Modern Mission's

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Thesis Statement1

Discussion2

To the ends of the earth (1600-2000)2

Christian Missionary Movement3

Three eras3

First era (1792-1910)3

Second era (1865-1980)5

Third era6

Baptists8

Methodism9

Conclusion10

Bibliography11

Modern Mission

Introduction

Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups, to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization, but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged. Missionaries have the authority to preach the Christian faith, and provide humanitarian work to improve economic development, literacy, education, health care, and orphanages. Christian doctrines permit the provision of aid without requiring religious conversion.

A Christian mission has been widely defined, since the Lausanne Congress of 1974, as that which is designed "to form a viable indigenous church-planting movement." This definition is motivated by a theologically imperative theme of the Bible to make God known, as outlined in the Great Commission. The definition is claimed to summarize the acts of Jesus' ministry, which is taken as a model motivation for all ministries.

The Christian missionary movement seeks to implement churches after the pattern of the first century Apostles. The process of forming disciples is necessarily social. "Church" should be understood in the widest sense, as an organization of believers rather than simply a building. Many churches start by meeting in houses.

Thesis Statement

Christian missionaries saw their work in the 20th century as political, their presence often promoted expansion of Europe in different parts of the world.

Discussion

To the ends of the earth (1600-2000)

In the era after the Reformation and the subsequent beginning of the Renaissance the missionary movement also experienced a revival. (The Renaissance brought about new scientific, artistic as well as philosophical ideas and discoveries that resulted in an unequalled period of growth and development in the West - see article: "The Renaissance (Revival)"). The explorations undertaken by colonial powers such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Britain, also led to the introduction of Christianity in the conquered countries as well.

In 1622 the Holy Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith was founded in Rome. This body still co-ordinates the Roman Catholic Church's missionary activities.

Protestant missionary organisations were only established some time later. One of the first was the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in 1861 in England. Another was the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel that was founded in 1701 and undertook missionary work in the British colonies.

The end of the eighteenth century heralded the start of the so-called first era in the modern history of Christian missions when the Church at last awoke from its slumber and tackled the "Great Commission" with renewed energy and zeal.

By 1945, when the European nations were effectively ruling approximately 99% of the non-Western countries, the Gospel was already well established in most countries and among all the nations of the world. However, after two millenniums the Christian Church's command to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth is not nearly done. According to statistics released in 2000, there are at least 3 400 tribes who have not been reached (where less than ...