:8

Chapter One: By the Year 2000?

T
hc A2000 Movcmcnt
1
has a prolound mis
sion statcmcnt: A Church for Every People and
the Gospel for Every Person By the Year 2000.
o thcsc thrcc phrascs givc us a crystal clcar mandatc:
Notc thc nal phrasc cspccially.
8y thc ycar 2000 is thc most clcctrilying phrasc in thc
statcmcnt, it also causcs thc most hcsitation. No onc
objccts to thc idca ol goals lor thc ycar 2000, but hcrc
wc scc every pcoplc and every pcrson. ocsnt thc
prcscncc (twicc) ol thc word cvcry makc thcsc goals
lor A 2000 sccm audacious and pcrhaps cvcn loolish:
Supposc wc could arrivc at thc placc whcrc wc wcrc
absolutcly condcnt that cvcry person on carth has
hcard thc Gospcl and undcrstood it, that is, cvcryonc
who is ovcr 2 ycars old, say, and also not so old as to bc
unable to hear, or so sick as to bc unable to think. !n any
casc, supposc wc could comc to thc placc whcrc cvcry
hcaring pcrson has hcard. At midnight on a ccrtain
nightwc havc nishcd thc job!
nc day latcr, ovcr a million morc tiny tots havc ar
rivcd at thc agc ol two, and ovcr a million morc pcoplc
havc plungcd bcyond a condition ol intclligibility.
(Notc that God must know what to do with all such
pcoplc. Tcrc arc probably 500 million childrcn in thc
world at any givcn timc undcr thc agc ol two. Vho
knows how many oldcr or sick lolks thcrc arc:)
8ut this is thc point: is God rcally playing with statis
tics and watching curvcs on a computcr graph: !s Hc
mcchanically waiting lor a ccrtain numbcr ol souls to bc
savcd: !s Hc counting pcoplcs and pcrsons: !s that all Hc
cxpccts us to shoot lor by A 2000:
Vhat can bc donc by thc ycar 2000: Vhat is it that wc
can all pray lor:
Vcll, what did Jcsus tcll us to pray lor: Hc said that
wc must pray Ty Kingdom comc, Ty will bc donc
on carth as it is in hcavcn.
Vhat this mcans is that our conccpt ol Gods dcsirc to
rcach all pcoplcs and pcrsons must somchow bc part ol
His dcsirc lor His Kingdom to comc on carth. thcr
vcrscs say that Hc looks toward thc timc whcn all thc
nations ol thc world will dcclarc His glory.
Vhat docs it rcally mcan lor His Kingdom to comc:
Jcsus oncc said, !l ! with thc ngcr ol God cast out
dcvils, thcn has thc Kingdom ol God comc upon you
(Lukc 11:20).
!s this what it mcans lor thc Kingdom ol God to
comc: !s it possiblc that wc havc bccomc so ticd up
with our mcasurcmcnts ol cvangclism, social rclorm,
and cconomic growth that wc havc lorgottcn that God
is primarily in thc busincss ol conqucring Satan:
Vc look lorward toward thc timc whcn Tc King
doms ol this world arc bccomc thc kingdoms ol our
Lord, and ol His Christ, and Hc shall rcign lorcvcr
and cvcr (Rcv 11:15). Surcly Hc sccks to vanquish thc
Rulcrs ol thc darkncss ol this carth (ph 6:12):
8ut this is not simply a casc ol political or military
conqucst. Jcsus madc that plain whcn Hc said, My
kingdom is not ol this world. So wcrc not looking
lor a Christianizcd Unitcd Nations any morc than wc
arc looking lorward to cvcry pcrson bcing convcrtcd
to Christ, or cvcn all social wrongs rightcd. !ndccd, in
Rcvclation 21 wc notc that after Hc rcturns Hc shall
wipc away cvcry tcar
Te Analysis of a Movement
Ralph D. Winter
Rcprintcd with pcrmission lrom: Ralph . Vintcr, Frontiers in Mission: Discovering and Surmounting Barriers to the Missio Dei. Tird dition. Pasadcna,
CA: Villiam Carcy !ntcrnational Univcrsity Prcss, 2005, pp. 135144.
:88 Tnv Ax~ivsis ov ~ Movv:vx:
!s it possiblc that thc csscncc ol thc Rcturn ol Christ
will incvitably bc a momcnt whcn mcasurablc cvan
gclistic goals will bc ovcrwhclmcd by a total ncwncss
ol Gods own dcsign:
Ccrtainly wc should takc our cvangclistic mcasurcmcnts
scriously, but not as ultimatc paramctcrs ol Gods plan. Vc
must look lorward to thc ycar 2000, knowing that Hc may
cvaluatc things by mcasurcs wc cannot lully comprchcnd.
His thoughts arc highcr than our thoughts. Mcanwhilc,
with rcgard to His known will, wc can and must go all out.
Can wc bc ovcrly conccrncd about bookkccping tallics in
hcavcn and lcss conccrncd about dcclaring His glory on
carth: Can souls gct savcd without His Namc bcing glo
ricd: ! actually bclicvc that brilliant cvangclical thinkcrs
who arc wrcstling with lrontlinc scicncc arc part and
parccl ol thc global strugglc to glorily His Namc.
Tis is why brcaking through into cvcry pcoplc has got
to bc a prccursor to rcaching cvcry pcrson. Satan holds
whole peoples in bondage. Vc cant wrcstlc a singlc soul
out ol his hand without challcnging his authority in
that particular pcoplc group.
!n thosc groups whcrc Satans hold has alrcady bccn
brokcn, it is wcll undcrstood how to win souls. 8ut, in
groups whcrc no rcal brcakthrough has occurrcd, thc
contcst is still a powcr cncountcr bctwccn thc Spirit
ol God and thc powcrs ol darkncss. Tis is why thc
lront linc is praycr. Tis is why Asian cvangclists say
thcy must rst bind thc strong man bclorc cntcring a
villagc that sits in darkncss waiting lor thc grcat light.
Vc must rcmcmbcr that taking thc light into dark
placcs will mcct crcc rcsistancc. !n thc 8iblc thc con
ccpt ol darkncss is not mcrcly thc abscncc ol light but
thc prcscncc ol a malignant, dcstroying Pcrson. Tat is
why thc kingdoms ol this world will not casily yicld.
Every PeopleKingdoms of Darkness
Tc phrasc Every People rclcrs to thcsc kingdoms ol
darkncss. Tis is why this phrasc comcs rst in thc slo
gan. nly whcn thc gatcs ol thosc kingdoms arc brokcn
down can thc Gospcl bc availablc lor cvcry pcrson.
Vhat docs a darkcncd kingdom look likc: How can
wc tcll whcn a kingdom has bccn brought undcr Gods
sway: !snt this thc dcnition ol spiritual mapping:
Satan wiclds his control ovcr individuals by dominating
thcir groups. Most pcoplc lollow thc lcad ol thcir own
group. \cry lcw individuals arc pcrlcctly unrcstrictcd
thinkcrs lor thcmsclvcs. Somctimcs it is baing to
missionarics to know how to pcnctratc a group. ltcn
thc brcakthrough comcs through a miraculous hcaling
or thc unaccountablc convcrsion ol a kcy pcrson, not
through normal cvangclism. Normal cvangclism only
bccomcs possiblc altcr that brcakthrough occurs.
