Max Warren, 1904-1977, served long as the General Secretary of the Church Missionary Society. He wrote considerably on inter-religious dialogue, and mission theology, among others. He believed in the three-fold task of the missionary. I assume he drew it from the three-fold task of Jesus in Matthew 4:23 "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their …
Continue reading The Cross and the Three-Fold Task of the Missionary
Most real-world "Yes/No" questions have three good answers (in my view): Yes, but... No, but... I don't know, but here are some of my thoughts... For the question above, the correct answer is "No, but..." and that answers fills out into 'No, but it is a helpful tool." Here are a few points in this. …
Continue reading Does Video Communication and the Internet Make International Missions Unnecessary?
One presumption for missionaries, I can attest to anecdotally at least, is that they love to get out there and interact with people. I recall when my wife and I were looking to be missionaries under a specific mission board--- they said that they were looking for candidates who were passionately and enthusiastically evangelistic. I …
Continue reading The Introverted Socially Awkward Missionary, Part 2
I have long struggled with defining (Christian) Missions and (Christian) Missionary. I don't really have a problem with modern formulations of "Mission." I find the Missio Dei understanding of Mission in terms of God's overall plan of ministry in the world is pretty good (there are of course different specific flavors of the definition). However, …
This is essentially four sermons given a few years ago that have been jammed together into a single document. It still retains some of the aspects of a sermon, including the doubtful practice of alliteration.
I wrote an article based on a series of four sermons I did back in 2012 that became four posts on this blog. If that was not enough, I am considering utilizing the article to develop a chapter of a book that looks at Acts 1:8, particularly structured on the four locations mentioned (Jerusalem, Judea, …
I love teaching Missions. As a missions professor, I don't have to be an expert in Biblical Studies. I don't have to be an expert in Theology. That's a shame since Missions should have strong Biblical and Theological underpinnings. Still, it is a bit freeing that expectations of others is low in these areas. Additionally, …
Do You See Yonder Wicket-Gate The Pilgrim's Progress Macgregor PubJack 1907 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) This last section looks at Missions from the standpoint of Missions practice. As such, it is not, strictly speaking, drawn from the theme "Walking With." Rather it is dialogue between practice and principle. I believe that the basic principles flow …
Continue reading On the Theme “Walking With” : A Missions Theology. Part 6
Mistake #3. The Challenges of Dependency, Paternalism, and Stewardship One of the first things I learned in missions is the danger of paternalism. A missionary should not amass control others but empower others. Therefore, one should not pass on resources with a lot of strings attached. I also learned that giving can create dependency... so …
I am scheduled to teach a two-week course at Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary (www.pbts.net.ph) this April as part of its Summer Institute. Basically, it is an 8-week course shoved into two weeks. I am not sure that "Pastoral Care and the Missionary" is the name the course will finally settle on, but I like it. …