Missionary Organizations Research Articles

BERMISI DALAM MASYARAKAT MAJEMUK MELALUI DIALOG DAN KERJA SAMA

Indonesia is a pluralistic society because its citizens consist of various ethnic groups, races, religions, and social groups. Missions in a pluralistic society certainly have their own characteristics and uniqueness. This paper is a study of church missions in the context of a pluralistic society, taking West Sulawesi as the location of the research. The research method used to write this article is a qualitative method in the library, supplemented by field observations by observing the phenomena of church members' lives and interviews with several church leaders. This study employs a qualitative method with a case study approach, involving in-depth interviews with church leaders, congregation members, and other religious figures involved in interfaith dialogue and cooperation.. The results of the study indicate that honest and open dialogue, along with cooperation in social and humanitarian projects, can be effective tools for building mutually beneficial relationships between religious communities. This approach not only strengthens the role of the church in society but also helps to overcome prejudices and conflicts that may arise due to religious and cultural differences. These findings highlight the importance of cultural understanding, empathy, and communication skills in the implementation of missions in a pluralistic society. The study concludes that missions focusing on dialogue and cooperation are not only relevant but also essential in promoting peace and harmony in a pluralistic society. Practical recommendations are provided for churches and mission organizations in developing programs that support interfaith integration and cooperation, as well as advocating for policies that encourage inclusiveness and tolerance in society.

Reimagining Mission in and from Africa: A contextual analysis of OM Mission Approach in Southern Africa

The activities of mainline Western missionaries in Africa have been discussed by scholars from various perspectives, but much attention has not been given to mission organizations that are not affiliated with any denomination. This article therefore focuses on the work and mission approach of Operation Mobilisation (OM) in Africa. The article is based on empirical data gathered through interviews with twelve OM country leaders in Southern Africa (Angola, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). The key aim of the interviews was to establish from the OM leaders serving in the Southern African countries their self-understanding of the local context and the contextual implications for OM's work in and from the continent. It was to also establish some opportunities and challenges for missions for the African church and Western Established Mission Organizations WEMOs. The article argues for contextual consideration of OM’s mission agenda, missionary training, and discipleship approach in Africa.

Protestantism in Korea: from Banning Christianity to the Largest Megachurch in the World

This article examines Protestantism in Korea and the role of Protestantism in public life. The reasons for the success of Christian mission are analyzed, as well as peculiarities of Korean Protestantism in the international Christian movement. The development of Protestantism is shown as a holistic phenomenon in relationship with Catholicism and Buddhism. In addition to domestic and foreign historiography, official sources of statistical information are used. The activities of Protestant missionary organizations, the country's religious policy and the involvement of Protestant organizations in political activity are studied. Mega-churches and their role in Korean Protestantism have also been studied. The study revealed that the main reason for the strong expansion of Protestantism in the postwar period was due to both U.S. influence in postwar Korea and the «anti-superstition» policy. After independence, the majority practised folk religions and the state encouraged their conversion to Christianity or Buddhism. Today, Protestants constitute 20 percent of Korea's population, Buddhists 16 percent, and Catholics 8 percent. Mega-churches have become widespread; the Yoido Full Gospel Church is the largest church in the world, attended by half a million people. A peculiarity of Korea is the large number of missions sent abroad – the country is second only to the United States in the number of Protestant missionaries. It is concluded that Christianity will remain the most numerous religion in the country. At the same time, the influence of religious systems will diminish and individual religiosity will come first.

Peran Organisasi Persatuan Islam Tionghoa Indonesia (Piti) dalam Perkembangan Muslim Tionghoa di Kota Medan Tahun 1998-2023