8ack to our point: it may bc, thcrclorc, somcwhat articial
to try to gurc out how many individuals arc, or arcnt, won
to Christ. Maybe what we face is a much more direct question:
are there still kingdoms of this world where His Name is not
gloried? vcry pcoplc and cvcry pcrson arc stcpping stoncs
in that dircction and arc thc rcsult ol thc invasion ol Gods
glory. 8ut thc conqucring ol thc kingdoms ol this world is
both morc and lcss than cvcry people and cvcry person.
Tat this is primarily a spiritual battlc ccrtainly docs
not mcan wc can sct asidc carclul planning lor cvan
gclism and pionccr pcnctration and just pray that God
will go out and do His thing. Vhat it docs mcan is that
Vc ght not against csh and blood but against princi
palitics, against powcrs, against thc rulcrs ol thc darkncss
ol this world, against thc spiritual lorccs ol cvil in thc
hcavcnly rcalms (ph 6:12).
And wc know that it is our ght, not just His, and that
Hc is ghting with us. Vc do not nccd to worry about
losing. Vc know that in cvcry placc on carth thc kcy
cort is not going to bc our wisdom or cvcn our hard
work. !t will bc all ol that plus His sovcrcign powcr
brcaking down thc vcry gatcs ol hcll. And wc know
that Hc is still doing miraclcs.
All ol this cannot bc brought togcthcr into a singlc human
plan, yct it calls upon cvcry planning cort, all crcativc ap
proachcs, and all thc sacricc wc can mustcr. Vc do know
that our mcasurcmcntsour pcoplcs and pcrsonsarc
mcrcly concrctc goals. Vc know also that Hc is with us and
wc arc acting in obcdicncc to thc Hcavcnly call.
We can be embarrassed by the outcome in the year 2000. But
we will be embarrassed only if when that day comes we can-
not say we have done everything in our power to nd and
approach and reach every people and every person on earth.
8ut what docs A Church lor vcry Pcoplc mcan:
Chapter Two:
A Church for Every People?
!n thc vcword phrasc, A Church lor vcry Pcoplc,
thc word church mcans much morc than an cmpty
building or cvcn a small congrcgation.
Ralph D. Winter :8
Tc rst vc words ol thc A 2000 Movcmcnt slogan
wcrc launchcd in 1980 by a globallcvcl mccting ol
mission cxccutivcs coming lrom both thc Vcstcrn
world and thc TwoTirds world. At that mccting thc
lulllmcnt ol thc phrasc A Church lor vcry Pcoplc
by thc Ycar 2000 was ccrtainly not lor onc symbolic
congrcgation to bc plantcd within cvcry group by thc
ycar 2000. 8chind this simplc phrasc A Church lor
vcry Pcoplc was csscntially a church movcmcnt.
Tc phrasc A Church lor vcry Pcoplc was actually
bascd on onald McGavrans conccpt madc lamous
almost thirty ycars carlicr whcn hc spokc ol a pcoplc
movcmcnt to Christ. A small group ol pcoplc mct in
a privatc homc a lcw months bclorc thc 1980 mcct
ing and hammcrcd out this ncw watchword. r.
McGavrans conviction which had inucnccd so many
othcrs was that we cannot say that we have evangelized
a person unless that person has been given a chance to unite
with an indigenous movement within his or her own soci-
ety. Notc that il wc takc this scriously wc cannot cvcn
spcak ol thc Gospcl lor vcry Pcrson without planning
to achicvc an indigcnous pcoplc movcmcnt to Christ
in cvcry pcoplc.
McGavrans conccrn lor convcrts was that thcy ought
to bc cncouragcd to rcach thcir own pcoplc rathcr
than separate lrom thcm, and to do that hc lclt that
thcy should stay within thc social sphcrc ol thcir own
pcoplc. McGavrans marvclous lcttcr on this subjcct
is printcd in lull in thc Appcndix ol this articlc.
What is the Upshot?
Tc churchcs ol thc Ncw Tcstamcnt avidly sproutcd
up in part bccausc ol thc impassc cxpcricnccd by thc
Gcntilc dcvout pcrsons attcnding Jcwish synagogucs
out in Gcntilc tcrritory. Many ol thc synagogucs ol
thc Jcwish dispcrsion had gcncrously invitcd Gcntilc
scckcrs to sit in thc back rows. 8ut such invitccs wcrc
not givcn an inch by thc dcvout Jcwish corc ol thosc
synagogucs whcn it camc to thc laying asidc thc Jcw
ish cultural tradition. Likc many Christians today, thc
laithlul had to somc cxtcnt conluscd thcir cultural
tradition (dict, calcndar, drcss, ctc.) with thc laith itscll.
Tcir tradition had bccomc traditionalism, to usc Jaro
slav Pclicans languagcTradition is thc living laith ol
thc dcad, traditionalism is thc dcad laith ol thc living.
Paul camc along and darcd to call out all such (Grcck)
dcvout pcrsons into what would bccomc csscntially
Gcntilcrun synagogucs. Now thc last growing traits
ol carly Christianity bcgan to appcar. ncc thc laith
was indigcnizcd (or contcxtualizcd) it grcw rapidly.
Vithin two ccnturics morc than onc third ol thc cntirc
population in thc thc astcrn portion ol thc Roman
mpirc had dccidcd to lollow Christ!
8ut a lactor morc important than mcrc culturc was
involvcd. Paul, rclcrring to Aquila and Priscilla, spokc
ol thc church that is in thcir housc (Rom 16:5, 1 Cor
16:19), a situation (unnoticcablc to many Amcrican
rcadcrs) whcrc lamily tics and church worship wcnt
togcthcr, whcrc church authority and lamily authority
wcrc oltcn indistinguishablc, whcrc church disciplinc
and lamily rcspcct wcrc onc and thc samc thing, whcrc
thc principlc ol honor thy lathcr and thy mothcr
was not dicrcnt lrom spiritual accountability in thc
church. !n such a church it is unlikcly that thc ostra
cism McGavran lcars would occur. !t is likcly that thc
synagogucs ol thc Ncw Tcstamcnt pcriod as wcll as thc
Gcntilcrun churchcs ol thc Ncw Tcstamcnt pcriod
mainly consistcd ol a clustcr ol cxtcndcd lamilics
guidcd by thc cldcrs ol thosc lamilics.
Beware of the Americans!
Vhat is a church in thc phrasc A Church lor vcry
Pcoplc: !n Amcricacspccially in urban Amcrica
churchcs havc bccomc morc and morc collcctions ol
unrclatcd individuals huddling togcthcrindividuals
who, lor thc most part, havc alrcady bccn looscncd up
lrom thcir natural lamilics with thc church bccoming
a kind ol substitutc lamily. Marricd couplcs may havc
childrcn and bring thcm to church (whcrc thcy arc
normally scgrcgatcd o into agcgradcd lcllowships),
but thcy arc not oltcn askcd about thcir own parcnts.
