Connecting and Reflecting

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Greg Trull

By Dr. Greg Trull, Dean of Ministries, Professor of Biblical Studies

This is a special issue of DEDICATED. We celebrate 35 years of teaching ministry by Dr. Bob Wright. Bob created the missions program at Corban that has sent hundreds to make a difference in the world for Christ. He also has mentored many of Corban’s current faculty.

I know my life and ministry have been deeply impacted by Bob. For my 21 years here, I have had the joy of working across the hall from a legend who is also my friend. This issue conveys our love for Bob and his love for world ministry. We’re reflecting back through a timeless article he wrote in his first year at Western, and through a moving tribute by his son, Jon. We’re also looking at connecting to the needy world around us.

The photos above show Bob in his adventurous days in the Amazon (Jon’s article describes them in detail), and more recently in the classroom here at Corban. Even though he is wearing two ammunition belts, he is not to be confused with the Shooting Salvationist mentioned below!

Karen Pease, one of Bob’s former students, considers missionaries and theological training. Her experience teaching in China made her realize that connecting requires not only an understanding of the culture, but also an intimate grasp of the Gospel and Scripture.

Lee Ann Zanon, our wonderful editor, reviews What is the Mission of the Church? The book addresses the missional trend in ministry today, including issues such as church involvement in social justice issues. You will enjoy the rich biblical assessment and encouragement of authors Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert.

Dr. Kent Kersey reviews The Shooting Salvationist, the fascinating story of the infamous murder trial of J. Frank Morris, leader of the fundamentalist movement of the 1920′s. This work, written by a pastor, explores the historical and cultural surroundings of one of the most polarizing figures in the early fundamentalist movement.

I hope you enjoy the solid encouragement in this issue and join us in celebrating decades of faithful ministry by Bob Wright. Words cannot capture and only eternity will tell how many lives he has impacted!

Copyright © 2012 Corban University School of Ministry. Originally published in Corban’s e-journal, Dedicated. As long as you include this copyright credit line (and hyperlinks), you may reprint this article in its entirety.

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A Life of Inspiration and Impact—Now and For Eternity

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jonathan Wright

By Jonathan Wright, missionary with World in Need–serving in Austria and the Middle East; son of Dr. Robert and Rita Wright

I do not remember our first meeting, but that encounter with Dr. Robert Wright was the most significant date of my life. He and my mother have impacted my life more than anyone else I have ever met, not simply because they are my parents, but because of who they are, what they believe, and how they have invested their lives in me, my brothers, the kingdom of God, and everyone they have encountered.

My father would introduce me to multiple cultures and subcultures in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Asia, and Europe. These experiences would forever shape who I am—how I live my life and how I am able to impact people from all over the globe. And, I cannot speak of my dad without including my mom, Rita. She has walked each step of the journey with him, in ministry and life.

When you meet a hero, you rarely realize it until later in life. As I look back, I see that I have been tremendously privileged – beyond words. I look forward to how God will continue to teach me through my parents in the future.

How It All Began

Robert Wright was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. When he was ten years old, the family moved to another part of the state, Hyannis, on Cape Cod.  While living there, Robert came to faith in Jesus Christ during his senior year in high school. That commitment grew deeply, and led him to attend Providence-Barrington Bible College (merged with Gordon College), where he met Rita. Their commitment to serve Christ as missionaries was firmly established during the years of study at Barrington. They married in 1955. Shortly after graduation, they left for Brazil to serve among the indigenous population.

Robert and Rita, along with me—their nine month old son, boarded a ship in New York City harbor in the spring of 1957, and eventually docked in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The journey continued across Brazil and they began ministry with the South America Indian Mission in the interior state of Mato Grosso. Their initial ministry was in the city of Aquidauana, where they learned Portuguese and ministered among the Terena Indians and their churches.

Life for the next ten years would rotate between responsibilities outside of Cuiaba and Aquidauana.  Those years were full of great learning and fruitful ministry as they served among the Bacari, Terena and Chavante tribal peoples, and Robert taught at the Aquidauana Bible Institute at Chacara Agua Zul.

During that time, the work specific to the Bacari people did not seem to produce a lot of visible results, but Robert and Rita persevered. Life was very remote, with transportation by horseback and ox carts. Mail service was once a month, from a Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) pilot. Robert’s anthropological and ethnographic skills were honed on the front line working with many differing people groups. The following accounts reveal his sensitivity and evaluation of indigenization and adaptation to the cultures. For example:

  • He observed the people did not take responsibility for the local church building. It had been built by the mission before his arrival.  The mission built the building with the hope that people would then attend the services in the building, hear about Jesus and put their faith in Him. This did not readily occur nor did the indigenous people they feel a need to maintain the building. In discussions with the Indians he learned they would not maintain the building because they said the missionaries built it so they could take care of it. It was their building. He wrote to the mission, asking for permission to tear the building down and have a ministry based in the people’s homes. The mission did not respond readily thus he took this to be a yes and tore the building down. Eventually a letter came denying permission to tear the building down but it was too late!
  • He also noted that all songs used in the services were imported. In discussions with the Indians, he learned that they did not write their own songs because he played the accordion. Since they did not play that instrument, they didn’t think they could have their own songs. One night on his way home, Dad “accidently” dropped his accordion in the river. Now the people would write their own songs.
  • The custom had been for the missionaries to live outside the tribal village on their own mission stations. Dad saw this separation as a hindrance to advancing the Gospel. He believed missionaries should live among the people, so he secured permission from the Brazilian government to build a home in the village.
  • These sensitivities led to greater fruitfulness.

