relationalrealism

More Local than the Locals: An Ethnoscopic Analysis of a Philippine Seminary

Danyal Qalb. Most Filipinos are oral learners; seminaries in the Philippines are often copies of their Western counterparts with minimal contextualization. Using Thigpen’s four-step “ethnoscopic analysis,” I embark on a mission to examine theological education in the Philippines from cultural, scriptural, missiological, and pedagogical perspectives. The findings from the ethnoscopic analysis prompted significant changes inContinue reading “More Local than the Locals: An Ethnoscopic Analysis of a Philippine Seminary”

Transforming Thailand: The Vision, Mission, and Impact of The Association of Free Churches in Thailand

Dwight Martin. Within the spiritual landscape of Thailand, Protestantism, despite being introduced in the nineteenth century, has yet to establish a strong foothold. In contrast to its Southeast Asian neighbors, Thailand’s adoption of Christianity has been more limited. However, the Association of Free Churches in Thailand (AFT), an indigenous organization, is leading a spiritual revival.Continue reading “Transforming Thailand: The Vision, Mission, and Impact of The Association of Free Churches in Thailand”

An Overview of The Shandong Revival of 1927-1937

Andrew Ndegwa. This article gives an overview of the Shandong Revival of 1927-1937 in China. In addition to discussing the political background of the revival, this study examines the fruit of both the Southern Baptist mission in China and the Norwegian Lutheran missionary, Marie Monsen. The article brings to the fore the waning memory ofContinue reading “An Overview of The Shandong Revival of 1927-1937”

The Lausanne Legacy:Landmarks in Global Mission

Lausanne Movement. As we prepare for the Seoul 2024 Congress, we recommend this as a keynote book which collects the three major documents of the Lausanne Movement into one volume. It includes The Lausanne Covenant, The Manila Manifesto, and The Cape Town Commitment together with the closing addresses of each global congress. This newly repackaged volume tracks the story ofContinue reading “The Lausanne Legacy:Landmarks in Global Mission”

Diverse Ways in which Muslim Background Believers Are Living Out I Peter 4:12-14

Víctor Hugo Cuartas. “Suffering” is a prominent motif in Peter’s first letter. This article focuses on I Peter 4:12-14 and examines how Muslim background believers live out this passage. These three verses are relevant to believers of Muslim background because they face challenges like those experienced by first-century believers. The various ways in which MuslimContinue reading “Diverse Ways in which Muslim Background Believers Are Living Out I Peter 4:12-14”

Building Authentic Community Among Gen Z: Discipleship & Connection at Transformation Church

Barna Group. Amid concerns about declining church engagement and attendance, some surprising data offers some direction. In Barna’s Making Space for Community report, produced in partnership with Aspen Group, data reveals that younger Christians are eager for connections at church. When asked which is more important at a Christian church, hearing a thought-provoking sermon or building strongContinue reading “Building Authentic Community Among Gen Z: Discipleship & Connection at Transformation Church”

Status of Global Christianity, 2025

International Bulletin of Mission Research. Every year in the International Bulletin of Mission Research we present an annual snapshot of global Christianity, a one-page version of which can be downloaded for free here: Status of Global Christianity 2025. The table provides a statistical overview of the world’s 2.6 billion Christians and their activities. https://www.gordonconwell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2025/01/Status-of-Global-Christianity-2025.pdf

The Korean Mission Movement: History and Lessons of the Korean Church

Daewon Moon. South Korea is widely recognized as one of the most important mission forces in the contemporary period. During the recent Fourth Lausanne Congress, an evening session was devoted to the history of the Korean church and lessons that can be learned from it.3 Many participants were amazed to learn about how God has transformedContinue reading “The Korean Mission Movement: History and Lessons of the Korean Church”

Oral Discipleship and Leadership Training

By Enoch Wan and John Ferch. Orality has been embraced by many as an effective evangelistic strategy in the form of chronological Bible teaching and storytelling. Nevertheless, most churches, mission agencies, and institutions of theological education continue to neglect orality when it comes to discipleship and leadership training. The assumption is that to become matureContinue reading “Oral Discipleship and Leadership Training”

Ethiopian Diaspora Churches on Mission

An Intergenerational Perspective on Ethiopian Churches in the United States By Mehari Tedla Korcho. Diaspora churches are positioned to have a tremendous capacity for missions as they practice their faith in the Western world, yet why do they fail to develop effective strategies to break out of their inwardly locked ministries? Addressing this question, Dr.Continue reading “Ethiopian Diaspora Churches on Mission”