Historian, Philip Jenkins on Why don’t we see dynamic church planting movements in the West of the same magnitude that we are see in many parts of the developing world? Christianity is flourishing wonderfully among the poor and persecuted, while it atrophies among the rich and secure…. The distribution of modern Christians might well show [...]
Tag Archives: Majority world
Wandaro of Ethiopia
23 February, 2006 – 9:44 AM
I will never give up my faith in Jesus Christ! I will gladly suffer for my Saviour. Wandaro of Ethiopia 1919-1991 Arrested for his faith, flogged for three straight hours, and thrown into prison almost dead, Wandaro of Ethiopia (1919-1991) came out a year later to help lead his country’s fledgling church into enormous evangelistic [...]
0 to 500,000,000 in 100
16 February, 2006 – 11:11 AM
April 9, this year marks one hundred years since the Azusa Street Revival which launched Pentecostalism as a dynamic movement. Zero to half a billion in 100 years is not a bad record for a movement. Don’t try and understand Pentecostalism and it’s significance simply by watching Christian TV. The vast majority of Pentecostals are [...]
Seven contrasts
7 December, 2005 – 4:05 AM
While in Singapore I spent a couple of hours with some friends who run a centre for training in church planting movements and have trained workers all over the globe. As usual when I meet with great practitioners I just keep asking, “What are you learning?” I came away aware of the contrast between the [...]
Lunch with Barney
2 December, 2005 – 1:02 PM
Back from two weeks in Central and East Asia. I need to be a little vague about specific places and names for security reasons. The picture above sums up the transition in Asia between the new and the old. I’m still thinking and praying through the lessons and implications of the trip. Hoping the blog [...]
Growing leaders in China
11 November, 2005 – 6:22 AM
A friend of mine has just returned from China. Here are his reflections on growing leaders there. In the past, most leaders were mentored by older pastors who had suffered much. Although they led millions to Christ, they lacked in biblical knowledge. In the 1990s, doors opened to Western-style training (Bible schools and seminaries with [...]
Indigenous Christian movements
7 October, 2005 – 6:43 PM
I’ve just read Robert Frykenberg’s article on indigenous Christian movements amongst the Tamils of Tirunelveli in India. Here’s seven lessons from this case study of an indigenous church planting movement: 1. Outsiders The renewal of the church in mission always begins on the fringe. The mission to India was an initiative of the Pietists, a [...]
Christianity moves South
4 April, 2005 – 8:14 PM
“As I travel, I have observed a pattern, a strange historical phenomenon of God ‘moving’ geographically from the Middle East, to Europe to North America to the developing world. My theory is this: God goes where he is wanted.” Philip Yancey For the last five hundred years the story of Christianity has been bound up [...]