Risk and Adventure

Robert and Rita did not shy away from adventure and risk in their missions work. For example, the Chavante Indians had been known as the “head crushers of Brazil.” Anyone who ventured into their territory would often be killed. One year, some of the Chavante came out of the jungle because they were dying of small pox. Mom and Dad, along with another missionary family, had great opportunity and influence in seeing many of these people come to Christ.

As part of their culture, the tribe had formerly practiced an interesting custom of gathering every night before going to sleep and dancing to appease the evil spirits. After they came to Christ, they asked if they could still dance, but now dance to Christ, ending the night in prayer. The missionaries thought that was a great idea, and it continues to this day.

Robert and Rita had a great burden for the unreached tribal groups which still existed in Brazil at the time. This passion would lead them to risk their lives in order to make contact with and “pacify” these groups so they could be reached with the Gospel. Robert made one such trip lasting 6 weeks to contact the Xicao people. The venture did not lead to an opening but many important lessons were learned and commitment to the work deepened.

During these years, there were reports of a tribal group attacking and killing people as they travelled on the roads or settled in a particular region of Mato Grosso. Robert and Rita, along with another missionary family, prayed about the situation and felt God had led the husbands to venture into the forest with some local Indians and try to make contact with this tribe so they could eventually hear the Gospel and come to Christ.  They were gone for 4 weeks searching for them deep in the forest. Eventually contact was made with what were the Galleira Indians.  In time a missionary family was sent to work among the people.

In 1967, Robert and Rita joined the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) and moved to northern Brazil. Their ministry began near the borders of Brazil, Colombia and Peru, in the village of Santa Rita, Amazonas, focusing on the Ticuna Indians. It did not take long for previous lessons learned in Brazil to be applied in this new region. For example:

  • They always worked to learn the language of the tribal people.
  • They observed that the Indians were basically indentured servants to the land owners. The land owners gave permission for the Indians to farm on their land, but the products were sold to the landowners, and the Indians then had to buy supplies from the land owners’ stores. Robert felt compelled to help purchase land on which the Indians could establish their own village. Thus began the village of Campo Alegre.
  • Robert and Rita felt it was important to live among the Ticunas, and they built a home in Campo Alegre.
  • During the years in this region they also did medical work, often treating dozens of individuals each afternoon. People would come with all kinds of illnesses, snake bites, or injuries. Robert and Rita would do their best to care for them.
  • During the years at Campo Alegre, Robert focused on training Ticuna church leaders so that by the time the Wrights left in 1977, the work was completely cared for by the Ticunas themselves!  Today the Ticunas have their own mission society reaching tribal people in Brazil.

While living in this region, Robert heard about the Mayoruna Indians. Their lands were being infringed upon by outsiders looking for resources, resulting in increased conflict and death. He and another missionary ventured into the jungle to locate the individuals involved and attempt to make peaceful contact. The tribe was located, but no peaceful contact was able to be established during his time in Brazil.

A New Chapter Begins

In 1977, the Wrights were invited to serve as Missionary in Residence at Western Baptist College, now known as Corban University. Robert and Rita accepted the one year assignment, which has lasted thirty five years! Soon after they arrived, Rita became college registrar, and served in this capacity for over thirty three years. 

During this phase of ministry, through his teaching and godly life, my dad imparted wisdom, skills, insights, and a passion for global missions to hundreds of students, many of whom have served and are still serving around the world. During the years at Corban, he maintained his high involvement in overseas missions by making many trips to China and Romania to teach and encourage local church members and leaders.  In Romania, he was deeply involved during the closing years of the Communist era—encouraging the churches, training students, and instilling his fervor for missions. Once Communism fell, he frequently taught at the Bible school in Selimbar.

During his years at Corban, Robert also pursued further education, earning a master’s degree and eventually completing his PhD at age sixty five! In the more than forty years he has lived in America, he has continually been used by God to help churches here better understand global missions, and deepen their involvements.

A Son’s Tribute

To me, Dr. Robert Wright is my dad and father.  Together, my parents have impacted me more than anyone else (except my wife).  They have deeply affected the course of my life for the good and for this, I thank them.

