Proceedings of the ISFM 2004 Meeting: Insider Movements Church Planting Movements vs. Insider Movements Missiological Realities vs. Mythiological Speculations by David Garrison

The Quest for Anonymous Christianity ver since the 17th century Jesuit Roberto de Nobili made his famous contextualizing breakthrough with Brahmins in India, E missiologists have been captivated by an elusive quest for that contextualizing philosopher’s stone that will magically transform a pagan people group into a Christian one. The quest reached its zenith with the 20th century Roman Catholic theologian, Karl Rahner, who postulated the existence of “anonymous Christians” scattered within each of the world’s non-Christian .1

Protestant theologian Karl Barth echoed back with a neo-Orthodox basis for a similar conjecture when his Dogmatics concluded that the unlimited atonement of Christ extended to all who were saved whether they were aware For five years David Garrison served of it or not. as the Southern Baptist International Mission Board’s Vice President for Even the evangelical hero C. S. Lewis got into the act of finding believ- Global Strategy assisting the IMB’s ers where none were thought to exist. In the final volume of his Chronicles 5000 missionaries ministering in 150 countries. His quest to understand of Narnia, Lewis opened the door to anonymous Christianity when he and join God’s global mission has described the eschatological meeting of a soldier named Emeth who had taken him to more than 80 countries. vigorously opposed Aslan in the name of his god Tash all the days of his He has lived in Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, France, England, Egypt, life. Upon entering the eschaton, Emeth finds himself face to face with his Tunisia and India. old nemesis Aslan who now stands as Judge and Lord of all. Rather than In 1988, Garrison earned a Ph.D. in condemning Emeth for his past opposition, Aslan embraces him pronounc- historical theology from the University ing a startling absolution. “Child,” Aslan says, “all the service thou has done of Chicago. He has taught missions to Tash, I account as service done to me.”2 and Christian studies at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, Fuller Theological This leaves one to ask if Lewis would some day see Osama bin Laden Seminary, and Hong Kong Baptist standing before Christ and hearing the words, “Osama, my child, all the University. His latest book is entitled  Church Planting Movements: How service thou has done on behalf of , I account as service done for me.” God is Redeeming a Lost World (Midlothian: WIGTake Resources, Given this checkered history of attempts to project a Christian face onto 2004). His previous books include The the world’s lost billions, the quest for truly indigenous Insider Movements Nonresidential Missionary (MARC, should be viewed with caution. We are defining Insider Movements here as 1990), Something New Under the Sun (IMB, 1998), and the booklet Church popular movements to Christ that bypass both formal and explicit expres- Planting Movements (IMB, 2000). sions of the Christian . The peril to avoid is allowing the search for International Journal of Frontier Missions 21:4 Winter 2004•151 152 Church Planting Movements vs Insider Movements David Garrison 153 Insider Movements to deteriorate Africa, the civil war of the 1980s and One example illustrates some of into yet another attempt to co-opt 90s saw the evacuation or martyr- what was occurring in this Azeri the lost into the ranks of anonymous dom of most of Algeria’s Catholic indigenous movement.4 A new Christianity. and Protestant missionaries. Despite convert to , an Azeri named this exodus, the past twenty years Shamir (not his real name) started Apart from their place as a staple in have seen an unprecedented number a small fellowship in the Azeri lan- missiology textbooks, these Insider of Algeria’s Kabyle Berbers come to guage meeting each week in a local Movements have proven as difficult faith in Christ. Radio broadcasts, Baptist church after the Russian lan- to find as Osama bin Laden. One Jesus Film distribution, and indig- guage service was concluded. By the routinely hears hints and rumors, enous missionaries shuttling between year 2000, Pastor Shamir’s flock had usually something about members of France and Algeria have produced a grown to 300 adults packed into an the Saudi royal family being secret harvest estimated at between 15,000 aging facility designed for half that believers. Upon closer examination, and 20,000. number. In an interview, Shamir however, these rumors dissolve into admitted that he had personally the same wishful dreams that have In the face of this great turning to baptized 500-600 Azeri adults over beguiled Christians since the medi- Christ, one is struck immediately the past three years. Shamir was at eval quest for Prester John. by how few actual churches have been formed. Reports from workers a loss to explain where these believ- And then came Herbert Hoefer. in the country blame many causes ers might now be found. The church including the high cost of land, structure was simply unable to con- A Case in Point tain all that God was doing. In the early 1990s, American In both Algeria and Azerbaijan, Lutheran missionary Herbert Hoefer there were thousands of unchurched published a ground-breaking report Upon closer believers, with insider momentum on churchless Christianity in the and little visible expression in terms South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.3 examination . . . these of church buildings. Were these, too, Hoefer made the surprising dis- Insider Movements? Let’s