Chinese Islamic Unity Organization (PITI) is a social missionary organization that houses ethnic Chinese Muslims in the city of Medan which was founded in 1961. In its organizational development it experienced obstacles such as during the New Order era when it had to change the name of its organization. And in 1998, PITI Medan could be said to have "a name but no form", in the sense that the PITI Medan organization existed but in all its activities experienced stagnation. However, running an organization does not mean it does not meet obstacles. Currently, PITI Medan is experiencing a decline in organizational activity due to a lack of awareness among the management and members to advance the organization. Due to work and long distances as well as lack of funds, this has also become an obstacle to the development of the PITI Medan organization. Apart from that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there have been no activities carried out by the PITI Medan organization until now. The PITI organization has a role as a forum for fostering religion and uniting Chinese Muslims with native Muslims, and native Muslims with ethnic Chinese which is one of the developments of Chinese Muslims in the city of Medan which is realized through activity programs, such as recitations, Muslimat taklim majlis, activities at the month of Ramadan, as well as activities to commemorate Islamic holidays. Keywords: ,

Seeds of Modern Education: American Influence in Turkey

American private foundations invested huge financial resources in institutions and individuals in the Republic of Turkey in the process of westernization of the country. This study seeks to present a detailed historical perspective of the activities of American philanthropic foundations and their influence on the development and the process of modernization of Turkey. Due to the war-torn state and poor socio-economic situation, the modernization process in Turkey implied comprehensive help from the Western countries, which Ataturk took as a model. Based on charity and humanitarian work, first American organizations arrived in Turkey at the beginning of 19th century. Popularly known as ‘‘missionary organizations’’ or simply ‘‘missionaries’’, they devoted their work to religious conversion of dominantly Christian minorities in the Ottoman Empire, charity activities and education. From the period of the first arrivals until 1920s, missionary organizations established number of hospitals and schools that proved beneficial to people and students across Turkey. At the beginning of 20th century, some of the American richest industrialists and businessmen in that period like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and Russell Sage have decided to establish private grant-providing foundations for the melioration of life standards of humankind all around the world – investing dominantly in education, infrastructure and public health. In terms of time scale, growth of the foundation imbricates with the establishment of modern Turkey in 1923. Led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the new government of Turkey was dedicated to the process of modernization of the country – a project that seriously needed support from the external powers. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the role of American private foundations in the process of development of education, health sector, and overall Turkey’s modernization. These findings suggest that American private organizations such as Rockefeller and Ford foundations had a strong hold in the development of institutions and education and training of individuals from Turkey in various fields.

The American Board and the Lausanne Conference Processes

This study aims to deal with and analyse how the American Board missionaries viewed both the process leading to the Lausanne Conference and the Treaty of Lausanne through the Missionary Herald, the journal of the American Board and to cast a light upon the views of America and the missionaries towards the new Ankara government within the framework of the Treaty of Lausanne. Thus, it is intended to show on which basis America built its relations with the newly established Turkish state after the collapse of the Ottoman State, and on which principles of this relationship are founded. In line with this purpose, the process leading to the Treaty of Lausanne and the Lausanne Treaty has been chosen as an example. In other words, case study analysis, one of the qualitative research patterns, was used to understand and evaluate the relations between the United States and the newly established Turkish state, and the study was mainly based on the information given by the American Board missionaries regarding the Lausanne Treaty. The data obtained were analysed through the descriptive analysis method, which allows the data to be summarised and interpreted within the framework of predetermined themes and to examine the cause-effect relationship in the quotations. As a result of the Treaty of Lausanne, missionary organisations were now completely subjected to Turkish law and lost their foreignness and privileges. For the American Board missionaries in Turkey, the behaviour of the American government officials that led to all these developments were considered "tragic mistakes that could not be corrected". Despite this view, the treaty made it possible to make more precise plans for the continuation of missionary initiatives in Turkey. The rights and privileges expected in the work to be carried out were finalised with this treaty.

Model učeništva T4T

In recent years many discipleship models emerged on the Christian global scene. One discipleship model that has garnered attention in theological seminaries, mission organizations, and churches is the T4T discipleship model (Training for Trainers). The T4T discipleship model is a part of Church Planting Movements (CPMs) and Disciple Making Movements (DMMs). This article provides information about the T4T discipleship model - what it is, what it does, and how is it applied. Further, this article considers its strengths and weaknesses regarding the use of it in the Croatian context. This article concludes that the T4T discipleship model is not suitable for use in local churches in Croatia unless there are substantial adaptations to its teaching and practices.