I have learned many vital lessons from my dad about what truly matters. These include:

  • Godliness. I noticed this in my dad, even as a young child. I always remember seeing him having his devotions and prayer time as I grew up.
    • Character. Who you are is more important than what you accomplish.
    • Ministry. Reaching people with the life changing message of the Gospel and helping them live for Jesus has eternal consequences.
      • The Bible and doctrine. What you believe will affect how you life.
      • People. Do what you can to help those you can. Every cultural group is worthy of respect and you need to listen to and serve with and under the nationals.
      • Family. Spend time with those closest to you because they are important. His love and care for my mother were evident. Even though ministry is a busy life, he found time to spend time with us four boys. He would take us on fishing trips on the Amazon and in the lakes in the jungle; he and mom would visit us at boarding school; he would take us boys water skiing on the Amazon when we were home and on furloughs we would take time to show us some of America. When I was in the tenth grade we were on furlough and that year I worked part time at a marina. While there I saw this hydroplane boat which I really wanted. I always remember that my dad was willing to take it to Brazil for me. I can still see it strapped to the top of our old station wagon as we drove from New Jersey to Florida and he shipped it to Brazil.  I am sure that was a real effort of sacrifice!
      • Hard work. He showed us that working hard is important, and he modeled that to us.

In addition, Dad greatly influenced and taught me much of what I know regarding missions. From him, I learned about anthropology, ethnography, cross-cultural ministry, theology, and being true to the Bible. He also shaped my understanding of how to apply biblical truths—in an uncompromising and sensitive manner—to the various cultural challenges.

What I learned from my dad helped equip me for my life’s work—serving as a missionary pastor in an international church with people from over thirty five countries, teaching the Bible at the United Nations Center to people from many differing spiritual backgrounds and countries, ministering in Romania during and after the fall of Communism, and working with Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.

As I grew up, Dad let me travel with him. I gained many valuable insights by observing how he did his work. In 1981, we traveled in China together and got acquainted with the church. In 1984, he encouraged me to go to Romania. We served there together for many years.

Summary

In summary, my dad has taught me to be: 1) A lifelong student of people, God, academics and life. 2) Independent, always following God’s call, even if it is hard. 3) An entrepreneur, finding a way to advance the Gospel even if it means operating “outside the box.” 4) A risk taker, understanding that giving one’s life for the advance of the Gospel is worthwhile, not letting fear of failure hold me back.

I am confident that many of you reading this article could echo these and other truths Dr. Robert Wright has taught you. The song, “Find Us Faithful,” portrays the legacy he and my mother have left to me, my brothers and our families, and to all of us who have been impacted by their lives. May we be faithful to follow their example.

We’re pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road
And those who’ve gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God’s sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who’ve gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we’ve left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Chorus:
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe, and the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful[1]

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Missionary Strategy and the American Church

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Robert Wright

By Dr. Robert Wright, Ph.D., Professor of Intercultural Studies/Missions

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in the Western Commentator in 1978, while Dr. Wright was missionary in resident at Western Baptist College (now Corban University). We present it in this issue of DEDICATED in honor of his upcoming retirement. Its principles still hold true, and offer valuable insights for contemporary ministry.

Can the American church learn anything from foreign missionaries? Or has missionary strategy developed from observing the American church? Both may be true. For several years now, however, missionary strategists (and that is what all missionaries should be) have been learning and applying various principles and methods from which the American church can learn.

One of the most spectacular, which has spread across the world, began in 1966. Ralph Winter, a missionary to Guatemala, began a pilot project which is well known today as Theological Education by Extension (TEE). The practicality and value of such a program is evidenced by the many extension programs now being offered by seminaries in America, especially for continuing education of missionaries and pastors. The American church is learning from foreign missions!

Another important area of study, in which hundreds of missionaries are involved, is church growth. What causes churches to grow or not to grow? All fundamental missionaries assume God’s sovereignty and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. No attempt is made to supplant what only God can do! However, as we understand people and circumstances, we are able to more effectively communicate the Word. As missionary strategy becomes more refined, there is a greater understanding of the dynamics which aid in church planting and church growth.

When we were assigned to the ministry amongst the Ticuna Indians in Brazil in 1968, our task was to plant churches. Thus a church planting strategy had to be developed. The planting of the church in 1970 and its subsequent growth—from eleven members to 480 six years later—presented an awesome responsibility. Since the work had begun before our appearance on the scene, we had some questions which only statistical research could answer.

Was the church truly growing by conversions, or only by the many who had previously made decisions for Christ? Also what were the factors which caused the growth? A research project was begun and much was learned. The study revealed that more than 35 percent of current members had been led to Christ since the church was organized. This meant a decadal growth rate of 90 percent by conversion! We discovered many principles which could be reproduced in other areas of the tribe, and also in our own United States.

Universal Principles

Principles which contribute to the growth of churches are universal. They are applicable in any nation and among any people. Methods may have to change, but the principles remain the same. We will attempt to discover together some of these principles as illustrated by the Apostles in the Book of Acts. Missionaries world-wide are discovering, discussing and applying many of these to produce growing New Testament churches.

