Protestant Missionaries in Asia and the Pacific: agents of change for what purpose?

Abstract

In 1990 there were over 5 billion people in the world. Of these 1.8 were Christian. The number of Christians has grown substantially from 1900, but its percentage of the world population has remained essentially the same. The number of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists has also grown. The most dramatic increase in this century has occurred in the category of non-religious, which in 1900 was counted at just under 3 million and in 1990 measured 860 million. The missionary goal of Christianizing the world continues to face formidable obstacles. Despite the magnitude of the task, missionary optimism seems to be reborn as each new century approaches. In the 1790's Protestant Europe began gearing up for the spread of the gospel to the Pacific, Asia and Africa. Toward the end of the "great century of missions," the goal became the Christianization of the world in one generation. Now in the 1990's there is a renewed interest, especially among the Pentecostal groups, for a major evangelizing effort to be made in order to "present Jesus with his 2,000th birthday present." After 200 years of intense effort in the Pacific and Asia the missionary record for conversion is mixed. Today the Pacific Islands are Christian, by a percentage ranging from the eighties to 100, but in all of Asia, with the exception of the Philippines, only South Korea, Hong Kong and Macao are more than 10 percent Christian. Missionary optimism about the Pacific seems warranted, but Asia has been largely resistant to the Christian message. How can the difference between the great success in the Pacific and the relative failure in Asia be explained? Protestant missionaries came into both Asia and the Pacific at the same time. The same boards were present in both places. Most importantly, the missionaries who went int Asia came from the same background and with the same training and the same mindset as those who went into the Pacific. The early missionaries were influenced by the evangelical revival of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. They came largely from the working class in the beginning, had some experience in religious work, teaching, or even seminary training, and brought skills, especially artisan, medical and printing, which would be of great value to them in the field. Above all, they felt called to the mission field and were willing to commit all or a substantial part of their lives to spreading the gospel. In time missionaries would become better educated and, under the ecumenical movement of the 20th century, more tolerant of non-Christian cultures, but the sense of commitment to spreading Christianity would not falter. At the same time the success of the Christian mission depends upon the willingness of non-Christians to be converted to Christianity. This means now, as it did 200 years ago, that people must be willing to change. They must change in both their beliefs and their actions.