Copyright © 2011 James Wesley Bledsoe 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. OUTCOMES OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST SHORT-TERM MISSIONS AMONG THE SUKUMA PEOPLE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE SHORT-TERM INITIATIVES __________________ 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 James Wesley Bledsoe May 2011 APPROVAL SHEET OUTCOMES OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST SHORT-TERM MISSIONS AMONG THE SUKUMA PEOPLE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE SHORT-TERM INITIATIVES James Wesley Bledsoe Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ George H. Martin (Chair) __________________________________________ Charles E. Lawless, Jr. __________________________________________ James D. Chancellor Date______________________________ To Diana, my love, my best friend and to Caleb, Isaac, and Micaiah, my gifts of joy TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES . vi LIST OF FIGURES . vii PREFACE . viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 The Short-Term Missions Explosion . 1 Statement of the Problem . 4 Background . 15 Delimitations and Limitations . 18 Methodology . 20 Conclusion . 32 2. THEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS, WORLDVIEW ISSUES, AND APPRAISAL FACTORS OF SHORT-TERM MISSIONS . 33 Theological Foundations for STM . 33 Worldview Issues Facing STM in Shinyanga, Tanzania . 47 Appraisal Factors of STM in Shinyanga, Tanzania . 63 Conclusion . 72 3. SOUTHERN BAPTIST SHORT-TERM MISSIONS PROJECTS IN TANZANIA . 74 History of Short-Term Missions among Southern Baptists . 74 History of Southern Baptist Short-Term Missions in Tanzania . 98 Survey of the STM Projects among the Sukuma . 113 iv Chapter Page Conclusion . 125 4. SURVEY OF NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH LIFE AMONG THE SUKUMA IN SHINYANGA, TANZANIA . 128 Commitment to Individual and Corporate Prayer . 129 Commitment to Individual and Corporate Proclamation of and Interaction with the Scriptures . 132 Concern for Promoting Christian Maturation . 139 Biblical Understanding and Practice of Evangelism . 142 Regular, Vibrant Expressions of Worship . 154 Biblical Shepherd Leadership . 162 Gifted Ministry-Oriented Membership . 169 Biblical Stewardship of Resources . 172 Biblical Fellowship with Other Believers . 176 Conclusion . 180 5. THE OUTCOMES OF SHORT-TERM MISSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE INITIATIVES . 182 The Effects of Evangelism among the Sukuma . 184 The Receptivity of the Sukuma . 193 Meeting the Needs of the Sukuma . 200 The Increase of Evangelistic Fervor with the Sukuma Churches . 217 Recommendations for Further Study . 223 Conclusion . 226 Appendix 1. SURVEY OF THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF MTU NI WATU ON THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE SUKUMA AND WESTERNERS . 231 2. SURVEY OF NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH LIFE . 232 3. SURVEY OF BIBLE KNOWLEDGE AND APPLICATION . 238 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 241 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Volunteer statistics since Bold Mission Thrust . 96 2. Southern Baptist volunteer projects in Shinyanga . 105 3. Baptism and church membership among Sukuma churches, 2001 to 2004 . 144 4. Baptism and church membership among churches of the Shinyanga Association, 2005 to 2006 . 145 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Population by age groups . 151 2. Church attendance/membership by age groups . 151 vii PREFACE I must give credit where it is due, for this work is the combined effort of many individuals who have contributed, both directly and indirectly, to its completion. Dean Charles Lawless is the one whom God used to encourage me to pursue the degree for which this work is done. Professor George Martin, my supervising professor, gave me direction and freedom to conduct this work according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Professors David Sills and John Mark Terry provided lessons concerning the subject matter that proved to be invaluable. All across the region there are prayer warriors—individuals who have stood in the gap on behalf of my family and me as intercessors. These people have continued to support us in prayer during my tenure as a student, while we lived and served in Tanzania, and to the present day. We are indebted to their consistency and persistence before the Father. My parents have always supported me in everything I have endeavored. Their unconditional love and unending belief in me has provided much needed encouragement throughout my life. I appreciate their modeling the Father’s love in my life. Certainly not to diminish the others mentioned here, but I could not have accomplished this work if it were not for my wife, Diana. She has been patient with me throughout this process. She