تبلیغی جماعت کے ذرائع تبلیغ کا تحقیقی جائزہ

Preaching of Islam is the most important responsibility of Ummah. For the payment of this duty various missionary organizations were established in the Muslim world. Tablighi Jammat is also a Tablighi movement, which was established by Maulana Muhammad Ilyas. Because the Maio nation was in danger of apostasy, this requires a Tablighi Jammat occurred. Now this movement is active in many countries of the world. Tablighi Jammat has own ways and timing course for preaching. They use different ways to preach. They preach through speeches, letters. They also send Tablighi deputations to entire country and outside countries for preaching. Besides male parties’ female parties also send. On the other hand, they use modern resources for preaching such as TV, Internet, Laptop, videos and audios etc. These means easy and useful to conveying the message of Islam.

Korean Christian Missionaries in High‐Risk Countries: Interaction with International Religious Networks and Domestic Response

AbstractWhy do some Christian foreign mission groups dispatch missionaries to some culturally and politically risky states where they face personal risks and political entanglements? Using world polity theory, I argue that local religious groups’ motivations are driven by their involvement in international religious networks, which mobilize missionaries to go to places such as Muslim countries. Based on 30 semistructured interviews with South Korean missionaries and leaders of churches and mission organizations, I illuminate that globally shared discourse of unreached people encouraged missionaries to volunteer to go to high‐risk states. I also suggest that Korean religious actors did not passively accept the influence of the international discourse but also reconstructed the discourse. The study also highlights that a missionary's dual identity as a religious actor and another profession to get a visa in high‐risk countries is bound up with the state's surveillance and potential persecution.

THE NORTH AMERICAN CIVILIZING PROJECT FOR THE BRAZILIAN HINTERLAND

This article aims to analyze the North American Presbyterian missionary action in the inside of Brazil that had three axes of action: religion, education and health. And education would serve as a vehicle for the implementation of its proposal. The theoretical-methodological framework is based on the concepts of representation and practices (CHARTIER, 1990), school culture (JULIA, 2001) and civilization (ELIAS, 1994). The missionary station planned and founded in 1906 by William Alfred Waddell, in the city of Wagner (Bahia), intended to dominate and civilize its surroundings. Created by the Central Mission of Brazil, in accordance with North American Presbyterian educational standards, the Ponte Nova Institute played a governamental role in formulating the action policy of that missionary organization. The rural secondary education institution aimed to train teachers for its schools and men who would be evangelists and future ministers of their churches, transforming them into agents of a new civilizing proposal. The school offered an integral education, that is, the intellectual, moral and spiritual formation of God-fearing men and women, well instructed and disciplined, lovers of freedom. In addition to being true Christians, they would be citizens participating in the civil and political life of their country, builders of a democratic, modern and progressive society, similar to North American society. For one hundred years – 1871 to 1917 – missionaries linked to the Central Mission of Brazil, departing from Bahia, organized churches, schools and hospitals in their area of jurisdiction.

Amerikan Misyonerlerinin Yayınlarında İkna İlkelerinin Tezahürü: Yunan Alfabesiyle Yazılmış Türkçe Çocuk Dergisi Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün Örneği

IIn the 19th century, many missionary organizations effectively infiltrated Ottoman society through their missionary activities. Among these organizations, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM), which has been active in Ottoman lands since 1820, stands out as an important missionary institution. Within the framework of its missionary activities, the ABCFM meticulously gathered information about the daily life of Ottoman society and sought to establish meaningful ties with them through educational, health and especially publishing initiatives. The ABCFM primarily focused on non-Muslim communities in Ottoman society, including the Karamanli Orthodox community, which was perceived as Greek due to their religious affiliation. The ABCFM aimed to succeed by converting all target groups, including the Karamanlides, to the Protestant faith. However, achieving this goal depended on their persuasiveness. Therefore, this study focuses on the compliance of ABCFM publications with the principles of persuasion. For this purpose, Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün (The Messenger for Children), an illustrated children's magazine that ABCFM missionaries began publishing in Istanbul as the Greek-lettered Turkish equivalent of the Armenian-lettered Turkish Avedaper, was selected as a case study. The study analyzed the first volume of Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün in 1872 in terms of the principles of persuasion. The findings show that the ABCFM largely adhered to the principles of persuasion in Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün. The findings show that ABCFM adhered to persuasive principles to a great extent in Angeliaforos Çocuklar İçün. This result can be interpreted as an indication that ABCFM was very meticulous in their publications and that their success was not accidental.

