CONGREGATIONAL AND MISSION STRUCTURES AND HOW THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST ...

289 Pages·2012·18.84 MB·English

CONGREGATIONAL AND MISSION STRUCTURES
AND HOW THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
HAS RELATED TO THEM
by
Bruce L. Bauer
A Dissertation Presented to the
Faculty of the School of World Mission
And Institute of Church Growth
FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Missiology
June 1982
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Writing a dissertation is at times a lonely and frustrat-
ing task, but like so much in life it is a team effort. Many
have cooperated and helped in the shaping of this paper.
I am indebted to all the professors at the School of
World Mission of Fuller Seminary for all they have taught me.
Specifically I want to thank the members of my dissertation
committee: Paul Pierson, Peter Wagner and Robert Clinton.
Dr. Pierson, who served as my mentor, provided both helpful
criticisms and encouragement. I also greatly appreciated
the fact that he was always accessible.
During ten days spent doing research in the Archives at
the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Wash-
ington D. C. I was given complete access to all records deal-
ing with the early Adventist missions. Bert Haloviak and
Don Yost gave hours of cheerful assistance that allowed me
to quickly gather the information needed.
The Far Eastern Division of Seventh-day Adventists
granted me a study leave in addition to the normal furlough,
paid my tuition and also provided transportation expenses to
Washington D. C. for research purposes. Don Roth in the
Secretariat Department in the General Conference has been a
constant encouragement and friend throughout the whole pro-
cess and has been a real source of strength.
111
My family has also cooperated by allowing me to work
without interruption in a quiet corner and by accepting de-
finite limitations on family activities. Linda, my wife,
has been the greatest help, typing, retyping and always being
willing to act as a sounding board for my ideas.
To all these, and the many others who I have not spe-
cifically named, I want to express my deep gratitude. Above
all, I want to thank the Lord for making possible this time
for study and reflection.
•
•
•
Congregational and Mission Structures
and How the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Has Related to Them, by Bruce L. Bauer
Fuller Theological Seminary School of World Mission,
Doctor of Missiology, 1983 (expected date of graduation)
ABSTRACT
This dissertation suggests that the Christian Church
has expanded most rapidly when the outreach and nurture func-
tions of the Church have been organized and promoted by sep-
arate structures that relate to each other in three ways:
(1) they are semi-autonomous in decision making, (2) they
share a common purpose and objective, and (3) they have an
agreed upon common reference point.
• This model for semi-autonomous congregational and mis-
sion structures is then supported by detailing the relation-
ship between the Antioch Church and Paul's apostolic bands.
Similar cases of semi-autonomy between the two structures in
church history are then cited to further support the thesis.
Part II of this dissertation details Seventh-day Adven-
tist missions during three periods: (1) The Foreign Mission
Board era, 1889-1903, (2) The Daniells/Spicer era, 1901-
1930, and (3) The present era, 1946-1980. The interrelation-
ship of the congregational (nurture) structure and the mis-
sion (outreach) structure is examined for each period with
weaknesses and strengths pointed out.
Finally the present decline of Seventh-day Adventist
•
missions is detailed, followed by specific suggestions to
reverse the decline.
