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Pentecostal
Than
Missions
What
Jose
Miguez
contribution
to
theological,
283
is More It Claims
Bonino
Studies,
is a very
important
It is an honor to be invited to
my
observations further
analysis.
The
Spring
1994 issue of PNEUMA on “Pentecostal
Missiology,”
as previous
ones on other areas of Pentecostal
historical and
missiological subjects
which demand careful and
urgent
attention.
respond
to the material included in this issue. I only
regret that,
due to the limited
time, my
remarks will
only
touch on three broad
points,
and
will come
mostly
in the form of
questions
raised for
by
Barbara Cavaness’
limits of “Assemblies crucial
importance Pentecostal
and careful
investigation.
Before I
begin my analysis
of these three
areas,
one issue raised in one of the
articles,
I want
simply
to
identify
and underline. The article on “Women in Assemblies of God Missions”
seems to me to
point by implication
to a
question
that overflows the
of God” and
“foreign mission;” namely,
the
of women in the total
evangelistic impact
of the
movement as a whole. This
subject
is in need of broader
relates to Edward Pousson’s missionary century”
as Latourette
1. The first
point
on which I want to comment more
extensively
intriguing comparison
between the
“great
and
expansion
calls the nineteenth
century
and the
“great century
of Pentecostal and Charismatic renewal and mission” in the twentieth
century.’
In fact, it seems to me that it would be
possible and useful to
enlarge
the
comparison
to other moments in the renewal
of the Christian faith and Church. For
instance,
the Pauline mission in the first
century,
the monastic renewal in the sixth century
or the Pietist Movement in the
eighteenth century. Certainly circumstances and
emphases,
methods and orientations
change,
but one could
argue
that
great missionary
thrusts are associated with renewals in
spirituality (visible, among
other
things,
in forms of
worship
and renewal in hymnody), new
theological insights
and
interpretations,
the creation of new institutions
and and forms of
ministry.
The mutual
‘ Barbara Cavaness, “God
Calling:
Women in Assemblies of God Missions,” PNEUMA: The Journal
of the Society for
Pentecostal Studies 16 (Spring
1994): 49-62.
2 Edward Keith Pousson, “A ‘Great
Century’ of Pentecostal/Charismatic Renewal and
Missions,” PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for
Pentecostal Studies 16
1994): 81-100.
(Spring
1
284
relations
among
the different dimensions of these renewals would in itself be a major theme for reflection.
Pousson makes a clear case for the claim that “renewal movements in Protestantism” which “included
Pietism, Puritanism, Moravianism,
the Evangelical
Revival in
England
and the related
Wesleyan
revival and the Great
Awakenings
in the American colonies…
provided
the spiritual impetus
for that which is now called the ‘Great
Century’
of Christian missions
beginning
1792 and
ending
1 914.”
Then,
he
rightly indicates that “in the twentieth
century,
Pentecostal and Charismatic renewal
impacted virtually every
Christian denomination” and claims that this renewal has also unleashed “an
unprecedented missionary expansion
and
global
church
growth.'”
I have no doubt that the
analogy
and the
consequences
he draws from it are correct. I think, however, that a question would be in order concerning
the
possible consequences
of
channeling
this
spiritual impetus
into
missionary activity?
In
1973,
Bernard
Semmel,
in his The Methodist Revolution, defended an
intriguing thesis; namely,
that the enormous
energies generated by
the Methodist
revival,
which threatened at the end of the
century
to feed social movements in the tensions of the industrial revolution were re-directed
by
the second S generation
Methodist
leadership
to the
foreign missionary
endeavor.5 Though
this
hypothesis may
need to be circumscribed and
corrected, there seems to be
enough
evidence to
justify paying
attention to the warning
which it contains.
It is not
anymore possible
to
deny
or minimize the social concern and commitment of Pentecostal churches-at least in
many
of the ones I know in
my
continent. Several of the articles in the
previous
issue of PNEUMA
point
to the evidence.
However,
it is not idle to raise the question:
Is there not a
danger
that the
global challenge
of
missions, which no doubt flows from the
very
nature of the
Gospel,
can be ideologically
diverted from a concern with the
urgent challenges
of situations at home? If this were to
happen,
two
regrettable consequences
could follow. On the one
hand,
the Christian
community would fail in its
testimony
at home. On the
other,
the lack of concern for critical issues at home could
seriously
distort the witness
“abroad,” either
by
an idealization of the dominant culture and achievements of
‘ Pousson, “A ‘Great Century’ of Pentecostal/Charismatic Renewal and Missions,” 81-82.
“Pousson, “A ‘Great Century’ of PentecostaUCharismadc Renewal and Missions,” 82.
‘ Bernard
Semmel,
7he Methodist Revolution
(New York,
NY: Basic
Books, 1973).
2
the
country unconscious
Douglas
Petersen,6
285
or
by
the conscious or
is raised in several of the articles.
of
origin
of the
missionary
neglect
of the social dimension of the
Gospel.