The first local church was planted in Jerusalem with a nucleus of 120 disciples. The apostles were obviously a part of this church and had a significant part in its planting and development. The multiplication of satellite churches was immediate, with the addition of 3,000 souls (Acts 2:41). The various groups met in numerous house churches, beginning a movement which spread throughout the Roman world.

From Jerusalem, the planting of churches spread throughout Judea, then to Samaria and most significant of all, Antioch. The persecution of the Hellenist Christians resulted in the spread the Gospel and the believers “who had been scattered went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4). This “gossiping” of the Gospel by laymen spread to Antioch and, no doubt, further. Their witness planted a church in Antioch (11:19-26) with which the Jerusalem church, as well as the Apostles, began to have an active part (11:22).

The willingness on the part of the Jerusalem church to sacrifice some of its good leadership, such as Barnabas, to aid the developing church and to minister to a receptive audience, is significant (11:22-26). The importance of this principle in church planting today cannot be over-emphasized. Such a spirit should characterize churches in the United States by the encouragement of gifted individuals to consider foreign missionary service. Also pastors must be willing to sacrifice competent leadership to begin other churches in this country.

The transfer of missionary outreach from Jerusalem to Antioch is obvious from the historical record (Acts 13). Here, a missionary church becomes a sending church. The local church produced the workers, for Paul and Barnabas were actively involved in service to this church. They were “ministering to the Lord,” and the local church provided opportunity for them to demonstrate their spiritual gifts. As their abilities were recognized, the Holy Spirit spoke to the local church of God’s call to them. They were sent out by the Holy Spirit and “released” (apoluo) by the church for the ministry of church planting throughout Asia. The church continued to expand and extend itself—to go and to grow!

Church Growth

It is interesting and important to note that Luke gives much attention to the quantitative growth of the church in Acts. The fact that he notes specific numbers of church members—120, 3,000, 5,000, multitudes and myriads (Acts 1:15; 2:41; 4:4; 6:1; 9:31; 21:20) is significant. He must have been excited about the expansion of the church as he recorded the conversion of individuals (18:26-39), households (16:15, 34; 18:8), and entire villages (9:35). Many lessons and church growth principles can be learned from these examples in Acts.

People Groups and Families

Church growth often results from web and/or people movements. These are movements to Christ through webs of family or class relationships where many individuals come to Christ in conjunction with and because of relations or friends. In Acts whole households were won and, at least in one recorded instance, (16:32; see also 18:8) the individual was challenged to believe along with his family unit. One can surmise that this did not stop with the conversion of the jailer and his immediate family, but spread throughout the extended family. Multiple families must have believed on the occasion of Peter’s preaching in the home of Cornelius also.

Acts 8:6 gives evidence of multi-individual, mutually interdependent conversions. The people must have discussed not only the Gospel message, but also its implications for themselves and “multitudes with one accord” believed it. The transformation of a community occurred when “all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord” (9:35). Households were natural bridges in the planting of churches. This principle of church growth has been literally applied in many areas of the world. The basis for it, however, can be applied universally—family unit evangelism. Strong, growing churches are composed of whole families. Therefore, our evangelistic goal should be to evangelize whole households.

Responsive in Attitude, Similar in Culture

Church growth in Acts resulted as the apostles concentrated on responsive peoples.

Since the synagogue communities were most receptive, churches grew around them. “The Jews in the synagogue believed; then the proselytes in the synagogue believed. The proselytes were Gentiles who had become Jews. In every synagogue there were devout persons who hadn’t become Jews, but, who, nevertheless, liked Jewish worship . . . When Paul preached Christ many ‘devout Gentiles’ believed and were baptized. That was the Antioch pattern . . . In the synagogues he found those Gentiles who were already inclined to the Gospel.”[1] These “devout Gentiles” were the bridges God used to reach much of the Gentile world.

Certain elements of any society are more receptive to the Gospel than others. A biblical strategy will seek to discover these responsive peoples and concentrate upon them (Acts 13:51).

Growth in the early church was also the result of indigenous churches which were native to the culture. Jewish churches maintained much of their culture, distinct from many of the Gentile churches which were encouraged not to be concerned about becoming Jewish communities (Acts 15). In this manner, Jewish Christians were able to effectively communicate to their own homogeneous group (kind of people). This was also true of each Gentile group. Certainly one could distinguish various cultural features which were particular to the Antioch, Corinthian or Roman churches.

A growing church is often composed of one primary homogeneous group. People tend to prefer to become Christians without crossing barriers of race, language or class. A church for each social or cultural unit will attract others of a similar social unit, enabling it to reach its own kind more effectively.

Widespread Involvement, Evangelistic Focus and Strategy

Church growth continued due to an involved laity. The persecution of the Jerusalem church produced a “scattered” people who “went everywhere preaching the Word.” (Acts 8:4) These persecuted laymen went as far as Antioch, and through their witness a church was planted (11:19-26). Paul encouraged the pattern of lay involvement when he admonished Timothy to “commit the Word to faithful men” so that they would be enabled to teach others also (2 Tim. 2:2). Wherever the church grew, and grows today, the laity has been involved in the recognition and exercise of spiritual gifts.

