EMQ

In April, 1906, speaking in tongues broke out in the Azusa Street Methodist Mission, Los Angeles. The experiences in Azusa Street blended with similar events in other areas to give birth to the modern Pentecostal movement. Whether or not it is accurate to speak of a “Pentecostal Revival” in 1906 is a debatable point (Orr 1965:240).

The need to plant vigorous evangelical churches in Europe is acute. It is illustrated by the statement of a State Church pastor in Germany who declared, “We are all Christians here without having the least suspicion as to what Christianity is.” Four hundred years after the Reformation there are still 250,000 towns, villages and cities without a Protestant church.

Belgium is still a mission field. If missionary work as traditionally understood is needed anywhere in the world, it is needed in Belgium, France, Spain, Italy and Greece. A Congo missionary told me that the Belgian churches— the free evangelical ones— are way behind the Congo churches.

What do mission leaders think about the current status of missionary training and education?

Every message basically has two dimensions: form and meaning. Form involves the given language, a specific language level or style, the particular grammatical patterns, specific words, the gestures, etc. Meaning relates to the content.

Paternalism was the last thing in the world I expected to find myself guilty of when assigned to university work. Perhaps your experience— and disillusionment with yourself — has been similar.

Since August, 1971, a monetary crisis has been shaking the commercial world. It had an immediate effect on the lives and work of missionaries. In major areas of the world the U.S. dollar now buys less units of the local currency than in past years. The purchasing power of the missionary was immediately cut when this revaluation occurred.

As the Latin American Church emerges toward full maturity, it is experiencing some severe growing pains. Two of these, theological articulation and ministerial training, affect the foundation of the church and the edification of the church. The third, evangelistic impact, influences the extremely important matter of the extension of the church.

At various times we have been asked if we are prepared to receive missionaries who wish to “do their thing.” The answer would be an unequivocal yes, if we could assume that one’s “own thing” was the exercise of his spiritual gifts and was consistent with the program of God, i.e., the building of his church.

As Warren White waited for his appointment with the visiting regional secretary of his mission, he thought again of all the reasons for which he had come to Asia to begin with; were they still valid now?