The Spiritual Teachings of Zakariyyā Kāndhlavī (d. 1982) in Fażāʾil-i Durūd Sharīf

Abstract Although the influential transnational Deobandi missionary organisation Tablīghī Jamāʿat is scarcely portrayed in contemporary popular media as a “Sufi movement,” the elders of the trend – such as the late Zakariyyā Kāndhlavī (d. 1402/1982) – were staunch Sufi shaykhs. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that one of the core texts of the Tablīghī Jamāʿat – Kāndhlavī’s Fażāʾil-i ʿAmāl – is full of many distinctly Sufi concepts. In the following essay, I look into the spiritual themes found in that particular volume of Kāndhlavī’s aforementioned work which deals specifically with the virtuous act of sending blessings upon the Prophet. In doing so, we will see that the Tablīghī Jamāʿat – deeply rooted in Sufi thought as it is – is very far removed from the Wahhabism with which it is occasionally associated in popular Western imagination.

Ghana to Become a Majority Muslim Nation by 2096: A Critical Examination of Ghana’s 2000, 2010, 2021 Censuses and its Implications for Christian Missions

This study analysed Ghana’s demographic patterns as shown by the 2000, 2010, and 2021 censuses and considered how these trends may affect Christian missions. According to the analysis, Ghana’s Muslim population has been steadily increasing over time, and by the year 2096, it may have a Muslim majority. Christian mission organisations working in Ghana must reevaluate their methods and approaches in order to effectively interact with and minister to a shifting religious landscape as a result of this probable demographic upheaval. The study also investigated the probable effects of a Muslim majority in Ghana and discussed the consequences for Christian missionary work, emphasising the need for cultural sensitivity, interfaith communication, and contextualised approaches to engage with the diverse religious beliefs and practices of Ghanaians. This study further examined what this demographic trend suggests and its implication for evangelism and intentional Christlike disciple making if a reversal is to be envisaged. The thesis statement of the paper is that Islam in Ghana unlike Christianity is witnessing steady growth, and the Church is enjoined by her calling to make Christlike disciples for her future survival. This article belongs to the field of missiology. It employed a transdisciplinary approach that incorporated statistical hermeneutics, hermeneutics of comparative theology, history of religion and demography to interpret quantitative results and determine their place and meaning in the religious landscape and their implications for Christian Mission. Keywords: Christian mission, Islamic growth, population census, Disciple-Making.

Women Academics in Theological and Mission Organisations

This paper reports on a small-scale inquiry into the experience of female scholars undertaking post-graduate research in a British mission research centre working primarily with students from international backgrounds. Drawing on previous research literature, survey and interview data is used to identify social, financial, gendered and theological factors that impact women in terms of their entry into academia, flourishing and advancement in that contact. It suggests that academic institutions, systemic processes and measures of achievement are currently largely ‘designed by men for men’ and act to exclude women who do not approach research within male structures. It suggests that measures of achievement are different for men and women and that there are systemic issues in an academic system designed by men which are restrictive for men as well as women. A healthy academic institution needs to value mutual support, accomplishment and belonging, providing mentors, role models and networks of support.

Sistem Informasi Sebagai Peluang dan Tantangan Dakwah

Application of a management information system to the Da'wah Organization Management Organization, which entails knowledge of the management information system, its goals, benefits, and features, as well as the Da'wah Organization Organization's management information system, from which we can learn how to apply this In missionary organizations, there is management, which starts with data processing and ends with data programming. Information systems need to be capable of offering useful information to managers, especially for users, in order to support operations and management within an organization in an integrated manner. Today's organizations need the involvement of many more internal parties than they did in the past when it came to their role and involvement in the development and management of information systems.
 Keywords: development, information systems, management

Missionaries’ Children and the Bible: A Critical Response to Some Theological and Missiological Views

Abstract This article scrutinizes some biblical texts playing an important role in motivating missionaries to separate from their children on a young age so that they were able to receive proper school education. The children received this schooling on a place far away and often also in another country. Thorough analysis demonstrates that the meaning of these texts was almost always different from the sense many missionaries and mission organizations extracted from them. Mirabile dictu these biblical pericopes were very seldom discussed within missiological academic literature.