There are two basic kinds of lay leaders within a church. There are those involved in supportive ministries­­—Sunday school teachers, deacons, trustees, and others. Their primary ministry is towards Christians. The second type of lay leader, who could also be serving in the previous capacity, ministers outside the church building seeking to reach unbelievers. Churches grow in proportion to the number of laymen in the second category.

Church growth was also advanced by the apostles’ concern for lost souls and keeping evangelism as their goal (1 Cor. 9:19-23). This type of evangelism involved not only the proclamation of the message, but also the persuasion of sinners to receive Christ (Acts 18:4, 13; 19:26; 26:28; 28:23.). Those who received the Gospel were then incorporated into local churches as seen from Acts 2:41. Without the emphasis upon proclamation, persuasion and incorporation, neither church planting nor church growth would have resulted.

The apostle Paul wrote that he did not run “aimlessly.” (1 Cor. 9:26) Church growth seldom results without a goal-oriented strategy. The goal of every local church must be growth and multiplication if it is to be biblical!

Conclusion

Is apostolic methodology valid for today? Are its practices reproducible in the world-wide missionary task of our age, including here in America? Principles, yes, but practices are not necessarily a biblical pattern to follow. The methodology may vary from culture to culture, so that a different strategy may have to be developed for the same principle. With that approach in mind, the book of Acts can be used as a handbook of missionary or evangelistic principles from which the strategist must pragmatically develop practices and strategies for planting New Testament churches—churches which are growing, reproducing organisms!

[1] Donald A. McGavran with Win C. Arn, How to Grow a Church (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1973), 31.

 

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How Much Education Do I Need to Be A Missionary?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Karen Pease

By Karen Pease, Director of Admissions, Corban University School of Ministry

As a seminary admissions director working with prospective students, I am often asked, “How much education do I need to be a missionary?” This question usually comes from individuals who have just completed 17 rigorous years of education. They are anxious to get out into the real world and do something meaningful.

I can relate to that feeling. I had the same yen for adventure when I was an Intercultural Studies student at Corban University. I was compelled to reach people for Christ. I had a sense of urgency to preach the gospel and make disciples immediately… before it was too late, before the door of opportunity closed.

Often in our zeal to reach others with the Gospel, we assume that further training will only slow us down from the real work of practical ministry, so we forge ahead and board the plane with our Bibles and our good intentions. Maybe we have never even considered further education, believing that our church background or personal experience has adequately prepared us. We think that if we already know the truth, having responded to the Gospel ourselves, then the only work left to do is preach it to others.

If a missionary’s job description was limited to sharing the facts about how Jesus died to save sinners, most Christians could survive on what they already know. But when we look at the Scripture commonly known as the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18-20, the goal is not just to preach the gospel and baptize converts, but to make disciples and teach them to obey all that Christ commanded. It involves the task of training others to better understand God and his Word, and to live in obedience to His truth.

For example, Corban School of Ministry graduates Caxton and Liz Mburu are returning to their home country of Kenya this year to train pastors and other Christian leaders in a place where Christianity has been referred to as being a mile wide, but an inch deep. They want to provide foundational biblical resources to those who still have many questions about Christianity. There are many reports of syncretistic beliefs, such as attending church on Sunday, but visiting the witch doctor during the week.

A Broader Scope

Ministering in this broader scope for the long term can seem like a daunting task. After all, it is impossible to know the answers to every question we will face in ministry. But new social and cultural contexts demand new biblical answers and new theological constructs. Although the truth never changes, the questions cultures ask of the truth will be different over time. How will we answer the hard questions like, “How should a believer in China live under Communism?” or “If a tribal leader in Africa with four wives is saved, must he give up three wives to serve as an elder in the church?” or “Can a Japanese believer display a picture of his deceased loved one in a culture that practices ancestor worship?”

In order to attend to the whole person and make disciples, not just converts, we must ask a bigger question than “How much education do I need to be a missionary?”- a question that can often be rephrased, “How little education can I get by with in order to get to the mission field now?” If we are to accomplish what Christ commanded, our question needs to be, “How can I most effectively prepare for the life-altering task of training people to become obedient Christ followers?”

The answer is twofold. First, we must be equipped to do an exacting job of interpreting biblical texts and discerning the transcultural, timeless principles to be found there. Second, we must explore the meaning and significance of cultural practices in order to find ways to best express those timeless principles. When we have developed skills in those two areas, we must train local Christians to address the questions their culture is asking, and to multiply themselves by raising up future leaders.

Exploring the Significance of the Culture

Does that mean we cannot go to the mission field until we have doctorates in theology and missiology? Not necessarily. But we should always be asking, “How can I be as fully equipped and prepared as possible?” That question requires a posture of humility and a desire to be a person of excellence, always giving our best in whatever God has given us to do.