Mentor: Paul E. Pierson
(cid:9)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (cid:9) ii
ABSTRACT (cid:9) iv
LISTS OF ABBREVIATIONS (cid:9) ix
LISTS OF TABLES (cid:9)
PART I. CONGREGATIONAL AND MISSION STRUCTURES
DESCRIPTION AND HISTORICAL SUPPORT
Chapter
INTRODUCTION (cid:9) 2
Purpose of this Research (cid:9) 2
Methodology (cid:9) 4
Procedure (cid:9) 6
Participant observer (cid:9) 6
6
Archives (cid:9)
Books, articles and lecture notes (cid:9) 7
Scope of the Study (cid:9) 7
Qualifications and Restrictions (cid:9) 9
CONGREGATIONAL AND MISSION STRUCTURES--TWO STRUC-
TURES THAT CONSTITUTE THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH . . . (cid:9) 11
Terms Used to Describe the Two Structures (cid:9) 11
Characteristics of the Two Structures . . (cid:9) 13
Congregational structures (cid:9) 13
Multi-faceted concern (cid:9) 13
Consolidates gains (cid:9) 14
14
Nurture (cid:9)
15
Unity (cid:9)
Runs on consensus (cid:9) 15
Longevity and continuity (cid:9) 16
People-orientated (cid:9) 16
Check and balance, authenticates (cid:9) 16
Resource base (cid:9) 17
Concerned with organizational development (cid:9) 18
Tends to be authoritarian, dominating and
tends to swallow mission structure . . (cid:9) 19
Mission structures (cid:9) 20
20
Narrow concern (cid:9)
21
Task-orientated (cid:9)
(cid:9)
•
Outreach (cid:9) 21
High commitment expected (cid:9) 23
Innovative and open to change (cid:9) 24
Helps renew congregational structure . . (cid:9) 24
Leadership style (cid:9) 25
Interrelationship of the two structures . (cid:9) 27
Leaders of both structures need to under-
stand each structure's function . . . . (cid:9) 27
Both structures should be semi-autonomous. (cid:9) 28
Semi-autonomy, not independence (cid:9) 30
Problems associated with one-structure de-
nominations (cid:9) 32
Problems associated with church-less mis-
sion societies (cid:9) 33
Both structures should have a common re-
ference point (cid:9) 38
THE NEW TESTAMENT BASIS FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS
STRUCTURES (cid:9) 45
"Church" in the New Testament (cid:9) 45
"Apostle" in the New Testament (cid:9) 48
• Greek background (cid:9) 48
Hebrew equivalent of apostolos (cid:9) 49
New Testament meanings (cid:9) SO
The Twelve (cid:9) 51
Apostleship not restricted to the Twelve . (cid:9) 52
Function of New Testament Apostles (cid:9) 52
Missionary Bands in the New Testament . . . 54
Biblical basis for mission structures . . 58
Mission structures initiated by the Holy
Spirit (cid:9) 58
Early mission structures were semi-autono-
mous (cid:9) 62
SEMI-AUTONOMOUS MISSION STRUCTURES IN CHURCH
HISTORY (cid:9) 67
Introduction (cid:9) 67
The Synagogue pattern replaced by the dio-
cese (cid:9) 67
The apostolic bands replaced by the monas-
teries (cid:9) 68
The Medieval Period (cid:9) 69
Monasteries became a source of renewal . . (cid:9) 70
Monasteries became centers of quiet and
learning (cid:9) 70
Monasteries operated semi-autonomously from
the diocese (cid:9) 71
Monasteries became a missionary force . (cid:9) 73
The Reformation Period (cid:9) 76
Protestants largely ineffectual (cid:9) 77
vi
Catholics largely successful (cid:9) 77
The Modern Period (cid:9) 80
Factors that encouraged Protestant missions (cid:9) 81
Religious factors (cid:9) 81
Sociological factors (cid:9) 82
Promotional factors (cid:9) 86
Protestant mission societies (cid:9) 93
Protestants struggle with the concept of semi-
autonomous mission structures (cid:9) 94
Centralization leads to mere inter-church aid (cid:9) 97
Both congregational and mission structures are
needed (cid:9) 99
PART II. A CASE STUDY: THE TWO STRUCTURES
IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
V. THE TWO STRUCTURES IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
CHURCH, PART I--FOREIGN MISSION BOARD ERA, 1889-