Ncithcr arc oldcr pcoplc askcd about thcir childrcn.
!ndividual dccisions in thc church arc as important
as individualism has bccomc in sccular socicty. Tus,
although thc churchcs ol urban Amcrica to somc
signicant cxtcnt pcrlorm thc lunctions ol a lamily,
thcy oltcn do so in thc abscncc olor possibly cvcn
at thc cxpcnsc olthc natural lamilics. For cxamplc,
although ! havc attcndcd cvangclical churchcs in many
parts ol thc Unitcd Statcs, ! havc ncvcr hcard a scr
mon on why or how to havc lamily dcvotions. Pcrsonal
dcvotions, ycs, but not family dcvotions.
8ut as thc church ol Jcsus Christ grows up in soil ol thc
traditional socictics around thc world (most ol which arc
not yct so individualistic), it oltcn bccomcs a movcmcnt
which normally rcinlorccs, not dismantlcs, natural lami
:o Tnv Ax~ivsis ov ~ Movv:vx:
lics, which arc part ol Crcation. Tis rcsult is not what thc
avcragc Amcrican missionary always cxpccts, howcvcr.
Somctimcs missionarics lccl thcy must strcss that pcoplc
who comc to Christ do so in opposition to thcir parcnts
lcst thcir dccisions not bc rcal. n thc othcr hand, ! hcard
thc story ol a North Korcan young pcrson that camc to
Christ. His lathcr askcd him what Christianity taught
him. Hc said that it taught him to honor and rcspcct his
lathcr and mothcr. Tc lathcrs rcsponsc was, Good.
!l wc scriously scck A Church lor vcry Pcoplc wc
must rccovcr this 8iblical harmony bctwccn natural
lamilics and church lamilics. !t will probably bc much
casicr lor missionarics lrom thc Tird Vorld to do this
than lor Amcricans, whosc instincts may oltcn lcad
thcm (in thcir hastc to plant a church) to cstab
lish congrcgations composcd mainly ol looscncd up
individuals, social rclugccs, or cvcn social dcviants.
8ut, in actuality, to work within thc culturc rathcr than
against it may oltcn bc casicr, not hardcr!
Ncvcrthclcss, thcrc will still bc timcs and situations
whcn thc Amcrican practicc ol putting togcthcr scat
tcrcd lamily lragmcnts in brothcrly lovc will bc a hclp
lul tcchniquc, cspccially as urban conditions around
thc world may involvc thc tragic dcgrcc ol lamily
lragmcntation which wc now havc in thc U.S.A.
Howcvcr, thc global thrcat ol Amcrican and Vcstcrn
hypcrindividualism, so closcly allicd with Christianity as
it now is, may morc oltcn posc onc ol thc most scrious ob
staclcs to thc rcalization ol A Church lor vcry Pcoplc.
Missiologically Dened Peoples?
!n any casc, only altcr wc rccognizc clcarly that a
pcoplc movcmcnt to Christ should bc thc basic goal
ol missionary activity within a pcoplc is it possiblc
to think clcarly about what kind ol a pcoplc wc arc
talking about. !l wc scc clcarly that a pcoplc movc
mcnt is highly indigcnous, and that thc mcmbcrs
ol thc pcoplc lccl a scnsc ol bclonging to cach othcr,
thcn it is possiblc to rccognizc thc inhcrcnt barricrs
that rcsult lrom rivalrics or cnmitics within groups
which may appcar unicd and barricrlcss to outsidc
obscrvcrs. Tosc ol us who oltcn count cthnolinguis
tic groups usually takc vcry scriously thc tangiblc
dicrcnccs in dialcct or vocabulary ol dicrcnt groups
but may not oltcn takc scriously thc many dicrcnt
kinds ol intangiblc prcjudicc barricrs that dcnc ad
ditional subgroups.
!n othcr words, il thcrc arc divisions which prcvcnt all
thc pcoplc in a group joining in with a pcoplc movc
mcnt that has grown up, it is likcly that (lrom thc
standpoint ol missionary stratcgy) thcrc arc rcally two
or morc groups, not just onc, and that morc than onc
pcoplc movcmcnt must bc startcd to lulll thc goal ol
Tc Gospcl lor vcry Pcoplc. !s this what it will takc
lor every person to havc acccss to thc Gospcl:
Chapter Tree:
Te Gospel for Every Person?
Vhat docs it mcan lor us to try to takc scriously thc
statcmcnt that we cannot say that we have evangelized a
person unless that person has been given a chance to unite with
an indigenous movement within his or her own society?
!l it is impcrativc lor thcrc to bc an indigcnous church
movcmcnt within cvcry people in ordcr lor cvcry person
to havc a rcasonablc opportunity to know Christ, thcn
it comcs with cqual lorcc that il cvcry pcrson in a
group cannot join an cxisting pcoplc movcmcnt, it is
apparcntly truc that this group consists ol morc than
onc group nccding thc incarnation ol an indigcnous
church movcmcnt. !n a word, lrom thc standpoint ol
churchplanting stratcgy thcrc may bc important subdi
visions within thc group which wc havc assumcd is just
onc group.
Groups within Groups?
Tis lact has causcd a lot ol conlusion. !t mcans wc
cant start out by counting how many groups thcrc arc
cxccpt in a gucsswork scnsc. Somc or many ol our
groups may turn out to bc clustcrs ol groups. nly
whcn a pcoplc movcmcnt gcts going will it dcnc thc
practical boundarics and allow us to dcnc how many
groups thcrc actually arc. !t mcans that wc can only
count groups accuratcly after thc Gospcl has comc, not
before. Vc dont want to count morc groups than rcally
can bc rcachcd with a singlc pcoplc movcmcnt, yct wc
dont want to ignorc silcnt, alicnatcd minoritics which
lccl lclt out ol a majority movcmcnt. Tc tcchnical
wording gocs likc this: a group with mission signi
cancc is thc largcst group within which thc Gospcl
can sprcad as a churchplanting movcmcnt without
cncountcring barricrs ol undcrstanding or acccptancc.
Tcsc words wcrc lramcd by a largc and rcprcscnta
tivc group ol mission cxpcrts at a Lausanncsponsorcd
mccting in March ol 1982. Ncithcr bclorc nor altcr
Ralph D. Winter :+
has thcrc cvcr bccn a similar mccting to dcnc such
conccpts and tcrms. Tc most common objcction to
this dcnition is that this particular wording rcsults
in a pcoplc ol a typc dcncd by missiological critcria,
which is mcaninglul primarily to mission stratcgists.
Pragmatically, howcvcr, you cant nd data ol this
kind in cncyclopcdias or world almanacs or rclcrcncc
matcrials coming lrom thc Unitcd Nations. Sccular
rcscarchcrs dont think in such tcrms. Rathcr, what you
do nd is data bascd on country units, which oltcn
(vcry oltcn) split a singlc pcoplc group into two or
morc groups bccausc ol country bordcrs.
Dening Groups by Ministry Tools
Christian workcrs may bc conluscd partly bccausc thcy
naturally tcnd to dcnc thc worlds population in tcrms
ol thc groups which arc rcasonablc targcts lor thc par
ticular tools ol cvangclism in which they specialize.
