Mission History

Dr. Lalith Mendis

National Missions Congress

1999 March 16-18

20.02.1999

1795 - LONDON MISS. SOC.; FIVE MISSIONARIES

1812 - BMS/ENG - JAMES CHATER – HANWELLA

1814 - METHODISTS 5 (DR. COKE) - WELIGAMA, GALLE

1816 - AMERICAN MISSION – JAFFNA

1818 - CMS- BADDEGAMA

1840 - S.P.G. M.S.

1883 - SALVATION ARMY - CAPT. GLADWIN

MISSION HISTORYMISSION HISTORYMISSION HISTORY

Mission History contd.Mission History contd.1899 - SINANA MISS(ANG. CH.)

1904 - SDA

1918 - SADHU SUNDHAR SINGH

1923 - ANNA LEWINI - FIRST PENTECOSTAL MISS.

1923 - CEYLON PENTECOSTAL MISSION-

1928 - AOG MISSIONARIES - WALTER CLIFFORD

1940 - CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CENTRE

1948 - AMERICAN MISS. CSI

RC RC

15051505DRCDRC

16421642ANG ANG

17961796Met Met

18141814BAPBAP

18121812SASA

18831883

17217211

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298000298000 35003500 3251325144

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COLONIAL CHRISTIANITY-POSITIVESCOLONIAL CHRISTIANITY-POSITIVES

• First invasion-Scripture translation- KEY KEY NATIONALSNATIONALS

• Nations responded best to the first invasion - RC in Sri Lanka, Baptists in Burma, Presbyterians in Korea & Indonesia. Gospel introduced- resistance broke

• Biblical Social Values - family, marriage, democracy

• Sri Lanka was a feuding feudal jungle where king was law

• Modern civic structures and technologies- Law, medicine, police, postal, CCS

COLONIAL CHRISTIANITY-COLONIAL CHRISTIANITY-NEGATIVESNEGATIVES

• Concept of Christianizing of evangelizing

• Clergy dependence - building related worship of community based Christianity – denominationalism

• Liberal theology - unbiblical western social customs

• Rice Christianity - Confrontational debates

• Intellectual dependence of power proclamation

• Imported liturgy, hymns - exclusivism of Christians

• Over-shepherding cf soul winning

COLONIAL CHRISTIANITYCOLONIAL CHRISTIANITY METHODS OF EVANGELISM METHODS OF EVANGELISM

*Personal * Schools * Sunday meeting

• Medical missions- Evelyn Carney – Talawa

• Evangelistic tracts – Debates

• Methodist Catechists

• Rice Christianity & Govt. favour for converts

Rate of SpreadRate of Spread

Baptist Methodist Salvation Army

Pentecost

Origin 1680 1739 1860 1906

Sri Lanka

1812 1814 1883 1907

EBENEZER DANIEL(1784-1844)- EBENEZER DANIEL(1784-1844)- BAPTISTBAPTIST

•1830- replaced Chater(Eng-Sinh Dictionary)in Colombo

•Strategy of planting viable congregationsplanting viable congregations under locallocal eldershipeldership on every trunk road every trunk road - Kadawatha, Makewita

Walking evangelist - “Protestant Witness” Matale

•1838- 2 FM; 5 Cey.MinistersCey.Ministers; 135- members Gonawala

6 churches; 17 - Schools; 450 - students Hanwella,

•Build churches with logs- name of elders engraved Colombo-s/t, Kotikawatte, Kandy, Ratnapura

•Died in Sri Lanka- buried Cinnamon Garden Bp. Church

ARNOLIS WEERASOORIYA 1857-ARNOLIS WEERASOORIYA 1857-18881888

•Lord had men in nations to respond to His sovereign moves- World mission=God’s seasons + men of peace

•Teacher at Trinity-influential family,radical conversion

•Joined SA 1883-cadet to Colonel 1888; apostleship recognised by SA. Leader in Sri Lanka & India

•Radical Evangelistic methods & mission strategy

•Sacrifice & lifestyle training of others- indigenization

•Strong congregations in unreached areas

CROSS IS MY ATTRACTIONCROSS IS MY ATTRACTION

““YOURS FOR THE SALATION OF INDIA(+SRI YOURS FOR THE SALATION OF INDIA(+SRI LANKA)”LANKA)”