I faced this question after graduating from high school. Earnestly believing that God was calling me to the mission field, I knew I needed to be equipped. I also knew that would involve more than the great Bible education I had received in church and more than the cross-cultural skills I had developed growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite my lack of college funding and a physical set back from a near-fatal collision on my first visit to the school, God miraculously provided for me to study at Corban University (then Western Baptist College). There I developed a greater proficiency in the Word of God, and gained a better understanding of how to learn another language, complements of my wisely seasoned missions professor, Dr. Bob Wright.

In addition to language-learning skills, Dr. Wright also taught me that effective cross-cultural communication required more than just knowing another language. It required understanding another person’s culture and worldview in order to avoid misunderstandings. Like the Lebanese woman who, after eight lonely years in America, discovered that we use direct communication instead of the indirect communication that is considered polite in Lebanon. Having declined multiple offers of hospitality and friendship without even realizing it, she said, “When people in the office would ask me if I wanted to go to lunch, I would say ‘no’ to be polite, fully expecting them to ask me again. When they didn’t and left without me, I thought they didn’t really want me along and had asked only out of politeness. In my culture, it would have been too forward to say ‘yes’ the first time.”[1]

I experienced something similar with Asian friends who would never accept my offers of food or drink. After learning that they were merely being polite and would only answer yes when the item was offered the third time, I realized I was not effectively communicating. I began asking a follow up question: “Is that an American ‘no’ or an Asian ‘no’?” It became a humorous way for my friends to retain their cultural courtesy while allowing me to discover if they really wanted something.

For Bible translators, this understanding of direct and indirect communication is even more profound. If a national is culture-bound not to directly point out mistakes, an unsuspecting missionary can wrongly assume that his translation has been verified as accurate, even when it is not correct.

More Social Dynamics

Direct and indirect communication is only one aspect of culture that a skilled missionary needs to understand. He also needs to know about individualism versus group orientation. In Africa, for example, some missionaries who do not comprehend this distinction believe they have led whole congregations to the Lord in a single service because everyone responds to the altar call. What they do not realize is that in a group-oriented culture, everyone will respond in order to keep the missionary from feeling the shame of no one responding.

In addition, missionaries need to recognize whether a culture is relationship- or task-oriented, inclusive or private, formal or informal. Our understanding of these aspects will impact our ability to gracefully maneuver through other cultural conventions related to gender roles, time, organization, and hospitality, just to name a few.

My education at Corban prepared me well for addressing many of these issues in the country where I served. In fact, when I graduated from college, I assumed that any additional skills I needed would be gained through practical experience. In some measure, that was true. Teaching English in Asia gave me daily opportunities to increase my language skills and discover cultural nuances through the power of observation. I learned to slurp my soup to politely show my host how much I enjoyed it, to leave food on my plate in order to show that my host had provided enough for me to eat, to never take the seat of honor next to the person facing the door of the banquet room, and to expect that the right to privacy and personal space was a thing of the past. I even learned how to use idiomatic expressions and was sometimes mistaken for a local when talking with someone on the phone.

Yes, practical experience was a great teacher. But the longer I lived in Asia, and the more people began asking me deeper spiritual questions, the more I realized that further training could help me effectively fulfill my calling to make disciples. I needed more than just the ability to understand their culture, speak their language, and answer their immediate questions about faith. I needed to be able to equip them to study the Bible for themselves, so they would not have to rely on me for proper interpretation of Scripture and relevant application of biblical truth. But the decision to return to the States for more training was laced with apprehension. As far as I knew, I was the only Christian most of my friends knew. Who would they talk to about matters of faith while I was gone? Wouldn’t it be better for me, even with my limited abilities, to just stay put and minister as long as I could?

God answered those questions by reminding me that He was the one who led me to Asia in the first place, and He would certainly carry on His work there with or without me. Thus began the next step of my missionary journey.

Exploring the Meaning and Significance of Scripture

When I first attended Corban School of Ministry (formerly Northwest Baptist Seminary), I was like a sponge – ready to take copious notes and learn profound truths that would help me answer all the difficult questions of life. What I did not realize was that in the process, I had to “unlearn” some of the incorrect thinking I had picked up along the way. In my first year Hermeneutics and Exegesis class, Dr. Jack Willsey helped me strip away my own cultural bias to view Scripture from the perspective of the original author and culture. Much like undergraduate education taught me the process of evaluating and understanding culture in missionary endeavors, seminary strengthened my ability to evaluate and understand the language, culture, history and occasion of scriptural texts, in order to be an effective Bible student and teacher. I also gained a new appreciation for the difficulty in interpreting Scripture, and became less hasty to assume my infallibility.

Seminary helped fortify my spiritual foundation, building upon solid biblical truth rather than my own cultural perceptions. It also further equipped me to aid others in understanding Scripture, so they can wrestle with the questions their culture is asking and make wise biblical applications. This is a vital aspect of fulfilling the commission—to go and make disciples, teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded.