turn back covery that up to half of the Tamil rumors dissolve into the same to Tamil Nadu. Is it unusual? Is it Christians in this state had never wishful dreams that have typical? Is it an Insider Movement? been in a church and had no inten- tion of associating themselves with a beguiled Christians since the Back to Tamil Nadu church. Theirs was an autonomous, We should first note that the Tamil independent, somewhat atomized medieval quest for movement may reveal something movement of millions of individuals Prester John. peculiar to religion in the Indian who pledged exclusive faith in Jesus subcontinent. An Indian Christian Christ without any formal denomi- leader with years of experience relat- national association. It was, in fact, high unemployment, civil war, and ing Indian and Western Christianity an Insider Movement. fear of persecution. Whatever the has pointed out that “unlike the reason, the result has been a variety While Hoefer’s study may or may West where religion is highly struc- of churchless Christianity. So, is this not be the tip of the iceberg of tured and society is very unstruc- an Insider Movement? countless Insider Movements around tured, India is quite the opposite.” the world, it does present us with We find another case to consider in While Indian society is tightly a legitimate, quantifiable phenom- the post-Communist Republic of ordered with myriad endogamous enon. However, before we dive into Azerbaijan. During the decade of castes and communities, religion this important case study, let’s scan the 1990s Christianity began build- tends to spill over its banks like the the horizon for other examples of ing steady momentum as hundreds, Ganges in monsoon. Hindus flow “popular movements to Christ that and then thousands professed their easily from one festival to the next bypass both formal and explicit personal commitment to Jesus and feel no compulsion to exclu- expressions of the Christian reli- Christ. In a published Baku news- sive loyalties. In South India, even gion.” Surprisingly, one doesn’t have paper article, government officials popular Islam exhibits an unparal- to look far. expressed concern that 5,000 Azeris leled generosity of spirit as seen in the capital city had converted to in the annual Festival of St. Mary Other Cases of Christianity. By the year 2000, esti- which draws millions of Christians, Churchless Christianity mates ranged from 12,000 – 20,000 Hindus, and Muslims into the Two examples immediately come to Azeris had been baptized. With this streets for worshipful celebrations. remarkable turning, there should mind from within the Muslim world: Reducing Tamilian churchless have been hundreds of new churches the first in North Africa, the second Christianity to mere syncretism, started. Instead, there were only a in the Caucasus. After decades of though, is to miss a second more handful to be found. missionary work in French North significant point that demands our International Journal of Frontier Missions 21:4 Winter 2004 152 Church Planting Movements vs Insider Movements David Garrison 153 attention. According to Hoefer most of these Tamilian churchless nvestigations by Southern Baptist IMB Christians are not polytheistic at all. researchers in numerous fields reveal attrition Rather, they are exclusive devotees of Jesus Christ. What is most peculiar rates as high as 50-80%. about them is that they have come IWestern patterns of church. Let’s silent homage to their missionary to this allegiance outside the church briefly review each of these elements founders. Despite sweltering climate and continue to feel little attraction before shifting our attention to an of Tamil Nadu’s subtropical setting, for the thousands of churches that alternative in the form of Church building designs look remarkably they see around them every day. Planting Movements. like their European and American What are we to make of this rejec- As one inquires across South India counterparts. Congregants sit on tion of the local church? While it today, it is striking how few of the wooden pews and listen to a message may be true that this phenomenon region’s church buildings have been delivered from behind a wooden is unique to India’s religious nature, constructed with local resources. pulpit, just as in the West. Though one is struck by the Tamil parallel The great majority originated all Tamil Christians have arguably to what we have seen in Algeria and or in part with resources from the grown accustomed to these Western Azerbaijan. This parallel points to West. Today, with Western missions forms of church, they remains quite some shared missiological, sociologi- in decline, many of these funding alien to those who are outside the cal, and ecclesiological characteristics. sources have dwindled as well. In church’s cultural cocoon. Missiologically, the enormous Tamil Nadu, as well as in Algeria Compare with Church number of churchless believers testi- and Azerbaijan, the inability of fies to the effectiveness of evange- locals to indigenously produce new Planting Movements lism outside the church through facilities leaves the unchurched with Let us now contrast this Tamil such avenues as distribution, little hope of incorporation. Insider Movement with what we Jesus Film showings, and widespread are seeing in Church Planting Within these traditional church radio and television evangelism. Movements. Church Planting buildings the leadership typically Given the ultimately foreign origin Movements are defined as move- follows a pattern laid out by mis- of these gospel channels, one won- ments of indigenous churches sionaries, with a single