ORIGINS OF PENTECOSTALISMORIGINS OF PENTECOSTALISM

• 1907- AG Garr DE Dias Wanigasekere church plant

• 1909- Minnie Houck, M Abrams- school,orphanageschool,orphanage In Nuwaraeliya

• 1912 - WD Grier itinerant Evangelismitinerant Evangelism. + SA DeAlwis

• 1917- GH Doyal

Source- Prof GPV Somarathne- Walter Clifford( Publ. Margaya)

Origins of PentecostalismOrigins of Pentecostalism

• 1922- Anna Lewini- simple lifestyle; JJB de Silva JS Wickramaratne 12 Pentecostals already present; revival meetingsrevival meetings with healingswith healings;

• 1923- Glad Tidings Hall(Borella- Wellawatte) revival revival meetings- meetings- attracted Christians deadened by liberal theology- Chilaw, Jaffna

• Paul Ram & Alwin De Alwis touched by Lewini CPM (national apostles)(national apostles)

• 1924- W Clifford works with Lewini AOG

• 1930 Lewini + Wickramaratnes Makewita AOG

CEYLON PENTECOSTAL CEYLON PENTECOSTAL MISSIONMISSION

• 1923- indigenous; God’s season; global impact

• Founders- anglican, methodist, baptist

• Foreign input- Anna Lewini, SmithWigglesworth

• Strong mission base - community sharing(Galle)

• Holy Spirit emphasis - prayer(faith) homes

• Apostles, prophets, consecrated ministry,

• Central govt., celibacy, national dress-white

• Evangelism through healing miracles - winning converts from other churches - exclusivism

Strong

sisters’

ministry

CPM ctd.CPM ctd.

• first third world church to send missionaries out

• faith funding - Acts kind of sharing

• Much emphasis on quality of worker & believer

• obedience & military precision - sacrifice

• quick extension church plants with any door- rented houses - work in 22 out of 25 districts

• multiple workers (celibate) in a faith home - large congregations

CPM ctdCPM ctd

• Spiritual warfare - all night vigils, long worship sessions, trilingual, many new songs, anointing

• Triennial conventions- edification and evangelism

• 1930-1950- Sri Lanka most prosperous nation in 1930-1950- Sri Lanka most prosperous nation in Asia; ? Spiritual revival Asia; ? Spiritual revival open heaven open heaven

• 1957 - CPM debacle + Tamil/Sinhala conflict

• 1959 - Ethnic riots; Sorrows of SL begin

• up to 1984 - spiritual barrenness ruined nation

Assemblies of God 1928Assemblies of God 1928

• Common roots with CPM - married ministry separated- work with W.Clifford- early baptist conv

• Slow growth until 1975- foreign missionaries- central Bible School trainees

• 1975 national apostle1975 national apostle- Timothean concept in Regional centres +central Bible School ordinands

• 1975-1985 nascent period; 1985rapid growth

• Large regional churches-strong leaders- launch church plants decentralized- ?next apostle

In field

training

Case Study-Off the track Case Study-Off the track model...model...

• Any apostle begins with one small church plant

• Foundation laying- prayer, moulding anointing 7yrs

• Making of stones (sons born) for foundation- 7yrs

• Strong mature couples (men of peace) raised by God nucleus of church plant in 17 districts- 7yrs

• Pastor in secular work until church grows

• Apostle/prophet govt. + slow, steady growth

• Provincial mission base Regional church planting 40 congregations

APOSTLES- dead or alive ?APOSTLES- dead or alive ?•Paul began under Barnabus-tested in first church planttested in first church plant

•Long nascent period - beget sons in the faith future

Apostles, prophets..*Lifelong relationships

•Apostles lay foundations for many stable churches

•Pastor one cong. With many splits- Absalom churches Pastor one cong. With many splits- Absalom churches

Birth sons as co-labourer Hire workers

Sons birth churches Ev produces people

Ministry gifting in others Increasing numbers are Birth stable churches grouped as unstable churches

ARE WE LEARNING ?ARE WE LEARNING ?• Sound mission strategies fruitful evangelism

E.g. Eb. Daniel, Arnolis W.- incarnational evangelismincarnational evangelism

• Messenger accepted message accepted

• Missionaries mature men - apostles succeeded

• Apostles or pastors *Recruit or release *Plant or grow

• Employees or sons *Extension or parachute drop

• Pastor- full time or lay- pros & cons

• Contextualized theology & Ev. Tracts

• Contrast urban/rural church gap

• Split or birth new churches

• What kind of spiritual warfare - spiritual mapping

Answering

Marxism

Cross & Bo Tree

DR. Tissa W