Next Steps

So what is the next step? It is easy when standing on the threshold of a call to cross-cultural ministry to feel paralyzed by the inability to filter seemingly endless possibilities into one specific job description. Thankfully, God does not expect His finite creatures to be infinite in their knowledge, only to be faithful in obeying what we already know to be true from His Word. I truly believe that God cares more about the geography of our hearts (our relationship with him) than about the geography of where we serve in the world. He can easily use yielded vessels for His honor, in countless ways.

It may mean going on a short-term mission trip to discover where your gifts and skills can best be used. Maybe you will volunteer in a local church or community outreach ministry, or conduct informational interviews with people in ministry. Perhaps there is a next step in education, whether through a local Perspectives class, or a more formal college, seminary or missions agency setting. Whatever the case, although it is impossible to learn specific answers to all the questions involved in ministry, it is possible to develop skills, insight, cultural sensitivity, practical wisdom and personal godliness in order to tangibly live out a Christian worldview in any location. May we all continue to humbly ask God to show us how we can be as fully equipped and prepared as possible, for what He has called us to do.

[1]Sarah A. Lanier, Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot- and Cold-Climate Cultures (Hagerstown, MD: McDougal Publishing, 2000), 10.

Copyright © 2012 Corban University School of Ministry. Originally published in Corban’s e-journal, Dedicated. As long as you include this copyright credit line (and hyperlinks), you may reprint this article in its entirety.

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What is the Mission of the Church?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Lee Ann Zanon

Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert, Crossway Publishers, 2011

Reviewed by Lee Ann Zanon, DEDICATED editor and adjunct ministry professor

A quick amazon.com search for missional church—the current hot topic related to how the church should function—generates more than 900 results. In the midst of this vast sea of discussion, What is the Mission of the Church? offers a biblically based compass to navigate the issue.

Authors Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert explain, “We are pastors, writing for the ‘average’ Christian and the ‘ordinary’ pastor … our sense is that this whole issue of mission is the most confusing, most discussed, most energizing and most potentially divisive issue in the evangelical church today.”

While the authors are conversational rather than confrontational in tone, their convictions and conclusions are distinct. They state their position early, “We believe the church is sent into the world to witness to Jesus by proclaiming the gospel and making disciples of all nations. This is our task. This is our unique and central calling.”

In recent years, the mission of the church has been expanded in some cases to include environmental stewardship, community renewal, helping the homeless, and more. DeYoung and Gilbert assert this definition is too broad. “Even in the world around us, everyone understands that a mission is the primary thing you set out to accomplish. Most every organization has something, as opposed to other things, that it does and must do … its mission. We think the same is true of the church.”

The authors acknowledge and encourage Christians’ good works, yet do not name them as the primary purpose of the church. Rather, they assert that evangelism and discipleship must be given top priority.

The book dedicates considerable space to exploring and defining the complex realms of mission, gospel, kingdom, and social justice. Substantial Bible references and explanations are included for each, presented in understandable terms.

In determining the mission of the church, the authors state that it cannot be an umbrella covering all actions taken in obedience to Christ. Rather it is a specific task, as established in the Great Commission. This section of the book includes insights from theologians including John Stott, Andreas Kostenberger, Darrell Bock, and others.

For “Understanding the Gospel,” the realm of photography is used to illustrate differing perspectives. A “zoom-lens” person views the gospel as simply the “message a person must believe in order to be saved.” A “wide-angle” person sees it as “the whole good news of Christianity … not just forgiveness, but also God’s purpose to re-make the world.”

Related to believers’ role in establishing the kingdom of God, the book emphasizes the church’s need to tell people about the King (Jesus), realizing that He alone can and will establish His kingdom. The authors counter the idea that “extending the kingdom” involves planting trees, feeding the homeless, or renovating run-down apartments. They explain the kingdom as relational and dynamic, rather than geographic. They observe, “Good deeds are good, but they don’t broaden the borders of the kingdom. The only way the kingdom of God—the redemptive rule of God—is extended is when He brings another sinner to renounce sin and self-righteousness and bow His knee to King Jesus.”

In the realm of social justice, the authors present seven principles for making sense of it. In principle five, they use the idea of “moral proximity” related to responsibility. They note that we are all responsible to help someone, but we are not obligated to help everyone. They state, “The closer the need, the greater the moral obligation to help.” They go on to say, “Moral proximity should not make us more cavalier to the poor. But it should free us from unnecessary guilt and make us more caring toward those who count on us most.”

Love rather than obligation/guilt as the basis for social justice is key. It is a person’s gratitude for salvation, and comprehension of what God has done for him or her, that is the biblical motive for service. The authors observe, “The problem is that social justice has too often been sold with condemnation by implication and the heavy hand of ought. It seems much better to simply encourage churches and individual Christians to love.”

The depth of biblical study and research used to support the authors’ viewpoint is significant, and their writing is refreshingly free of angry language or innuendo. They invite readers to seriously consider their findings, yet there is no sense of condemnation toward anyone who has a different opinion. DeYoung and Gilbert are confident of their conclusions, and don’t convey a need to prove them at others’ expense.