pastor guid- ders if the term “Insider Movement” planting churches that sweep across ing a flock of congregants. Though is even appropriate. a people group or population seg- seemingly logical and efficient, this ment. They are characterized by Sociologically, it is evident that model immediately subordinates small house or cell groups with local, South India’s local churches still new believers under an already lay leaders. Because they are not pose barriers of caste for these established leader who, in the case of dependent on buildings, they are able churchless converts. The majority Tamil Nadu, is probably of a lower to reproduce rapidly. Because they of Tamil Nadu’s churches are filled caste than those unchurched believ- depend on local, lay leadership and with members who come from low ers who consequently remain outside remain small, they typically share caste backgrounds. While these the church. leadership responsibility between brothers and sisters have demon- A less visible barrier is the appalling several members. This small size and strated the very social uplift that the attrition rates experienced by tradi- shared leadership responsibility closes gospel promised them, they continue tional churches both in South India the back door to attrition and fosters to be viewed by those outside the and around the world. Studies by a training and development environ- church as low caste. Though Algeria the Southern Baptist International ment that is conducive to raising up and Azerbaijan do not share this Mission Board have revealed the multiple new leaders which, in turn, caste consciousness, they are chal- extremely porous nature of traditional fuels new church starts. lenged by the perception that the church structures. Investigations by Christian faith is a Western religion, Southern Baptist IMB researchers in Lessons Learned which we’ll develop further below. numerous fields reveal attrition rates So what do we learn in this brief Traditional ecclesiology also pres- as high as 50-80%. Even an attrition comparison of Insider Movements ents several challenges that deter rate of only 50% could explain the and Church Planting Movements? the unchurched of Tamil Nadu as unchurched status of Tamil Nadu’s First, we learn that Insider well as the unchurched of Algeria churchless millions. Movements are difficult to define, and Azerbaijan from assimilating Finally, there is the foreign expres- confirm or characterize. They range into local churches. These chal- sion of South India’s churches. from the real to the ambiguous to lenges include church buildings that Even today one finds Western-style the illusory. Where one has been cannot be indigenously reproduced, clothing common among South well documented, it raises questions leadership that is non-participa- Asia’s church-going men as they pay of whether it is unusual or typical. tive, appalling attrition rates, and International Journal of Frontier Missions 21:4 Winter 2004 154 Church Planting Movements vs Insider Movements Church Planting Movements on the other hand are increasing in Endnotes 1 Rahner’s concept of “anonymous w number each year. The Southern Christianity” is probably his most Baptist International Mission Board infl uential contribution to the thought of is now tracking scores of Church Vatican II. Reaching Planting Movements or near Church 2 The Last Battle, from C.S. Lewis’ Planting Movements around the The Chronicle’s of Narnia. 5 world. These movements are 3 Herbert Hoefer, Churchless Christi- Hindus: common enough that we can derive anity (Pasadena: William Carey Library, from them clear lessons about what 2002), 352 pp. Hoefer’s original report stimulates them and why they are was published inside India in 1991. increasing in frequency today. 4 As told to the author during a visit in the year 2000. One point of convergence between 5 Insider Movements and Church See the author’s Church Plant- Planting Movements would appear ing Movements: How God is redeeming (Midlothian: WIGTake to be the inadequacy of traditional a lost world Resources, 364 pp. Available on-line at: church models to capture the harvest www.churchplantingmovements.com that is accompanying the great outpouring of salvation that both movements report. What separates the two movements is how they respond to that outpouring. Insider Movements respond positively to Christ but refuse to identify them- selves with public expressions of the Christian religion. Church Planting Movements, though opting for indigenous models rather than traditional church Clearing the structures, nevertheless make a clean Obstacles to break with their former religion and redefi ne themselves with a distinctly Christian identity. The resulting movement is indigenously led and locally contextualized. Faith in As the world’s remaining unreached people groups languish outside the walls of conventional churches, Christ the quest for how to reach them must continue. Insider Movements To obtain a free copy pose one possibility, but I believe of this special, it is not our best option. Neither 24-page issue of is it reasonable, though, for us to expect these unreached peoples who Mission Frontiers with have struggled for centuries with seven key articles, call “Christendom” to surrender their 1-626-398-2249 cultural identity to those they per- ceive to be their enemies. or write [email protected]. What is needed is a new wineskin— one that is truly indigenous, rapidly reproducible, and locally sustain- able. What is needed, in short, are Church Planting Movements. IJFM

is a publication of the U.S. Center for World Mission.

International Journal of Frontier Missions