2. The
question
6 of
indigenization
John AmStUtZ7 and to some extent Pousson8 develop
this
point. Particularly interesting
to me is the observation made
by
all three authors that the
rapid reproduction
soon outnumbers
and local financial resources economic resource
and, therefore,
analogy
with
indigenizations
of local
leadership
foreign personnel
and nationalizes the new churches.
tolerate native
leadership-Latin would
give
a
very interesting argument.
Pentecostal churches
Petersen’s evidence for Central America is particularly convincing. The
in
early periods
of intense
growth-for instance in the Hellenistic
world,
or in the Scandinavian countries-as well as the
negative proof
of missions which did not
generate
American colonial Roman Catholicism
The
question, however, direction,
I would
suggest
nor
instance-would
strengthen
the have no doubt tuned in with the
language,
concerns and
hopes
of the
people.
needs to be further
that the overall characterizes our time makes this natural
process more
ambiguous
and vulnerable. In
fact,
the transnational
economic, technical,
informative
kind of
mentality
languages
explored.
In one
globalization that
of
indigenization
character of can
easily
condition the
Since the
pattern
of this
missionary enterprise
and assimilate the national
leadership
to the same
and modus
operandi.
globalization
is shaped in the so-called first world and the
views,
human values, goals
and dominant
ideologies
of that
world,
the international
Brazilian, Kenyan
or
Filipino-can easily
be a carrier of that
mentality
and
way
of
doing things
and thus remain
missionary-whether
foreign
to a
deeper indigenization
quantitative
information
or even contextualization. In this
respect,
I would want to raise a
question
about the
place
that
purely
and technical models in relation to mission occupy
in several articles. I was
particularly
struck
by
John Amstutz’s fascinating analysis
of “doing more with less.” The
stewardship
concern
quite
in order when one thinks of
in
many missionary organizations
However,
the constant use of the
language
of
entrepreneurial planning
is
certainly overhead
well
placed-and costs
and models-for
example,
“360
and
projects.
degree
missions,”9 “four
stage
6 Douglas Petersen, “The Formation of Popular, National, Autonomous Pentecostal Churches in Central
America,”
PNEUMA: The Journal
of
the
Pentecostal Studies 16
Society for
(Spring 1994): 23-48. ‘ John
L. Amstutz,
“Foursquare
Missions:
The Journal Pentecostal Theology 16 Doing
More With Less,” /WE’LM4:
of the Society jor (Spring 1994): 63-80. 8 Pousson, 9
“A ‘Great Century’ of Pentecostal/Charismatic Renewal and Missions.”
Amstutz, “Foursquare Missions: Doing More With Less,” 68f.
3
286
strategy,”‘° “paradigm reproducible,”‘3 methodology
tendency.” Dangerous
shifts,””
corporations.
“Tarry
teams, ,,12
“the
infinitely
of the transnational
“10/40 window”‘4-to somehow normalize a technical
as the work of the
Holy Spirit
seems to me a
dangerous
in so far as it threatens to transform the missionary
mind into an imitation of the
operations
Also
dangerous
to the extent that it
may
subordinate the spontaneous, outgoing, dynamic
force of the
people
of God to the strategies
of those who know and can or think and do. This
critique
The
question, however,
seems to me
important.
In this
context,
I find the
warning
at the end of Pousson’s
may
be
exaggerated.
order:
eventually
article
quite
in
Renewal creates new patterns and structures for ministry and missions. But
these become
organizations
that
quench
the
Spirit.
As movements become mature
institutions, they
tend to “domesticate” the
and the kingdom of God.’6
Spirit
of
institutionalization,
Pousson
3. Based on the
consequences emphasizes
reflection must not be overlooked.” the
question
of
indigenization
another
point:
“… the
necessity
of
ongoing theological
This
recognition
is the other side of that I have tried to underline.
reproduction
of the basic contents
converts are
nominally America-or come from another
Catechetical instruction is the other area to be watched. Such a
rapid
of
leadership necessarily requires
also a rapid transmission
of the faith. This need is
present
whether the
Christian-as
totally appropriated
in
many
cases in Latin religious
or secular
background.
even before
having
been
Contents have to be learned and transmitted
and assimilated. There is no need to be scandalized by
this fact. It has
happened throughout
of conversion itself
provides
experience
Amstutz, “Foursquare
“Amstutz, “Foursquare
Wagner’s “strategical” approach
perhaps programmed
Christian
history. Besides,
the
a hermeneutical
key:
its
10
” Amstutz, “Foursquare Missions: Doing More With Less,” 69f. Amstutz, “Foursquare Missions: Doing More With Less,” 76.
13
Missions: Doing More With Less,” 70.
Amstutz, “Foursquare Missions: Doing More With Less,” 68f
‘s
Missions: Doing More With Less,” 71.