The epilogue, a fictional conversation between a young pastor and an experienced ministry leader, incorporates the book’s overall themes and offers readers a different way to process them. It touches upon commonly disputed elements regarding purpose and strategy, presented in a framework of mutual respect and consideration. As we individually and collectively move forward in implementing God’s design for His church, we would do well to heed this example.

Copyright © 2012 Corban University School of Ministry. Originally published in Corban’s e-journal, Dedicated. As long as you include this copyright credit line (and hyperlinks), you may reprint this article in its entirety.

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The Shooting Salvationist

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Kent Kersey

By David Stokes, Steerforth Press, 2011

Reviewed by Dr. Kent Kersey, Associate Professor of Ministries

One of my church history professors described fundamentalism as “no fun, too much damn, and no mental.” Such a description surely highlights the attitude of the “fighting fundies,” but ignores the theology behind the movement. In fact, there are two sides to the fundamentalist ideal: attitude and theology. The Shooting Salvationist: J. Frank Norris and the Murder Trial that Captivated America by David Stokes brilliantly highlights the ugliness of the attitude, but its historical agenda doesn’t allow for a treatment of its theology.

Stokes, a pastor of a large non-denominational church in Virginia, supplies a riveting, well written account of one of the most colorful fundamentalists ever. By the middle of 1924, “J. Frank Norris had the largest Protestant church in America, a newspaper that went into more than fifty thousand homes, and a radio station and network that could potentially take his voice to millions.” This Fort Worth Texas pastor carried a big stick, but he definitely didn’t speak softly.

The headline of Norris’s story is that on a Saturday afternoon in July 1926, an unarmed, wealthy lumberman named D. E. Chipps visited the church office. Chipps warned Norris to back off from publically criticizing and humiliating Chipps’ friend and business partner, H. C. Meacham. Norris, who felt threatened by Chipps, reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a pistol, and shot Chipps dead. A large part of the book details the subsequent trial. Spoiler Alert: Norris is found not guilty, based on a self-defense argument.

While the shooting and the subsequent trial are the stars of this book, the supporting material—Norris’s megalomania and the cultural details—almost shine brighter. By all accounts, he was just plain mean. He called the city manager “the missing link.” He lamented great Roman Catholic conspiracies that would turn Forth Worth into a haven for bootleggers and Romanists.

One contemporary journalist described Norris’s influence this way, “The plain fact is that the people of Fort Worth are afraid of Frank Norris. From newspapermen to merchants and bankers he has them bluffed. They are afraid of him in precisely the same way in which one is afraid of an insane man or one who is violently drunk. There are no tactics they feel, to which he will not stoop, nothing too low or vile, true or untrue, that he will not say about his enemies.”

Despite these realities, the public still embraced Norris as a charismatic leader and dynamic public speaker. He was a driving force in fundamentalism, and his fame and communication skills helped grow his church to the extent noted above.

It’s important to remember that Norris shot Chipps only one year after the Scopes trial, the most definitive face-off between modernism and fundamentalism ever. Scopes had been a technical victory for the fundamentalists. In the court of public opinion, however, the fundamentalists lost. William Jennings Bryan publicly fought against evolution and for biblical literalism. Fundamentalists saw him as a prophet; modernists saw him as a quaint, out-of-touch politician. When Bryan died shortly after the Scopes trial, many believed Norris would be the new leader. In fact in Norris’s office, “[a] picture of William Jennings Bryan hung on the wall directly above him.”

The Ku Klux Klan and Prohibition also loom largely in the background. Although Norris was not an official member of the KKK, he frequently spoke at their meetings. The highest ranking Klansman in Fort Worth was an influential leader in Norris’s church. It’s also important to remember that Prohibition had been official law for six years when the shooting took place. One of the defense’s strongest points of strategy was to show how Norris’s victim was frequently under the influence of the evil whiskey. This was not only a slur on his character; it was a charge of blatant lawlessness.

The Shooting Salvationist is a valuable contribution to the history of the American religious culture of the early twenties by revealing the darker side of fundamentalism. It accurately shows how people like Norris embodied a belligerent parasitic attitude that attached itself to a reasoned theological reaction to an unorthodox version of Christianity, one which deprived man of his imago Dei and denied the absolute authority of Scripture. His story clearly reflects how the negative social/reactionary aspects of fundamentalism tend to overshadow its positive theological elements, including confirmation of non-Darwinian humanity (man is the image of God) and affirmation of Scripture (inerrancy).

For Christians today, the book offers a valuable warning as we consider our approach to impacting contemporary culture. The outcome of Norris’s view—culture as a force to fight against rather than a mission field with which to interact—speaks for itself.

Copyright © 2012 Corban University School of Ministry. Originally published in Corban’s e-journal, Dedicated. As long as you include this copyright credit line (and hyperlinks), you may reprint this article in its entirety.

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