Copyright © 2020 Wendal Mark Johnson All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. REACHING THE SECULAR CITY: A PRACTICAL MODEL FOR BRAZILIAN URBAN MISSIONARIES THROUGH THE LENS OF LESSLIE NEWBIGIN __________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________ by Wendal Mark Johnson May 2020 APPROVAL SHEET REACHING THE SECULAR CITY: A PRACTICAL MODEL FOR BRAZILIAN URBAN MISSIONARIES THROUGH THE LENS OF LESSLIE NEWBIGIN Wendal Mark Johnson Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ George H. Martin (Chair) __________________________________________ Jonathan T. Pennington Date______________________________ To the memory of my father, Wendal Larson Johnson, whose life’s dream was to see me finish this dissertation for God’s glory and the honor of our family. It was his constant encouragement that provided the deepest motivation to complete this project. “Grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons is their fathers.” Proverbs 17:6 (NASB). To the memory of my “bosom friend,” Lt. Col Wellington Hathy, whose constant encouragement and prayers motivated and challenged me to persevere and dedicate myself to training the next generation of Great Commission servants in Brazil. He cared for my soul and inspired me to care for the souls of others. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... vii PREFACE ........................................................................................................................ viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Problem ............................................................................................................... 5 Background of the Proposal .............................................................................. 22 Methodology of the Study ................................................................................ 25 2. BIBLICAL FOUNDATION OF URBAN MISSIONS ....................................... 29 Biblical Terms Used to Describe Urban Areas ................................................. 30 The City as the Teleological Goal of Creation ................................................. 36 The Post-Fall City and Common Grace ............................................................ 38 The City as the Eschatological End of Creation ............................................... 44 3. CAN THE WEST BE CONVERTED? ................................................................ 47 Who Was Lesslie Newbigin? ............................................................................ 51 Newbigin’s Mind Map to Be Followed ............................................................ 52 Analysis, Implications, and Proposals .............................................................. 54 4. DEFINITIONS OF MISSIOLOGICAL TERMS: NEWBIGIN’S PERSPECTIVE .................................................................................................... 55 Secularism ......................................................................................................... 55 Secularization ................................................................................................... 61 Culture and Worldview ..................................................................................... 65 5. NEWBIGIN’S MISSIONAL ANAYSIS OF WESTERN CULTURE: THREE CONTOURS .......................................................................................... 94 iv Chapter Page Contour 1: A Missionary Apologetic ............................................................... 95 Contour 2: The Missional Nature of the Church ............................................ 106 Contour 3: The Gospel as Public Truth .......................................................... 113 6. LESSONS AND APPLICATIONS FROM NEWBIGIN ON REACHING THE SECULAR CITY ................................................................. 122 Evangelism and Service in the Urban Context ............................................... 122 Church Planting and Leadership Training Profiles in the Urban Context ...... 126 7. URBAN MISSION SURVEY ........................................................................... 137 International Mission Board Attrition in Brazilian Urban Centers ................ 138 Urban Mission Survey Results ....................................................................... 143 Summary of Survey Findings ......................................................................... 178 8. PROFILE OF AN URBAN MISSIONARY ...................................................... 179 Context, Definitions, Examples, and Differences .......................................... 180 The Urban Missionary Profile for Brazil ........................................................ 188 Training Areas and Competencies .................................................................. 192 9. URBAN MISSIONARY TRAINING MODEL ................................................ 222 Foundational Issues ........................................................................................ 222 Mission Statement .......................................................................................... 227 Objectives ....................................................................................................... 230 Goals ............................................................................................................... 231 The Performance Goals .................................................................................. 235 Contextualized Learning Activities ................................................................ 241 10. THE MENTOR/COACH ................................................................................. 250 Defining the Role of the Mentor/Coach ......................................................... 250 A Training Module for Mentor Coaches ........................................................ 260 11. THE INDIVIDAUL ASSESSMENT TOOL ................................................... 271 v Page Assessment: Past and Present ......................................................................... 271 Annual Evaluation of the Urban Missionary .................................................. 275 Final Thoughts ................................................................................................ 278 Appendix 1. SOUTH AMERICAN MISSION (SAM) MISSIONARY APPRENTICE COMPETENCIES .............................................................................................. 291 2. STATUS OF EVANGELICALS IN THE MEGA-CITIES OF BRAZIL: PRELIMINARY SURVEY ................................................................................ 293 3. URBAN MINISTRY SURVEY ........................................................................ 295 4. URBAN MISSIONARY PROFILE FOR BRAZIL .......................................... 313 5. APPRENTICE MISSIONARY TRAINING PROGRAM (AMTP) PURPOSE AND DESIGN ................................................................................. 319 6. URBAN MISSIONARY MENTEE ANNUAL EVALUATION ...................... 321 7. INDIVIDUAL MONTHLY REPORT FORM .................................................. 335 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 336 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Qualifications of a church leader ........................................................................ 183 2. Urban missionary training model objectives ....................................................... 232 3. Urban missionary training model goals .............................................................. 237 4. Sample learning activities for church relations goal 1 ........................................ 245 5. Sample learning activities for urban anthropology goal 2 .................................. 247 6. Sample learning activities for practical skills goal 3 .......................................... 248 vii PREFACE I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Dr. George H. Martin for his friendship, encouragement, and guidance, without which this project would not have been possible. Time spent with him renewed my own personal enthusiasm for God’s glory among the nations. I would like to express special thanks also to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for challenging me to live my life on mission “for the Truth, for the Church, for the World and for the Glory of God.” This dissertation was written with those key values guiding and directing. In addition, I would like to express my appreciation to the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Dr. Chuck Lawless, and Charles Clark for their support and encouragement in my ministry of leadership training in Brazil. Finally, I would like to express my deep thanks and appreciation to my wife, Caron, for encouraging me and believing in me. W. Mark Johnson Curitiba, Brazil May 2020 viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION For more than a quarter of a century my ministry has been defined by the massive urban centers of Brazil.