The Resistance of Palembang’s Local Religious Elites to Dutch East Indies Islamic Politics in the 20th Century

The 19th century was the peak of the mission era and the beginning of the 20th century was the period of independence of the Protestant Church by inviting various missionary organizations from Europe to carry out their missions in the Dutch East Indies. This was a major threat to Muslims, including Palembang Malay Muslims. This article seeks to complement existing research with the aim of knowing the resistance factors of local elites in the Palembang Malay community. This study uses a socio-historical approach by making use of James C. Scoot’s resistance theory. Scoot’s theory of resistance. This study concludes that the resistance of local elites in Palembang Malay society is caused by the central role of local religious elites in preaching and teaching the Muslim community in Palembang to remote areas. The elites a r e in the category of free ulama. Figures such as Abdullah Munsyi and the Samaniyah tarekat teachers who made various efforts to save Muslims from Islamic politics run by the Dutch East Indies. Efforts were made such as the construction of various places that served as centers of Islamic studies such as langgar, mosques, and madrasas.

Isn’t a Call Enough? What Is the Purpose of Psychologically Assessing Cross-Cultural Mission Workers?

Psychological assessments are routinely conducted by many cross-cultural mission organizations when recruiting candidates. This qualitative research aimed to clarify the purpose of these assessments, to provide a way forward to improving them. It is part of a larger project which has investigated the use of psychological assessments in the Australasian region. A subsample of six chief executive officers (CEOs), six-member care specialists, and six professional assessors consented to a 1-hour interview about the purpose of psychological assessments. Thematic analysis was used to extract the key themes, and the data from each group were triangulated to form overarching themes. The results suggested each group approached purpose from their professional standpoint. CEOs focused on missiology, member care specialists on pastoral care, and assessors on psychological frameworks for understanding candidates. Five key purposes were identified for these assessments: (1) screening risk, (2) candidate self-awareness and growth, (3) fit for role, (4) discerning call, and (5) normalizing prevention of harm. These assessments are a key part of the discernment process for ministry. They need to be improved based on our increased understanding of the purpose they can potentially serve in ameliorating harm to people who volunteer for cross-cultural work.

Adaptation in Modern Times

AbstractSince the beginning of Christian mission, adaptation to local cultures (later called acculturation or inculturation) has been the main factor in mission failure or success. Placide Tempels is considered a pioneer of adaptation in modern times. He was a Flemish Franciscan missionary in Congo from 1933 to 1962 (with two breaks) and is well known for his adaptation to the Bantu worldview. Referring to spiritual and intellectual adaptation, the paper will answer the following questions: Was the adaptation of Placide Tempels successful? If it was or was not, why and in what way? The analysis will be linked to William Biernatzki's theory of root paradigms and meanings. To conclude, a connection will be made to the process of adaptation in international mission organizations today.

American Female Missionary Victims of Epidemics

Epidemics have always played an important role in human history and have deeply affected the individual, social and economic lives of states, communities and people. The communities located at the crossing point of civilizations and being on trade transition routes have been more affected by epidemics due to the intensity of interaction. This is probably why Anatolia has always faced epidemics from past to present. One of the time periods when these epidemics are intense is the process from 1820 to the end of the World War I. It is known that the American Board missionary organization was operating in the Ottoman lands during these epidemic times. For this reason, it is seen that the effects of the epidemic were voiced by missionaries, and even became the subject of American Board reports. 
 This study is about the female missionaries (married or single) who worked on behalf of the American Board organization, who left their country for an ideal, came to the Ottoman lands and lost their lives due to some epidemics. First of all, the subject of the study will be revealed through the information in the documents of the American Board, the articles in the Board’s publication called "The Missionary Herald". In the light of the aforementioned documents, the aim of the study is to both reveal the identities of the women missionaries who lost their lives in the Ottoman lands due to some epidemic diseases and also to relate which disease they died from, and thus to make some contributions to the literature.