EMQ » April–June 2020 » Volume 56 Issue 2
By Gene Daniels, Pam Arlund, Jim Haney, eds.
Littleton, CO: William Carey Press, 2019
285 pages
USD $19.99, Paperback
Reviewed by Rick Kronk, PhD, Scholar-Practitioner with Christar, Inc., Assistant Professor of Global Ministries, Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa Falls, Georgia.
Fruit to Harvest is part of the story of God’s work among Muslims throughout the World. Its inspiration and content come from the Abide, Bear Fruit Global Consultation on Muslim Ministry which was held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2017 and which brought together an intentionally diverse mix of both workers and Muslim Background Believers (MBBs) for the purpose of documenting the progress of the Gospel, evaluating current and proposed initiatives, and praying individually and collectively.
The book is a compilation of articles which cover a broad spectrum of ministry-related issues affecting Gospel progress among Muslims worldwide. The four sections (Harvest Trends, Harvest Field, Harvest Force, and Harvest Pathways) give voice both to mission practitioners and to MBBs, the fruit of such initiatives and now part of the Harvest Force.
The primary strength of the book is the broad range of perspectives provided by contributors of diverse ethnicities on current missional issues and experiences. The editors have given a platform to rarely heard voices who are well-positioned and equipped to discuss critical issues related to Muslim ministry and to provide a much-needed non-Western perspective on the challenges and outcomes of such ministry.
Of particular interest are the articles describing the reality of suffering and persecution in Muslim ministry—whether in evangelism, discipleship or the forming of faith communities. Additionally, a number of articles address the changing role of Western missionaries in light of a growing number of theologically and missiologically mature MBBs. A final strength is the collective sense of celebration of what God has been doing among Muslims globally, combined with a sense of urgency to continue proclaiming the Gospel so that the rest of the sons of Abraham may have a legitimate opportunity to hear and respond to God’s offer of salvation.
If there is anything to critique in such a volume it may simply be that the strength of the work may also be its weakness. For whereas the editorial vision was to give voice to many who would otherwise not be heard on such complex matters, in some cases the material is a bit uneven in both depth and style. Topics such as migration/immigration, human trafficking, and slavery are highly complex issues and necessitate reflection and analysis beyond what a book like this can offer. And although the editors did not intend that this book be the end-all of discussion and reflection on such topics, the brevity with which they are addressed clouds the complex nature of such ministries.
For Further Reading:
Garrison, David, A., Wind in the House of Islam: How God is Drawing Muslims Around the World to Faith in Jesus Christ, WigTake Resources LLC, 2014.
Woodbury, J. Dudley, ed., From Seed to Fruit: Global Trends, Fruitful Practices and Emerging Issues Among Muslims, William Carey Library; 2nd edition, 2011.