For cxamplc, thosc missionarics who hold in thcir
hands immcnscly powcrlul radio stations havc undcr
standably concludcd that thcy must limit thcir out
rcach to 280 groups ol pcoplc in thc worldthosc that
arc ovcr 1 million in sizc. Missionary radio, thc cnor
mous and cxpcnsivc tool in thcir hands, docs not allow
thcm to copc with thc smallcr groups within thcsc 280
sphcrcs, smallcr groups which havc dicring dialccts.
Tc thought is that thc smallcr groups can undcrstand
through a tradc languagc within thc 280.
r, takc Campus Crusadcs amazing Jesus lm stratcgy.
Although Jesus lm stratcgists startcd out targcting thc
samc 280 groups ol 1 million or morc, thcir indclati
gablc corts havc takcn thcm dccp into thc grassroots
rcality. As a rcsult, thcy havc now dcvclopcd lcss cxpcn
sivc ways ol producing sound tracks lor thc lm and as
a rcsult ol this modication ol thcir tool thcy arc now
ablc to locus on groups which arc only 75,000 in num
bcr or largcr. Tc ncw lcsscxpcnsivc approach allows
thcm a goal ol just ovcr 1,000 such groups. Vithin thcsc
groups thcrc arc still smallcr groups, which, il you wcrc
to count thcm all, would producc a much largcr numbcr.
Again, thcsc stillsmallcr groups may bc ablc to hcar via
thc tradc languagc ol thcir arcas.
Undcrstandably, onc ol thc oldcst and largcst mission
ary lorccs, thc Vyclic 8iblc Translators, has choscn
its tool to bc thc printcd pagc. Tat choicc is thc lcast
cxpcnsivc mcdium, and thus cnablcs thcm to rcach
cvcry group in thc world. Note that written materials
are usable by more than one dialect! !l cach dialcct ablc
to rcad thc samc tcxt wcrc to bc pronounccd out loud
it vcry wcll might bc unintclligiblc or objcctionablc
to othcr groups which can ncvcrthclcss rcad lrom thc
samc pagc! !n any cvcnt, usc ol thc printcd pagc both
allows and rcquircs a total ol morc than 6,000 groups
to bc approachcd, only about hall ol which still nccd
(printcd) translation hclp.
8y contrast, notc thc dicring circumstanccs ol thc
mission groups which cmploy thc ear-gate. Takc
Gospcl Rccordings, lor cxamplc. Tcsc marvclous
pcoplc undcrstand pcrlcctly that scvcral groups which
can read thc samc printcd pagc may pronounce what
thcy scc in discordant ways, and as a rcsult thc pcoplc
spcaking thc dicrcnt dialccts simply will not all listcn
to a radio or casscttc that spcaks onc ol thc othcr dia
lcctscvcn though its mcssagc may appcar thc samc
on thc printcd pagc. Accordingly, as long as Gospcl
Rccordings uscs thc cargatc it has to takc thcsc sub
groups scriously. As a rcsult, Gospcl Rccordings csti
matcs morc than 10,000 groups to bc rcachcdil you
cmploy thc cargatc and thc mothcr tonguc. Howcvcr,
it is possiblc to put thc minimal Gospcl mcssagc into
casscttc morc casily than it is to producc a substantial
portion ol thc 8iblc in printcd lorm. Tus, Gospcl Rc
cordings, with only a sta ol 60, has alrcady dcalt with
morc than 4,500 groups!
!l you pondcr carclully thc ccct ol using dicring
tools ol cvangclism, it will bccomc clcar that thc goal
ol thc Gospcl lor vcry Pcrson will morc likcly rcquirc
pcnctration by pcoplc movcmcnts into thc smallcr
groupscvcntually, that is, into groups thc sizc Gospcl
Rccordings works with. Vhy: 8ccausc othcrwisc somc
small groups ol pcoplc in many placcs will not lccl part
ol Christian pcoplc movcmcnts that talk in objcction
ably dicrcnt ways.
Barriers of Prejudice!
Tragically, ncarncighbors oltcn hatc and lcar cach
othcr. Tus, in thc carly stagcs ol cvangclism such
groups oltcn rclusc to bccomc part ol thc samc pco
plcmovcmcnt church. !n thc carly stagcs ol cvangc
lism such cnmitics will rcquirc thcsc groups to bc dcalt
with scparatcly.
Fortunatcly, howcvcr, it is truc that virtually all such
smallcr groups arc part ol largcr clustcrs ol groups. Tis
makcs it possiblc to includc all rcmaining unrcachcd
groups without listing morc than 2,500 or so groups,
somc ol which arc clustcrs. Tcsc arc a tangiblc list ol
:: Tnv Ax~ivsis ov ~ Movv:vx:
targcts lor distinctivcly missionary stratcgy. ncc thcsc
clustcrs arc succcsslully pcnctratcd it givcs insight
into how othcr groups within thc samc clustcr may
yicld to thc Gospcl, cvcn though thc Gospcl may not
automatically ow lrom onc group in a clustcr to its
ncarncighbor cncmics.
And history shows that cvcntually a largc host ol smallcr,
oltcn warring groups, oncc thcy bccomc Christian, start
to coalcscc into largcr groups. For cxamplc, at thc timc
Christianity rst bcgan to bc adoptcd in thc Scandinavian
arca, hundrcds ol mutually hostilc tribcs inhabitcd thc rc
gion. Tc Norwcgian, Swcdish and anish sphcrcs today
arc thc rcsult ol widcsprcad rcconciliation and conscqucnt
unication rcsulting lrom thc adoption ol Christian laith
on thc part ol many smallcr, lormcrly warring groups.
Christian laith did not quitc prcvcnt thc Rwanda mas
sacrcs, but it is clcarly thc only thing that unitcs thc two
groups. Satan simply took advantagc ol thc ovcrall good
will bctwccn thc two groups whosc pcoplc wcrc living
sidc by sidc and unlcashcd a malignant minority to do his
dirty work, cxploiting a scttlcd situation ol intcgration.
Notc that lor thc most part onc group was not won to
Christ by thc othcr group but by pcoplc lrom lar away.
!t is valuablc lor thc A 2000 Movcmcnt to havc
addcd and thc Gospcl lor vcry Pcrson to thc 1980
slogan, A Church lor vcry Pcoplc, bccausc it may
not bc obvious that rcaching cvcry people is thc csscn
tial mcans ol rcaching cvcry person. !t also may not bc
obvious that oncc that csscntial pcoplc movcmcnt to
Christ has bccn crcatcd by thc divinchuman cort ol
crosscultural cvangclism (which is what missions is),
that ccntral achicvcmcnt thcn csscntially makcs acccs
siblc and availablc thc Gospcl lor vcry Pcrson, and
is pcrhaps thc bcst way to dcnc it.
Measure or Verify?
8ut how mcasurablc is thc prcscncc ol this csscntial
pcoplc movcmcnt to Christ: !t might pcrhaps bc bcttcr
to say vcriablc than mcasurablc. Vc dont normally
say a woman is partially prcgnant, or that a pcrson is
partially inlcctcd by A!S. Rathcr, in such cascs wc
vcrily thc prcscncc or abscncc ol a condition.
