada. More and more the churches of the third world are shouldering responsibilities for the evangelization of their own countries, or at least people in their own communities. Also numerous missionary societies overseas are beginning impressive ministries outside of their own countries. Thus there are positive and encouraging signs in missions. Cooperative efforts were urged early in the history of missions. Today American missions are sailing mainly under four flags: AAFM (the American Association of Foreign Missions), DOM (the Division of Overseas Ministries of the National Council of Churches), EFMA (the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association), IFMA (the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association), and countless other independent missions.

6 It is most encouraging that substantial forces for evangelism are beginning to operate in the third world and that the telling of the good news to every person may yet become a reality in the remaining decades of this century. The fact remains, however, that if America is to continue to play a vital role in world evangelization the fire in a great awakening will need to ignite evangelical theology once more. The Prospects Of Missions In the words of Adoniram Judson, the future is as bright as the promises of God. And Paul wrote, A wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries (1 Cor 16:9, NASB). It is easy to emphasize one side or the other the open doors or the adversaries. Unquestionably Satan is actively opposing world missions. Christian missions is not a call to case and comfort. Adversities arise and the going is rough. Missions is a call to engage in warfare, to invade the realm the Evil One claims, to storm the forts of the enemy, and to set the captives free. It is not impossible that Satan will operate more by infiltration and dissipation, by creating suspicion and disunity among the evangelicals than by direct confrontation. His strategy cannot be foretold. One thing is certain: he will not be sleeping while evangelization goes forward. On the other hand there are unprecedented harvests for the Lord in many countries of the world. Nothing in the New Testament precludes believing that great movements can take place and multitudes can turn to the Lord in the next several decades, if the Lord tarries with His coming. It would not surprise this writer if in the last two decades of this century at least as many people would claim the name of Christ as have come to know Him in the last two centuries. Certainly a widespread revival seems to be coming to parts of Western Europe. Movements are evident which one dared not expect a few years ago. It may yet be that the dead bones of Protestantism as well as many Catholics will be revived by the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit and will live again. Europe could once more become a strong evangelical leader in the world. In sub-saharan Africa the masses have been loosened from their traditional moorings and are drifting toward a form of Christianity. Churches and missions simply cannot cope effectively with the situation. Therefore, syncretism and nativism are becoming the greatest danger. A new evangelical strategy is needed if Christianity in a pure form is to dominate. Some Latin American countries present a similar challenge and churches are multiplying rapidly. In Asia the situation is more spotty. But there, too, a great and effectual door is awaiting evangelical entrance. Radio and literature, the uncertainty of the times, pressing circumstances, and the gracious cosmic operations of the Holy Spirit are setting before the church unprecedented harvest fields. But the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest (Matt 9:38, AV). only a depth-revival in the biblical training centers in all the world can change the situation and halt the dangers which are at the steps of the church. Vol. 136: Bibliotheca Sacra Volume ( ) (91 108). Dallas, TX: Dallas Theological Seminary.