Introduction to Missiology

Ch.18 – The Indigenous Church

Key Term - IndigenousAgriculture – thriving in a given location, soil, and climateChurch planting – thriving in the cultural “soil” of a given place; culturally appropriate.

Indigenization – developing a church that is self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating, and that reflects positive aspects of the local culture in its expression of Christian community and ministry.

Key Term – Accommodation

Used more frequently by Roman Catholic missiologists

Definition: Accommodation – adapting or adjusting a culture to fit a received church tradition

Historic IndigenizationHistorically driven by outside advocatesDeveloping a church native to its culture by external control is problematicProper approach is to guide cultural insiders as they wrestle with issues of indigenizationWhen insiders seek to integrate biblical faith and local culture, they sense the need for enculturation or contextualization

Key Term – EnculturationMore Catholic in originDef: the creative and dynamic relationship between the Christian message and a culture or cultures.More specifically, it is the church practices which emerge as a result of this interaction

Key Term – Contextualization

Ecumenical Protestant in originEmphasis is on addressing the social issues in a particular context

Contextualization – Enabling the Christian message to become alive as it addresses the core issues of a sociocultural context and transforms people’s worldview, values, and goals.

Three-self FormulaOriginated by Rufus Anderson (1841) and Henry Venn (1855)Formula: Self-supporting, Self-governing, Self-Propagating.First thoroughly applied in Korea among Presbyterians upon counsel of John L. Nevius

Roland Allen (1868-1947)Key issue is trusting the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of new believersResult is partnership between missionary and native church based on mutual trustBooks

Missionary Methods: St.Paul’s or OursThe Spontaneous Expansion of the Church

IMC Meeting of 1938Watershed event in India because of the influence of the report on proceedings“An indigenous church…rooted in obedience to Christ, spontaneously uses forms of thought and modes of action natural and familiar in its own environment.”

Self-theologizingA requirement for the “three-self” formula to be realizedTwo-thirds world theologians began to introduce socio-cultural elements from their own context into the world theological dialogue

Models of Church-Mission Relationships

Mission directs the indigenous churchesMission directs the indigenous church convention by controlling key leadersMission directs the indigenous church convention by controlling fundingMission and indigenous church develop and implement a shared visionIndigenous church divests itself of all connection to the mission agency

Missionary ObligationAcknowledge the dynamic role change as the national church developsFoster the early emergence of local leadersProactively shift roles to enable healthy autonomy of the indigenous church