Asian Missions Advance

asian 46 missions advance ISSN 2234-3423 OFFICIAL BULLETIN OF THE ASIA MISSIONS ASSOCIATION January 2015 CHANGING FORCES OF THE GLOBAL MISSION In the 21st century, the missionary movement has As the Editor of this Asian Missions Advance, I become a “mission to all countries from all countries of introducea new mission model in my article “The the world.” It is true that the sending of missionaries Influence of Korea Missions on World Missionary by western churches is declining, while the number Movement: A New Mission Model.” Dr. J. Nelson of non-western churches sending missionaries is Jennings, emphasizes that engaging public affairs constantly growing. Non-western churches in Brazil, is part of the Church’s mission in his article "An South Korea, India, South Africa, the Philippines, American Kairos: St. Louis Area Churches and the Mexico, and Nigeria send missionaries not only to Dred Scott Court Case of 1846-1857.” Dr. Marvin non-western countries, but also to western countries. Newell, the Senior Vice-President of Missio Nexus, Churches in non-western countries have already tells us about cultural diversity in his article “When become new forces of the world mission. It was Did Cultural Diversity Begin?” In his short articles, he forecasted as early as the 1980s that the non-western helps us clearly understand the language and cultural churches would emerge as missionary churches. diversities. Finally, Rev. VitalyMaksimjuk, the Bishop Lawrence Keyes, in his article “The New Age of of Covenant Church of Novosibirsk, tells us the story Missions: Third World Missions” said, “The beginning of how he carried on his disciple-making in Russia in of a new dimension in missionary involvement has his article on “Discipleship in the 21st Century in the come. The focus of world evangelization is turning Context of Post-Soviet Reality.” towards the Third World.” Harvie M. Conn also These articles are written by both Western and non- acknowledged the shift in the Christian axis from western missions leaders to broaden our perspective Europe and North America to Asia, Africa and Latin on mission and give us insights for our global mission. America. He said, “Our gravity center moves from May the Lord help us to better understand the global Pasadena and Wheaton and Grand Rapids to Mexico, mission and better serve Him for the dynamic coming to Seoul, to Madras, and Nairobi. By the end of the of His kingdom! 20th century, the population strength of the world church will have moved from the northern to the CONTENTS southern regions of the world. This existing shift Editorial: Changing Forces of the Global Mission already is appearing in the area of world missions.” 1 Larry D. Pate, too, in his book “From Every People” Timothy K. Park predicted the shift of mission currents by reporting 2 History of the Evangelization of Brazil that the number of Two-Thirds World missionaries Elben M. Lenz César is growing faster than the number of western 6 Effective Disciple-Making Made Simple missionaries. Pate noted that the rate of growth of the David S. Lim Two-Thirds World missions is five times faster than the western missionary movement.” 8 The Influence of Korean Mission on World This 46th issue primarily addresses the missionary Missionary Movement: A New Mission Model movement of non-western churches. The article Timothy K. Park of Rev. Elben M. Lenz Cesar, Founding Director 16 An American Kairos: St. Louis Area Churches of ULTIMATO introduces us to the history of And the Dred Scott Court Case Of 1846-1857 the evangelization of Brazil and it shows us the J. Nelson Jennings background of the Brazilian church who has emerged 26 When Did Cultural Diversity Begin? as the largest non-western missionary force. Dr. David S. Lim, who served as the National Director of Marvin J. Newell PMA, introduces a paradigm of mission in his article 29 Discipleship in the 21St Century in the Context of on “Effective Disciple-making Made Simple.” He Post-Soviet Reality shows us the practical “how to” of disciple-making. Vitaly Maksimjuk HISTORY OF THE EVANGELIZATION OF BRAZIL Elben M. Lenz César Translated by Enedina Sacramento America is as old as Asia, Europe and Africa. In order Friday. Over a thousand Portuguese people and about to "discover" this new continent, a European would 150 indigenous people attended the ceremony. just need to cross the Atlantic ocean, and an Asian, Portuguese piety of that time included a widespread the Pacific Ocean. Nevertheless, this only happened in and well-entrenched missionary concern, which was 1492, 25 years before the Protestant Reformation, by also linked to territorial expansion (the same was means of sea voyages undertaken by Portuguese and true for the Protestant nations). According to Charles Spanish navigators. Boxer, this was the alliance between "the cross and Suddenly, the world learned that there was a huge the crown, the throne and the altar, the faith and the portion of land between Europe and Asia, covering empire". 