has shown sacrifice, commitment, and discipline that all reflect the love of Christ in my life. She makes it easy and desirable to strive to love my wife as Christ loves the Church. Yet, the one who must receive all the glory in everything is God Almighty. He has endowed me with the gifts and abilities I have sought to use for the advancement of viii his kingdom. He has shown himself faithful, even when I have been faithless. He has revealed his worthiness for me to walk in a manner that does not bring shame to his name as well as his forgiveness when I have. To him be the glory in Jesus Christ’s name! James Wesley Bledsoe Louisville, Kentucky May 2011 ix CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION One difference between the modern missionary era and prior eras is the explosive phenomenon of short-term missions (STM). More opportunities exist to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ today than ever before and unprecedented numbers of volunteers are taking advantage of those opportunities. Across denominations tens of thousands of volunteers cross the globe annually to engage in short-term projects that last from one week to two years.1 These projects range from disaster relief to dental clinics, development to discipleship, True Love Waits to tourism. Evangelical Christian, short-term volunteers cross cultural lines with the goal of sharing the love of God expressed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The number of volunteers serving in overseas missions has significantly increased in the last fifty years—a trend that is not going to subside in the foreseeable future. Even a brief survey of the explosive growth of volunteerism leads to important questions concerning the value of STM. The Short-Term Missions Explosion According to Scott and Sandi Thompkins, over a half-million North American evangelicals participated in mission trips annually in 1999. 2 In four years that number doubled to more than one million volunteers participating in short-term 1The commonly held definition of short-term missions is a project that lasts in duration from one to two weeks for individual and church/group projects up to two years according to some missionary- sending agencies. The focus of this study is primarily concerned with the one to two week projects. 2Scott Thompkins and Sandi Thompkins, “The Short Term Explosion,” Moody 101 (2000):13, give the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies estimate from 1999. 1 2 projects. 3 Robert Wuthnow and Stephen Offutt estimated 1.6 million adult volunteers traveled abroad on short-term trips in 2005. 4 Some missiologists, such as Robert Priest, estimated the annual number of STM volunteers could be as high as four million. 5 Michael Wilder and Shane Parker added, “Of the total number going, from North America alone two million are adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17.” 6 Each year more than 350 mission agencies and hundreds of churches, independent and denominational, send out individuals and groups for STM projects. Southern Baptists have readily joined the ranks in mobilizing a short-term missionary force. On the one hand, this move is not surprising since the Southern Baptist Convention has prided itself in its heritage of mission advocacy and advance. With record numbers of personnel on the international mission field and an ever-increasing number of church groups, collegiate ministries, and individuals participating in STM, Southern Baptists remain a missionary people zealous for taking the gospel to the world and committed to sending and supporting missionaries. Even among Southern Baptists, the STM explosion has helped to shape missiological philosophies and strategies. In 2000, the vision statement of the International Mission Board (IMB) of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) clearly defined its purpose and desire to mobilize the people to get involved: “To lead Southern Baptists to be on mission with God to bring all the 3Roger Peterson, Gordon Aeschliman, and R. Wayne Snell, Maximum Impact Short-Term Mission (Minneapolis: STEMPress, 2003), 7. 4Robert Wuthnow and Stephen Offutt, “Transnational religious connections,” Sociology of Religion 69 (2008): 218. 5Robert J. Priest, “Are Short-Term Missions Good Stewardship?,” Christianity Today 49 (July 2005) [on-line]; accessed 11 April 2011; available from http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2005/julyweb- only/22.0.html; Internet. 6Michael S. Wilder and Shane R. Parker, TransforMission: Making Disciples through Short- Term Missions (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2010), 3. 3 peoples of the world to saving faith in Jesus Christ.” 7 The most recent vision statement— “a multitude from every language, people, tribe and nation knowing and worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ”—does not specifically imply mobilization,