Peoplegroups -- A New Focus On Evangelical Mission Work

[cdowis]

I have been watching this development with interest, especially considering our own increase in missionary work.

 

Basically, rather than looking at individual countries, they are looking at people groups, which have a common ethnicity, language, and culture.  Many of them are very isolated, and may not even have a written language.  There are over 11,000 people groups that have been identified, and over half of them are considered "unreached".  See http://www.peoplegroups.org/

 

Several Evangelist groups are focusing on reaching those groups, and "planting churches".  Doing whatever it takes to "reach" these people, such as translating the Bible, education, teaching them in their own language, etc.

 

An example from LDS missionary work was when the church called Slovic speaking missionaries to Great Britain. 

 

You can do a search on people groups for more information. 

[Kenngo1969]

Should we let Evangelicals do the "heavy lifting," and then move in?

[rongo]

A few missionaries from the Germany Hamburg Mission in the early 1990s were moved to Albania. They had no scriptures, no discussions, and no language training in Albanian ---- they were to do the best they could and blaze a trail for those who would come after them. But what an adventure!

 

On a different note, evangelicals are often peeved at the Church for waiting until they do the heavy lifting of initiating contact, providing the Bible, and Christianizing, and then Mormons swoop in and poach. I respond that they play a role in preaching the gospel (laying the foundation), not unlike the Protestant Reformation leading to conditions where the Church could be restored and thrive. They say that the true Church would be in the forefront of blazing a trail to these people, taking no thought, etc. I respond: the parable of building a tower (count the costs, calculate, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves).

 

An interesting development and phenomenon, to be sure.

[cdowis]

The Spirit of Elijah ==>  John the Baptist prepared the way for Christ, and the Gideon Bible Society, for example,  certainly prepared the way for the church in many lands. There can be no doubt in my mind that the Lord is inspiring these great Christians and using their work to prepare the way for the preaching of the Gospel in all languages and peoples.

[mfbukowski]

I know a young man who just returned from an LDS mission to Paris France, where he taught in Chinese.