128 degrees of latitude, with an area ten times greater The first missionary call for Brazil is as old as the than Europe and a little smaller than the Asian country itself. It was written by a layman rather than continent. the Franciscan priest who celebrated both masses and The biggest surprise, however, was the discovery was sent not to a bishop, but to the king of Portugal. that this part of the world was also inhabited from The appeal is dramatic: he says that the king should north to south, from east to west. Christians of the take care of the salvation of the indigenous people and Reformation and Counter-reformation were suddenly send a priest as soon as possible to baptize them. challenged by a huge, distant and difficult mission field. The first impression that Native Americans were innocent creatures soon waned. They were sons of Adam, sinners and in need of salvation, just like All Christian missionaries who came to the Europeans. A large part of the new mission field was "discovered" in April 1500 by the Portuguese Brazil in the first three centuries of its navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral and became an history were Catholic and Europeans. overseas province of Portugal, called Brazil. They managed to christianize the Clearly, the history of Brazil's evangelization can be divided into three distinct periods: in the 16th, country and establish a Christian 17th and 18th centuries, the Catholic missionaries culture. Almost all Brazilians are christianized the country; in the 19th century, the Protestant missionaries evangelized the country; Christians, even though most of them and, in the 20th century, the Pentecostal missionaries pentecostalized the country (with the help of the are nominal and lack religious lifestyle, Catholic Charismatic Renewal followers). First, there doctrine and possibly salvation. was a pre-evangelization, followed by evangelization itself; and finally, post-evangelization. Worldwide, the 16th century was marked by the Catholic missionary Interestingly, the missionary call was not taken movement; the 19th century, for the outstanding seriously. The first Catholic missionaries arrived only Protestant missionary effort; and the 20th century, for in 1549, half a century later. They were sent by the the great Pentecostal advance. Society of Jesus, founded by the Spanish Ignatius Loyola, which had been made official by the Pope nine years earlier. Filled with courage, the six Jesuits CHRISTIANIZATION (16TH- 18TH CENTURIES) had to face a number of challenges: the new mission At the time of the "discovery" of Brazil, the Portuguese field had a huge territory (almost as large as Europe); people were very religious. On the eve of the the indigenous people belonged to more than a departure of Cabral's fleet, a religious ceremony was thousand different ethnicities and were scattered on held, with the presence of the royalty, the bankers the coast and inland; communication was an almost who funded the project and the captains of the fleet. insurmountable problem due to the diversity of Nine priests were among the crew members. As they languages; the trip from Europe to Brazil was subject encountered the Brazilian coast, the sailors saw a to attacks by pirates and shipwrecks (in a single small mountain from the ship and called it “Monte event, 43 Jesuit missionaries were thrown overboard, Pascal”. The name was appropriate, since there would along with other sailors, by pirates); chastity was be a Passover celebration a few days later. Following very difficult to maintain due to the nudity of the a liturgical calendar, they started giving religious indigenous women; uncomfortable environment names to all coastal landforms. The first name given (excessive heating, tropical diseases, wild animal to the newly found land was Vera Cruz Island. The attacks and the inconvenience caused by a multitude first Mass celebrated under the Equator took place of insects). Besides, the mission field was composed three days after their arrival and the second, on Good not only of natives, but also of a large number of 2 ● asian missions advance Portuguese colonizers (many with very low moral of the cross be raised? " standards) and African slaves (Brazil imported more The historical record of Martyn is a veiled criticism to than one third of all enslaved black people from the Brazilian Christianity of that time. At the same time, African continent who came to the America). it is a vehement missionary challenge. The country All Christian missionaries who came to Brazil in the had been Christianized rather than evangelized and first three centuries of its history were Catholic and the church was better known as an institution, and Europeans. They managed to christianize the country people were unaware of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus and establish a Christian culture.

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