For cxamplc, mcasuring thc pcrccntagc ol thc individuals
in a group that sccm to bc activc Christians may not bc
thc bcst indicator ol thc prcscncc or abscncc ol a pcoplc
movcmcnt to Christ. Two pcrccnt ol a small group ol 700
is only 14 pcoplc, 2 ol thc Minnan Chincsc in Taiwan
happcns to bc 400,000 bclicvcrs in 2,000 congrcgations.
Vhat makcs it casicr to vcrily thc cxistcncc ol an
unrcachcd pcoplc is thc lact that wc arc looking lor
thc groups with thc lcast opportunity, thc lcast acccss.
Vhilc it may bc dicult to say at cxactly what point a
pcoplc movcmcnt sccurcly cxists or not, it is ccrtainly
casy to idcntily thosc groups where there is no doubt onc
way or thc othcr. You cnd up with thrcc catcgorics:
1) groups dcnitcly unrcachcd, 2) groups whcrc thcrc
is doubt, and 3) groups dcnitcly rcachcd. Tis could
bc boilcd down to 1) unrcachcd, 2) doubtlul, and 3)
rcachcd. Logically wc cxpcct to locus our highcst pri
ority cncrgics on thosc that arc dcnitcly unrcachcd.
8ut, unlortunatcly, it is still almost cntircly thcorcti
cal to ask thc simplc qucstion ol whcthcr or not a
group has a pcoplc movcmcnt to Christ within it.
Vhy: 8ccausc this is not thc way thc worlds statisti
cal machincry is working. Tc U.N. docs not ask such
qucstions. Ncithcr do thc sccular cncyclopcdias, nor
thc military or political rcscarchcrs. Vho docs: Tc
thrcc major Christian rcscarch occs, thosc ol Patrick
Johnstonc, avid 8arrctt, and 8arbara Grimcs, havc
bccn at work lor ycars and control masscs ol data on
thc Vorld Christian movcmcnt, drawing on sourccs
all ovcr thc world, but mainly upon annual publica
tions ol somc kind or anothcr, both sccular and church
publications, ctc. Tcsc, undcrstandably, arc primarily
sourccs lor what is being done, not so much lor what
is not being done. Fcw ol thcsc sourccs rcndcr inlor
mation on pcoplcs with whom thcy do not yct work,
and il thcy do, still lcwcr ask this particular, spccic
unrcachcd pcoplcs qucstion. Tc vcry conccpt is still
lairly ncw. Tus, thcrc is inadcquatc inlormation at thc
prcscnt timc.
In the Meantime
As a rcsult, wc must bc contcnt with thc bcst wc can do
with thc data availablc. Tis is whcrc thc kind ol lcss
than 2 Christian typc ol availablc data comcs back
in as bcttcr than nothing. Tc A 2000 Movcmcnt
has drawn togcthcr a nc group ol willing rcscarchcrs
and has put togcthcr a list which combincs dicring
critcria that may all bc signicant. Tcsc sourccs havc
drawn upon data lrom mission agcncics, lrom individual
missionarics, lrom church publications and lists gath
crcd lor othcr purposcs and with othcr critcria. Somc
rcscarch agcncics tabulatc thc pcrccntagcs ol dicrcnt
rcligious adhcrcnts. Somc tabulatc dcgrccs ol cthnicity,
and so on. Tus, thc practical thing to do is what A
2000 has donc in this still carly statc ol aairsnamcly,
Ralph D. Winter :
to takc lists lrom various sourccs and various critcria and
makc up a list ol lists, giving all ol thc availablc inlor
mation about a now lairly comprchcnsivc list ol pcoplcs.
Tc goal has not changcd. !t is still A Church lor vcry
Pcoplc and thc Gospcl lor vcry Pcrson by thc Ycar
2000. 8ut thcrc is a practical and tcmporary shilt ol
attcntion away lrom thc simplc, missiological qucs
tion, !s this group rcachcd: Tat is, is thcrc a pcoplc
movcmcnt to Christ prcscnt: r, is thcrc a pionccr
church planting movcmcnt prcscnt: Rathcr, thc
qucstion has tcmporarily bccomc, !s thcrc publishcd
inlormation about this group which could givc us somc
light ol somc sort on thc missiological qucstion:
Do We Have Enough to Work with?
Tc rcally crazy thing is that wc havc all thc inlorma
tion wc nccd lor thc ncw outrcachcs lor which wc arc
prcparcd right now. Tc morc wc pcnctratc thc pionccr
pcoplcs, thc morc wc will know. Vc dont rcally nccd to
know morc than wc can digcst right now. Vc dont nccd
to wring our hands bccausc wc dont know thc middlc
namc ol cvcry baby in cvcry ghctto in ordcr to rcach out
with mcrcy to thosc whosc cxistcncc wc alrcady know.
Vc dont nccd to know in advancc thc namc ol cvcryonc
in cvcry housc on cvcry block to bc ablc to lcavc bro
churcs about thc Jesus lm. Vc will nd out a lot morc
about a lot ol thc dctails whcn wc gct out thcrc and gct
to work. Tc world is now incrcdibly small. Tcrc is no
placc on carth you cannot go in a lcw hours. Vc must
kccp our goals clcarly in mind and not worry too much
about thc dctails. Vc nccd not supposc that cvcrything
dcpcnds on us, but wc must undcrstand that God is
asking cvcrything ol us. Tat, in turn, is thc samc as
saying that Hc wants to touch our tongucs with a livc
coal lrom thc altar. !t mcans Hc wants our lovc lor all
thc world to rccct thc gcnuincncss and compassion ol
His lovc lor all thc world, which has alrcady proloundly
bcncttcd us. Paul cxplaincd his motivation whcn hc
said, Christ dicd lor all that thosc who livc might no
longcr livc unto thcmsclvcs but lor Him who dicd and
rosc again on thcir bchall (!! Cor 5:15).
Appendix
Note: Te following is one of the most signicant documents
McGavran ever wrote. It was written at the very end of
his life and distilled his misgivings at supercial attempts
to barge into untouched groups with the Gospel. Much of
his whole life of insights is remarkably distilled here.
A Church in Every People: Plain Talk about
a Dicult Task
Donald A. McGavran
!n thc last cightccn ycars ol thc twcnticth ccntury, thc
goal ol Christian mission should bc to prcach thc Gos
pcl and, by Gods gracc, to plant in cvcry unchurchcd
scgmcnt ol mankindwhat shall wc saya church
or a clustcr ol growing churchcs: 8y thc phrasc scg
mcnt ol mankind ! mcan an urbanization, dcvclop
mcnt, castc, tribc, vallcy, plain, or minority population.
! shall cxplain that thc stcadily maintaincd longrangc
goal should ncvcr bc thc rst, but should always bc
sccond. Tc goal is not onc small scalcdo conglom
cratc congrcgation in cvcry pcoplc. Rathcr, thc long
rangc goal (to bc hcld constantly in vicw in thc ycars or
dccadcs whcn it is not yct achicvcd) should bc a clustcr
ol growing congrcgations in cvcry scgmcnt.