The influence of the “Church Growth” approach, and particularly of C. Peter
to mission and evangelization is clearly present in several of the articles. Though I appreciate the concern, I have serious and it seems to the work theological sociological objections. Theologically,
depersonalize and,
more profoundly, the person of the Holy Spirit which end up as a sort of
and programmable “force,” contrary to the whole ethos and of the Pentecostal movement. Sociologically, it depends to a
experience
large degree on a form of
functional
sociology which has
been
seriously questioned
as an
adequate
or sufficient way to understand the dynamics of societies.
“A ‘Great Century’ of Pentecostal/Charismatic Renewal and Missions,” 99.
‘6 Pousson,
4
christological, soteriological conceptually explicit-will
287
matrix-even if not through
which all
and
pneumatological
remain as a touchstone
other
experiences
and
knowledge
will
slowly
be tested and
reorganized. We can
already
see
signs
of this
process happening
in Latin American
Pentecostalism.”
‘pagan’
Let me
bishop
would tell me in the Lord’s
Supper,
still
to the mother earth-of
it in
in community
But there are still
dangers
which have to be taken into account. One is the
possible
hiatus between behavior and
self-understanding. mention two
examples.
In
Bolivia,
a Methodist
that the
indigenous people,
in
participating
would
spill a few drops
of the wine-or the
grape juice
in this case-to the earth which was the old
challa-offering
the tradition. “What should I
do?,”
he asked. “Should I forbid it as a
act? Should I
ignore
it?
Or,
should I
try
to
reinterpret Christian terms?”
My
own inclination was in the third direction-I think there is
enough
biblical material to teach us to
respect
the
land, not as a
deity,
but as a
gift
of God which can be
recognized gratitude.
The other
example
is even clearer: a Pentecostal
begins
a local
primary
school. The need is clear and
people respond
to it. Then a tension
emerges
between the old
pastor-and
see the school as a distraction from the main concern to
and the
younger
minister-and
feel that it is their Christian
duty
to
respond
to that need but cannot find a coherence between the
evangelistic argument-which they accept
and
people-who evangelize,
want to honor-and
the
compulsion
region-or
has
developed
part
of the
part
of the
people-who
of love that
they
cannot
ignore.
only
of
constituency,
already begun
in Pentecostalism, think that this
development
This
schizophrenia
cannot be maintained for
long.
On a more
hopeful note,
if one looks for instruction in the
long experience
of the Christian
Church,
one finds that
many
times mission has been able to
incorporate
some of the intellectuals of the
evangelized
them in a second
generation-who been able to move to this
necessary
second
step
of
indigenization,
but also of
understanding.
at least in Latin America. But I also
has to be
consciously recognized
study
understanding
have
not I think this
process
has
and
undoubtedly
”
Bernardo Campos, a Pentecostal theologian from Peru, has made a very valuable contribution to the understanding of this
process of cultural indigenization
in a
of
indigenous
Pentecostalism in his
country.
He makes an
interesting distinction of “pentecostality” as a form of Christian
experience, spirituality and which has been
present throughout
Christian
Pentecostalism as a
history,
and
particular way in which pentecostality is experienced, organized and
lived in a time and In this he claims that doctrinal “contents” particular is
place. interpretation,
reinterpreted in relation to the indigenous culture. The thesis will have to be tested
and discussed, but it
points
to a
phenomenon
which
takes place in Latin America today.
5
288
core of the Christian
reflected on
theologically
syncretism
that
endangers Gospel.
Missions-understood sense that relates local
evangelization
in order to avoid the
dangers
of a form of the
nonnegotiable
as
integral
mission and in the
larger
and
going abroad-is,
in fact, the
religious
patterns
and
of the
Spirit
in a context understanding
are
predominant. no
previous
biblical
interpretation Christ where
perhaps recognized.
right
location for this
theological
task. It means
interpreting
the work
where other
It means
opening
the
Scripture
where
Anglo-Saxon
the Pentecostal/Charismatic
is
present.
It means
presenting
Jesus
or
saving
names have been
and the
evangelical praxis
of
other
religious
This is the
challenge.
It seems to me that Pentecostalism is still too limited
by
some current
theological
formulations
adopted
from
Evangelical
circles that were
developed
towards the end of last
century.
The
spiritual experience
Renewal is much
larger
and richer than those formulations. The classical Pentecostal
and
eschatological
should be maintained. But the hermeneutical
soteriological,
pneumatological
Pentecostal use of the
Scriptures “moral” and
“literalism”)
christological,
emphases
can and
insights experienced
in the (much
closer to the traditional
than to fundamentalist
be
explored by
Pentecostal missionary
work… community.
“spiritual” interpretation
and the
immediacy
of God’s direction and
empowerment (quite
different from a formal and
stereotyped
theologians
and for the enrichment of the whole Christian
ordo
salutis)
will have to for the sake of the movement’s
6