1903 104
Beginnings and Structure of FMB (cid:9) 104
•
Relationship of the FMB to the General Confer-
108
ence (cid:9)
Points of conflict between congregational and
mission structures (cid:9) 109
Sources of Funds for FMB (cid:9) 111
Development of Mission Strategy By FMB (cid:9) 114
The FMB was aware of current missionary think-
114
ing (cid:9)
FMB members were sent on world survey trips (cid:9) 115
The FMB developed priorities (cid:9) 116
The FMB set future policy (cid:9) 119
Responsibilities of the FMB (cid:9) 119
The FMB promoted missions (cid:9) 120
The FMB appointed, instructed and supervised
124
personnel (cid:9)
The FMB supervised overseas work (cid:9) 125
Means Used By the FMB (cid:9) 132
132
Publishing work (cid:9)
134
Medical work (cid:9)
135
Lay missionaries (cid:9)
Self-supporting missionaries (cid:9) 136
Conference supported missionaries (cid:9) 137
Board supported missionaries (cid:9) 140
Seeds For Future Decline (cid:9) 140
The FMB turned mission territory over to union
• 140
conferences (cid:9)
The FMB did not develop mission structures
142
overseas (cid:9)
vii
THE TWO STRUCTURES IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVEN-
TIST CHURCH, PART II--DANIELLS AND SPICER ERA,
1901-1930 (cid:9) 146
Reorganization (cid:9) 147
Adventist Missions: 1901-1930, Day By Day Op-
eration and Promotion (cid:9) 152
Daniells made the General Conference Com-
mittee into a virtual mission board . . (cid:9) 153
Daniells promoted missions (cid:9) 154
The GC Committee did the same work as the
FMB (cid:9) 158
Growth of Missions (cid:9) 165
Total giving to missions (cid:9) 165
Number of missionaries sent overseas (cid:9) 169
Countries entered (cid:9) 170
Overseas membership and evangelistic work-
ers (cid:9) 171
Finance of Missions (cid:9) 173
Developments in the use of tithe for for-
eign missions (cid:9) 174
Money from wills donated to missions (cid:9) 181
Development of harvest ingathering . (cid:9) 182
Seeds For Future Decline (cid:9) 184
Reorganization (cid:9) 185
Centralization and the development of poli-
cies (cid:9) 189
THE TWO STRUCTURES IN THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST
CHURCH, PART III--THE PRESENT ERA (cid:9) 193
Adventist Missions Today (cid:9) 194
Present relationship between the two struc-
tures (cid:9) 194
Promotion of Missions (cid:9) 199
Offerings (cid:9) 201
Missionaries sent (cid:9) 203
Type of missionaries sent (cid:9) 206
Attitudes Towards Missions (cid:9) 214
Attitudes of the general membership . (cid:9) 214
Attitudes of GC leaders (cid:9) 216
Attitudes of overseas church leaders (cid:9) 218
SUGGESTED RESTRUCTURING FOR SEVENTH-DAY ADVEN-
TIST MISSIONS (cid:9) 221
Establish A Semi-Autonomous Mission Board . . (cid:9) 221
Characteristics That Are Necessary For A Semi-
Autonomous Mission Board (cid:9) 224
Power to promote (cid:9) 224
Power to raise funds (cid:9) 225
viii
Power to survey the world field (cid:9) 226
Power to pick and appoint a mission board
team (cid:9) 229
Suggested Changes in Present Practices . . . (cid:9) 231
Mission leaders must be up on current mission
thinking (cid:9) 231
Change emphasis from inter-church aid to pio-
neer work (cid:9) 233
APPENDICES (cid:9) 236
REFERENCES CITED (cid:9) 251
INDEX (cid:9) 260
VITA (cid:9) 267
•
•
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ABCFM (cid:9) American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mis-
sions
AMB (cid:9) Adventist Mission Board
DGR (cid:9) Decadal Growth Rate
FMB (cid:9) Foreign Mission Board
GC (cid:9) General Conference
GCC (cid:9) General Conference Committee
IMMBA (cid:9) International Medical Missionary and Benevolent
Association
LMS (cid:9) London Missionary Society
MMB (cid:9) Medical Missionary Board
NAD (cid:9) North American Division
SDA (cid:9) Seventh-day Adventist