Te One-by-One Method
As wc considcr thc phrasc italicizcd abovc, wc should
rcmcmbcr that it is usually casy to start onc singlc congrc
gation in a ncw unchurchcd pcoplc group. Tc mission
ary arrivcs. Hc and his lamily worship on Sunday. Tcy
arc thc rst mcmbcrs ol thc congrcgation. Hc lcarns thc
languagc and prcachcs thc Gospcl. Hc livcs likc a Chris
tian. Hc tclls pcoplc about Christ and hclps thcm in thcir
troublcs. Hc sclls tracts or Gospcls, or givcs thcm away.
Across thc ycars, a lcw individual convcrts arc won lrom
that. Somctimcs thcy comc lor vcry sound and spiritual
rcasons, somctimcs lrom mixcd motivcs. 8ut hcrc and
thcrc a woman, a man, a boy, a girl do dccidc to lollow
Jcsus. A lcw cmployccs ol thc mission bccomc Christian.
Tcsc may bc masons hircd to crcct thc buildings, hclpcrs
in thc homc, rcscucd pcrsons or orphans. Tc history ol
mission in Alrica is rcplctc with churchcs startcd by buy
ing slavcs, lrccing thcm and cmploying such ol thcm as
could not rcturn to thcir kindrcd. Such as chosc to could
acccpt thc Lord. A hundrcd and lty ycars ago this was a
common way ol starting a church. Vith thc outlawing ol
slavcry, ol coursc, it ccascd to bc uscd.
nc singlc congrcgation arising in thc way just dc
scribcd is almost always a conglomcratc churchmadc
up ol mcmbcrs ol scvcral dicrcnt scgmcnts ol soci
cty. Somc old, somc young, orphans, rcscucd pcrsons,
hclpcrs and ardcnt scckcrs. All scckcrs arc carclully
scrccncd to makc surc thcy rcally intcnd to rcccivc
Christ. !n duc timc a church building is crcctcd and, lo,
: Tnv Ax~ivsis ov ~ Movv:vx:
a church in that pcoplc. !t is a conglomcratc church.
!t is scalcd o lrom all thc pcoplc groups ol that rc
gion. No scgmcnt ol thc population says, Tat group
ol worshipcrs is us. Tcy arc quitc right. !t is not. !t is
cthnically quitc a dicrcnt social unit.
Tis vcry common way ol bcginning thc proccss ol
cvangclization is a slow way to disciplc thc pcoplcs ol
thc carthnotc thc plural, thc pcoplcs ol thc carth.
Lct us obscrvc closcly what rcally happcns as this
congrcgation is gathcrcd. ach convcrt, as hc bccomcs
a Christian, is sccn by kin as onc who lcavcs us and
joins thcm. Hc lcavcs our gods to worship thcir
gods. Conscqucntly, his own rclations lorcc him out.
Somctimcs hc is scvcrcly ostracizcd, thrown out ol
housc and homc, his wilc is thrcatcncd. Hundrcds ol
convcrts havc bccn poisoncd or killcd. Somctimcs, thc
ostracism is mild and consists mcrcly in scvcrc disap
proval. His pcoplc considcr him a traitor. A church
which rcsults lrom this proccss looks to thc pcoplcs ol
thc rcgion likc an asscmblagc ol traitors. !t is a con
glomcratc congrcgation. !t is madc up ol individuals
who, onc by onc, havc comc out ol scvcral dicrcnt
socictics, castcs or tribcs.
Now il anyonc, in bccoming a Christian, is lorccd out
ol, or comcs out ol a tightlystructurcd scgmcnt ol so
cicty, thc Christian causc wins thc individual but loscs
thc lamily. Tc lamily, his pcoplc, his ncighbors ol that
tribc arc crccly angry at him or hcr. Tcy arc thc vcry
mcn and womcn to whom hc cannot talk. You arc
not ol us, thcy say to him. You havc abandoncd us,
you likc thcm morc than you likc us. You now worship
thcir gods not our gods. As a rcsult, conglomcratc
congrcgations, madc up ol convcrts won in this lash
ion, grow vcry slowly. !ndccd, onc might truly arm
that, whcrc congrcgations grow in this lashion, thc
convcrsion ol thc cthnic units (pcoplc groups) lrom
which thcy comc is madc doubly dicult. Tc Chris
tians mislcd onc ol our pcoplc, thc rcst ol thc group
will say. Vcrc going to makc quitc surc that thcy do
not mislcad any morc ol us.
ncbyonc is rclativcly casy to accomplish. Pcrhaps
90 out ol 100 missionarics who intcnd church planting
gct only conglomcratc congrcgations. ! want to cm
phasizc that. Pcrhaps 90 out ol cvcry 100 missionarics
who intcnd church planting gct only conglomcratc
congrcgations. Such missionarics prcach thc Gospcl,
tcll ol Jcsus, scll tracts and Gospcls and cvangclizc in
many othcr ways. Tcy wclcomc inquircrs, but whom
do thcy gct: Tcy gct a man hcrc, a woman thcrc, a boy
hcrc, a girl thcrc, who lor various rcasons arc willing to
bccomc Christians and paticntly to cndurc thc mild or
scvcrc disapproval ol thcir pcoplc.
!l wc undcrstand how churchcs grow and do not grow
on ncw ground, in untouchcd and unrcachcd pcoplcs,
wc must notc that thc proccss ! havc just dcscribcd
sccms unrcal to most missionarics. Vhat, thcy will
cxclaim, could bc a bcttcr way ol cntry into all thc
unrcachcd pcoplcs ol that rcgion than to win a lcw in
dividuals lrom among thcm: !nstcad ol rcsulting in thc
scalcdo church you dcscribc, thc proccss rcally givcs
us points ol cntry into cvcry socicty lrom which a con
vcrt has comc. Tat sccms to us to bc thc rcal situation.
Tosc who rcason in this lashion havc known church
growth in a largcly Christian land, whcrc mcn and
womcn who lollow Christ arc not ostracizcd, arc not
rcgardcd as traitors, but rathcr as thosc who havc donc
thc right thing. !n that kind ol a socicty cvcry con
vcrt usually can bccomc a channcl through which thc
Christian Faith ows to his rclativcs and lricnds. n
that point thcrc can bc no dcbatc. !t was thc point !
cmphasizcd whcn ! titlcd my book Te Bridges of God.
8ut in tightlystructurcd socictics, whcrc Christianity
is lookcd on as an invading rcligion, and individuals arc
cxcludcd lor scrious lault, thcrc to win convcrts lrom
scvcral dicrcnt scgmcnts ol socicty, lar lrom building
bridgcs to cach ol thcsc, crccts barricrs dicult to cross.
Te People Movement Approach
Now lct us contrast thc othcr way in which God is
discipling thc pcoplcs ol Planct arth. My account is
not thcory but a sobcr rccital ol casily obscrvablc lacts.
As you look around thc world you scc that, whilc most
missionarics succccd in planting only conglomcratc
churchcs by thc oncbyonc out ol thc social group
mcthod, hcrc and thcrc clustcrs ol growing churchcs
arisc by thc pcoplcmovcmcnt mcthod. Tcy arisc by
tribcwisc or castcwisc movcmcnts to Christ. Tis is
in many ways a bcttcr systcm. !n ordcr to usc it ccc
tivcly, missionarics should opcratc on scvcn principlcs.
