Changing Profiles in Missions

John 4:27-42:

27: Astonished disciples28-30: A loser calls the lost31-34: Misunderstood food35-38: Two proverbs turned upside down39-42: Sower and reaper rejoice

together

It’s the Harvest, Stupid!

Profile of the Average Christian

From “progressive” European mainline male

. . . to very conservative Pentecostal Majority World

female

Soon the phrase “a White Christian” may sound like a curious oxymoron, as mildly surprising as “a Swedish Buddhist.” Such people can exist, but a slight eccentricity is implied.

Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom, p. 3.

. . . to more conservative North American evangelical

Over the past century, growth exploded in the world outside of the West.

Majority World Christians as a percentage of all Christians

(1900 to 2020)

Majority World Christians

The Christian church

grows serially

Shape of the

Christian world

By 2025, it is predicted that the Church will be largely in Majority World settings.

It is even more dramatic if you consider only evangelical Christians, most of whom are from the

Majority World.

The Geographic Center of Christianity

Rome

Vienna

Madrid

Athens

Niamy

Damascus

El Aaiun

Jerusalem

Budapest

30

700800

600500

900

400300

200 100

1970

2100

2050

2025

2000

19001800

17001600

1500

1400 13001200

1100

1000

Map by Global Mapping International - www.gmi.org/mymapData from World Christian Trends, WCL 2001

The Center Has Shifted Quiz

Which country has the most students involved in campus Christian groups?

Nigeria

From Adrian Stott, “From the West to the Rest”

The Center Has Shifted Quiz

Which country provides the most members of Operation Mobilization?

India

From Adrian Stott, “From the West to the Rest”

The Center Has Shifted Quiz

Which country sends out the most missionaries per Christian?

Singapore

From Adrian Stott, “From the West to the Rest”

Characteristics of the Non-Western Church

PovertyOral liturgy, narrative preachingUninhibited emotionalismMaximum participation in prayer and worship Faith healing, dreams and visionsIntense search for community (move to the city)

Escobar: The New Global Mission, 15

Who is the “Average Christian”?

A poor, conservative, charismatic/Pentecostal woman

living in the slums of a major city in the Majority World.

Profile of Missions, INC Agencies

From powerful denominational agencies

. . . to newer activist agencies founded on the vision of those who served in WWII

. . . to megachurches, Majority World agencies,

and entrepreneurs

Anecdotal evidence of the personal experience of `Xers' shows that we do not find it easy to fit into the culture and structures of much of the contemporary Western church, especially in its organizational forms, such as mission agencies.

Richard Tiplady,2002 Postmission, p. xi.

How does the Western tradition of missions relate to the emerging Third World tradition of missions?

Ted Ward. "Christian Missions-Survival in What Forms?" IBMR 6:1 (1982): 3.

The new look of mission agencies . . .

Protestant Missionary Profiles

From full-time long-term professional U.S. missionaries

. . . to mix of full-time and part-time U.S. amateur missionaries

. . . to blended missionary force of mixed longevity

"Missions," it seems, has become any Christian volunteering to be sent anywhere in the world at any expense to do anything for any time period."

Ralph Winter, 1996. "The Most Important Problem in Missions: Re-amateurization?" Mission Frontiers 18:4

Full-Time U.S. Missionaries (> 1 year)

The number of full-time U.S. missionaries grew from 37,749 in 1992 to 41,329 in 2005 (up 9.5%)

Warning: 2001 to 2005 saw a drop of 3.4%

37

,74

9

39

,63

6

39

,88

7

42

,78

7

41

,32

9

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

45,000

1992 1996 1998 2001 2005

37,749 39,636 39,887 42,787 41,329

16,43622,249

24,70425,424

39,446

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

1992 1996 1998 2001 2005

Full-time missionaries overseas Non-residential missionaries Staff and associates Tent-makers

U.S. Citizens Working for U.S. Agencies

U.S. citizens working for U.S. agencies in all capacities grew from 55,931 in 1992 to 86,461 in 2005 (up 55%).

U.S. Agency Total Missionary Force

The total full-time missionary force grew from 72,020 in 1996 to 133,277 in 2005 (up 85%)

45,232 46,640 47,015

74,329

64,872

86,262

41,694

30,326

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

1996 1998 2001 2005

U.S. Citizens (> 1 year) Non U.S. Citizens

56.7%

40.2% 39.7%32.4%

43.3%

59.8% 60.3%67.6%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

1996 1998 2001 2005

U.S. Citizens Non-U.S. Citizens

U.S. Citizens 39,636 56.7% 39,887 40.2% 42,787 39.7% 41,329 32.4%Non-U.S. Citizens 30,326 43.3% 59,393 59.8% 64,872 60.3% 86,262 67.6%

Shares of U.S. FT Residential and Non-U.S. Citizens Working for U.S. Agencies, 1996 to 20051996 1998 2001 2005

Non-U.S. Citizens: Proportionate Growth

Non-U.S. Personnel in U.S. Agencies

The number of non-U.S. citizens working for U.S. agencies grew from 30,326 in 1996 to 86,262 in 2005 (up 184%).

Note: 93.3% are deployed in their home countries.

28,535

56,214 59,843

80,834

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

100,000

1996 1998 2001 2005

Serving in their home country Serving in a different country

Implications for Missions

The profile of today’s “Average Christian”To what extent do our missions composition reflect the global average Christian?

The profile of today’s mission agencyWilliam Carey’s “means” are being supplemented by other models of missionHow are partnering—or choosing not to partner—with these newer models of agencies?

The profile of today’s Protestant Missionary How are we responding to the amateurization of missions?How are we responding to the flexibility (and fuzziness) in what a “missionary” in an agency is?