First, thcy should bc clcar about thc goal. Tc goal
is not onc singlc conglomcratc church in a city or a
rcgion. Tcy may gct only that, but that must ncvcr bc
thcir goal. Tat must bc a clustcr ol growing, indigc
nous congrcgations cvcry mcmbcr ol which rcmains in
closc contact with his kindrcd. Tis clustcr grows bcst
Ralph D. Winter :
il it is in onc pcoplc, onc castc, onc tribc, onc scgmcnt
ol socicty. For cxamplc, il you wcrc cvangclizing thc
taxi drivcrs ol Taipci, thcn your goal would bc to win
not somc taxi drivcrs, somc univcrsity prolcssors, somc
larmcrs and somc shcrmcn, but to cstablish churchcs
madc up largcly ol taxi drivcrs, thcir wivcs and childrcn
and mcchanics. As you win convcrts ol that particular
community, thc congrcgation has a natural, builtin
social cohcsion. vcrybody lccls at homc. Ycs, thc goal
must bc clcar.
Tc sccond principlc is that thc national lcadcr, or
thc missionary and his hclpcrs, should conccntratc on
onc pcoplc. !l you arc going to cstablish a clustcr ol
growing congrcgations amongst, lct us say, thc Nair
pcoplc ol Kcrala, which is thc south wcst tip ol !ndia,
thcn you would nccd to placc most ol your missionar
ics and thcir hclpcrs so that thcy can work among thc
Nairs. Tcy should proclaim thc Gospcl to Nairs and
say quitc opcnly to thcm, Vc arc hoping that, within
your castc, thcrc soon will bc thousands ol lollowcrs
ol Jcsus Christ, who will rcmain solidly in thc Nair
community. Tcy will, ol coursc, not worship thc old
gods, but thcn plcnty ol Nairs dont worship thcir old
godsplcnty ol Nairs arc Communist, and ridiculc
thcir old gods.
Nairs whom God calls, who choosc to bclicvc in
Christ, arc going to lovc thcir ncighbors morc than
thcy did bclorc, and walk in thc light. Tcy will bc
savcd and bcautilul pcoplc. Tcy will rcmain Nairs
whilc, at thc samc timc, thcy havc bccomc Christians.
To rcpcat, conccntratc on onc pcoplc group. !l you
havc thrcc missionarics, dont havc onc cvangclizing
this group, anothcr that, and a third 200 milcs away
cvangclizing still anothcr. Tat is a surc way to guaran
tcc that any church startcd will bc small, nongrowing,
oncbyonc churchcs. Tc social dynamics ol thosc
scctions ol socicty will work solidly against thc crup
tion ol any grcat growing pcoplc movcmcnt to Christ.
Tc third principlc is to cncouragc convcrts to rcmain
thoroughly onc with thcir own pcoplc in most mat
tcrs. Tcy should continuc to cat what thcir pcoplc
cat. Tcy should not say, My pcoplc arc vcgctarians
but, now that ! havc bccomc a Christian, !m going to
cat mcat. Altcr thcy bccomc Christians thcy should
bc morc rigidly vcgctarian than thcy wcrc bclorc. !n
thc mattcr ol clothing, thcy should continuc to look
prcciscly likc thcir kinlolk. !n thc mattcr ol mar
riagc, most pcoplc arc cndogamous, thcy insist that
our pcoplc marry only our pcoplc. Tcy look with
grcat dislavor on our marrying othcr pcoplc. And yct
whcn Christians comc in oncbyonc, thcy cannot
marry thcir own pcoplc. Nonc ol thcm havc bccomc
Christian. Vhcrc only a lcw ol a givcn pcoplc bc
comc Christians, whcn it comcs timc lor thcm or thcir
childrcn to marry, thcy havc to takc husbands or wivcs
lrom othcr scgmcnts ol thc population. So thcir own
kin look at thcm and say, Ycs, bccomc a Christian and
mongrclizc your childrcn. You havc lclt us and havc
joincd thcm.
All convcrts should bc cncouragcd to bcar chccrlully
thc cxclusion, thc opprcssion, and thc pcrsccution that
thcy arc likcly to cncountcr lrom thcir pcoplc. Vhcn
anyonc bccomcs a lollowcr ol a ncw way ol lilc, hc is
likcly to mcct with somc dislavor lrom his lovcd oncs.
Maybc its mild, maybc its scvcrc. Hc should bcar such
dislavor paticntly. Hc should say on all occasions,
! am a bcttcr son than ! was bclorc, ! am a bcttcr lathcr
than ! was bclorc, ! am a bcttcr husband than ! was
bclorc, and ! lovc you morc than ! uscd to do. You can
hatc mc, but ! will not hatc you. You can cxcludc mc,
but ! will includc you. You can lorcc mc out ol our
anccstral housc, but ! will livc on its vcranda. r ! will
gct a housc just across thc strcct. ! am still onc ol you, !
am morc onc ol you than ! cvcr was bclorc.
ncouragc convcrts to rcmain thoroughly onc with
thcir pcoplc in most mattcrs.
Plcasc notc that word most. Tcy cannot rcmain
onc with thcir pcoplc in idolatry, or drunkcnncss or
obvious sin. !l thcy bclong to a scgmcnt ol socicty that
carns its living stcaling thcy must stcal no morc. 8ut,
in most mattcrs (how thcy talk, how thcy drcss, how
thcy cat, whcrc thcy go, what kind ol houscs thcy livc
in), thcy can look vcry much likc thcir pcoplc, and
ought to makc cvcry cort to do so.
Tc lourth principlc is to try to gct group dccisions lor
Christ. !l only onc pcrson dccidcs to lollow Jcsus, do
not baptizc him immcdiatcly. Say to him, You and !
will work togcthcr to lcad anothcr vc or tcn or, God
willing, lty ol your pcoplc to acccpt Jcsus Christ as
Savior so that whcn you arc baptizcd, you arc baptizcd
with thcm. stracism is vcry ccctivc against onc lonc
pcrson. 8ut ostracism is wcak indccd whcn cxcrciscd
against a group ol a dozcn. And whcn cxcrciscd against
two hundrcd it has practically no lorcc at all.
:6 Tnv Ax~ivsis ov ~ Movv:vx:
Tc lth principlc is this: Aim lor scorcs ol groups ol
pcoplc to bccomc Christians in an cvcn owing strcam
across thc ycars. nc ol thc common mistakcs madc by
missionarics, castcrn as wcll as wcstcrn, all around thc
world is that whcn a lcw bccomc Christianspcrhaps
100, 200 or cvcn 1,000thc missionarics spcnd all thcir
timc tcaching thcm. Tcy want to makc thcm good
Christians and thcy say to thcmsclvcs, !l thcsc pcoplc
bccomc good Christians, thcn thc Gospcl will sprcad.
So lor ycars thcy conccntratc on a lcw congrcgations. 8y
thc timc, tcn or twcnty ycars latcr, that thcy bcgin cvan
gclizing outsidc that group, thc rcst ol thc pcoplc no
longcr want to bccomc Christians. Tat has happcncd
again and again. Tis principlc rcquircs that, lrom thc
vcry bcginning, thc missionary kccps on rcaching out to
ncw groups. 8ut, you say, is not this a surc way to gct
poor Christians who dont know thc 8iblc: !l wc lollow
that principlc wc shall soon havc a lot ol raw Christians.
Soon wc shall havc a community ol pcrhaps vc thou
sand pcoplc who arc vcry skctchily Christian.
Ycs, that is ccrtainly a dangcr. At this point, wc must
lcan hcavily upon thc Ncw Tcstamcnt, rcmcmbcring
thc bricl wccks or months ol instruction Paul gavc to
his ncw churchcs. Vc must trust thc Holy Spirit, and
bclicvc that God has callcd thosc pcoplc out ol dark
ncss into His wondcrlul light. As bctwccn two cvils,
giving thcm too littlc Christian tcaching and allowing
thcm to bccomc a scalcdo community that cannot
rcach its own pcoplc, thc lattcr is much thc grcatcr
dangcr. Vc must not allow ncw convcrts to bccomc
scalcdo. Vc must continuc to makc surc that a
constant strcam ol ncw convcrts comcs into thc cvcr
growing clustcr ol congrcgations.
Now thc sixth point is this: Tc convcrts, vc or vc
thousand, ought to say or at lcast lccl:
Vc Christians arc advancc guard ol our pcoplc, ol
our scgmcnt ol socicty. Vc arc showing our rclativcs
and ncighbors a bcttcr way ol lilc. Tc way wc arc
pionccring is good lor us who havc bccomc Chris
tians and will bc vcry good lor you thousands who
havc yct to bclicvc. Plcasc look on us not as traitors
in any scnsc. Vc arc bcttcr sons, brothcrs and wivcs,
bcttcr tribcsmcn and castc lcllows, bcttcr mcmbcrs
ol our labor union, than wc cvcr wcrc bclorc. Vc arc
showing ways in which, whilc rcmaining thoroughly
ol our own scgmcnt ol socicty, wc all can havc a bct
tcr lilc. Plcasc look on us as thc pionccrs ol our own
pcoplc cntcring a wondcrlul Promiscd Land.
Tc last principlc ! strcss is this: Constantly cmpha
sizc brothcrhood. !n Christ thcrc is no Jcw, no Grcck,
no bond, no lrcc, no 8arbarian, no Scythian. Vc arc
all onc in Christ Jcsus. 8ut, at thc samc timc, lct us
rcmcmbcr that Paul did not attack all impcrlcct social
institutions. For cxamplc, hc did not do away with
slavcry. Paul said to thc slavc, 8c a bcttcr slavc. Hc
said to thc slavc owncr, 8c a kindlicr mastcr.
Paul also said in that lamous passagc cmphasizing unity,
Tcrc is no malc or lcmalc. Ncvcrthclcss Christians,
in thcir boarding schools and orphanagcs, continuc to
slccp boys and girls in scparatc dormitorics!! !n Christ,
thcrc is no scx distinction. 8oys and girls arc cqually
prccious in Gods sight. Mcn lrom this tribc, and mcn
lrom that arc cqually prccious in Gods sight. Vc arc all
cqually sinncrs savcd by gracc. Tcsc things arc truc but,
at thc samc timc, thcrc arc ccrtain social nicctics which
Christians at this timc may obscrvc.
As wc continuc to strcss brothcrhood, lct us bc surc
that thc most ccctivc way to achicvc brothcrhood is
to lcad cvcr incrcasing numbcrs ol mcn and womcn
lrom cvcry ethnos, cvcry tribc, cvcry scgmcnt ol socicty
into an obcdicnt rclationship to Christ. As wc multiply
Christians in cvcry scgmcnt ol socicty, thc possibility
ol gcnuinc brothcrhood, justicc, goodncss and righ
tcousncss will bc cnormously incrcascd. !ndccd, thc
bcst way to gct justicc, possibly thc only way to gct
justicc, is to havc vcry largc numbcrs in cvcry scgmcnt
ol socicty bccomc committcd Christians.
Conclusion
As wc work lor Christward movcmcnts in cvcry
pcoplc, lct us not makc thc mistakc ol bclicving that
oncbyonc out ol thc socicty into thc church is a
bad way. nc prccious soul willing to cndurc scvcrc
ostracism in ordcr to bccomc a lollowcr ol Jcsusonc
prccious soul coming all by himscllis a way that God
has blcsscd and is blcssing to thc salvation ol mankind.
8ut it is a slow way. And it is a way which lrcqucntly
scals o thc convcrts own pcoplc lrom any lurthcr
hcaring ol thc Gospcl.
Somctimcs oncbyonc is thc only possiblc mcthod.
Vhcn it is, lct us praisc God lor it, and livc with its
limitations. Lct us urgc all thosc wondcrlul Christians
who comc bcaring pcrsccution and opprcssion, to pray
lor thcir own dcar oncs and to work constantly that
morc ol thcir own pcoplc may bclicvc and bc savcd.
Ralph D. Winter :
ncbyonc is onc way that God is blcssing to thc in
crcasc ol His Church. Tc pcoplc movcmcnt is anothcr
way. Tc grcat advanccs ol thc Church on ncw ground
out ol nonChristian rcligions havc always comc by
pcoplc movcmcnts, ncvcr oncbyonc. !t is cqually truc
that oncbyoncoutolthcpcoplc is a vcry common
bcginning way. !n thc book, Bridges of God, which God
uscd to launch thc Church Growth Movcmcnt, ! havc
uscd a similc. ! say thcrc that missions start proclaim
ing Christ on a dcscrtlikc plain. Tcrc lilc is hard, thc
numbcr ol Christians rcmains small. A largc mission
ary prcscncc is rcquircd. 8ut, hcrc and thcrc, thc mis
sionarics or thc convcrts nd ways to brcak out ol that
arid plain and procccd up into thc vcrdant mountains.
Tcrc largc numbcrs ol pcoplc livc, thcrc grcat church
cs can bc loundcd, thcrc thc Church grows strong, that
is pcoplcmovcmcnt land.
! commcnd that similc to you. Lct us acccpt what God
givcs. !l it is oncbyonc, lct us acccpt that and lcad
thosc who bclicvc in Jcsus to trust in Him complctcly.
8ut lct us always pray that, altcr that bcginning, wc
may procccd to highcr ground, to morc vcrdant pas
turc, to morc lcrtilc lands whcrc grcat groups ol mcn
and womcn, all ol thc samc scgmcnt ol socicty, bccomc
Christians and thus opcn thc way lor Christward
movcmcnts in cach pcoplc on carth. ur goal should
bc Christward movcmcnts within cach scgmcnt.
Tcrc thc dynamics ol social cohcsion will advancc thc
Gospcl and lcad multitudcs out ol darkncss into His
wondcrlul lilc. Lct us bc surc that wc do it by thc most
ccctivc mcthods.
Endnote
1
Now, A2000 & 8cyond Movcmcnt.