The Lausanne Global Conversation is on the World Wide Open Network
Author: John Scott
Date: 31.05.2010
Category: Unreached People Groups, Partnership
Imagine this scene. You are one of 4000 Christian leaders from 150 nations, seated in the impressive Palais de Beaulieu, in Lausanne, Switzerland. The setting is equally impressive, on the shores of Lake Leman, with the picturesque Jura mountains off in the distance. You are attending an historic event, the first International Congress on World Evangelization. The theme is “Let the earth hear His voice.”
Dr. Ralph Winter approaches the podium. His voice is filled with passion for the whole earth to hear God’s voice. But he doesn’t draw attention to how hard of hearing the nations are. Instead, in that beautiful setting, he begins to tell you a story about blind people. These blind people belong to God, and are serious about following him. But somehow they aren’t seeing the world through God’s eyes. Their particular blindness is not easily diagnosed, and is even more difficult to cure. Then you discover who these blind people are:
“Our exultation about the fact that every country of the world has been penetrated has allowed many to suppose that every culture has by now been penetrated. This misunderstanding is a malady so widespread that it deserves a special name. Let us call it “people blindness”—that is, blindness to the existence of separate peoples within countries.”
It’s you and 4000 others sitting in the Palais de Beaulieu. Your “people blindness” has been preventing you from even seeing, let alone reaching out, to thousands of “hidden peoples” in countries all over the world. You are stunned to have been so blind and not even to have been aware of it.
That was 36 years ago. Some of us weren’t even born then. That’s the year Bill Gates graduated from high school and entered Harvard University. That same year the first advertisement for a personal computer appeared, with 1K of programmable memory. The price tag? $565. Today there may be as many as 2 billion computers in use, operated in locations every bit as remote as the remotest hidden peoples. Most of these computers have at least a million times as much memory as that first computer. Who could have imagined such staggering change back in 1974?
Why is it that we as a worldwide church have not seen a correspondingly dramatic change in the situation of these hidden peoples during this same period?
In his landmark speech, Dr. Winter warned that it will take “radically new efforts of cross-cultural evangelism in order to effectively witness to these 2387 million people.” Today God is doing remarkable things among some of these peoples through such radically new efforts in cross-cultural evangelism – in places like India and China, and across Africa. Yet this forgotten fourth still make up over 28% of the world’s population.
Why are many of us still blind, and so many of these groups still not only “hidden peoples” but “missing peoples” – missing from around the throne in the vision John saw in Rev. 5 and 7?
Thirty-six years ago the first Lausanne Congress brought these missing peoples to light. What will be the legacy of the upcoming 2010 Cape Town Congress? Will its impact dramatically change the destiny of these peoples – in this generation?
In a few short months we will be coming together in Cape Town as representatives of the church around the world. What if we decided to make a difference together, so hidden peoples are no longer hidden, missing peoples are no longer missing, and the forgotten fourth are no longer forgotten?
Imagine committing ourselves to join God in radical new approaches to cross-cultural evangelism among peoples like the Mappila of India and the Eastern Baloch of Pakistan. Imagine anticipating the day when we see their names removed from the list of missing peoples. And imagine the joy of looking forward to worshiping together with them around the throne of the Lamb throughout eternity.
Imagine yourself, your church, and your ministry in this picture. What do you see? How could you contribute to seeing it fulfilled?
Keywords: ethne, unreached people groups, UPG, UPGs, least reached peoples, hidden peoples, Ralph Winter
Views: 10137
Comments: 7
Recommendations: 0
Conversation Post Comment
United States
Hello John, one of the reason that people are still missing (off the radar) is because they are under 100,000 in population. Missionary movements have even focused on people groups over one million in population. Those are the groups where we are likely to now know a church exists, but it does.
Another reason is because some missing peoples are not on our radar at all. They are not in our people databases for lack of field research. We need field research!
This snapshot of Afghanistan comes from field research and shows how important it is to bringing clarity to the Missionary Movement. You will find the Eastern Baloch there.
http://en.etnopedia.org/wiki/index.php/Category:Afghanistan%27s_Related_Peoples
You might be interested in this conversation; How many unreached people groups are there? http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/groups/conversation_detail/1128
Blessings in Christ!
10.10.2010
South Africa
Today, especially what happened in Afghanistan last week, the danger is that more countries within the 10/40 window will become poor on western workers. The time for indigenous leaders and workers has come to make a more boldly stand for the church. Organisations that train and equip these leaders need to be supported. The sentiment against foreign workers has increased dramatically since the war in Iraq. Foreigners are labelled as American and it has become a stumbling block for aid workers and missionaries. As it is most countries within the 10/40 widow is closed to traditional mission work. My concern is that the task for the indigenous people is hampered by church and mission leaders who still cling to traditional way of missions. The missing people will stay missing if we do not support the indigenous church. We can start by trusting and equipping them to do the job.
13.08.2010
Singapore
@ Abe_Barnard:
Yes, we should encourage indigenous leaders and workers, who could better understand the local context (history, culture, peoples, and relationships).
13.08.2010
United States
@ Abe_Barnard:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Abe. It will take the whole church to make a difference, indigenous and all the rest of us. As far as clinging to traditional ways, i’m slowly adding to the Blog on Things we Know that aren’t necessarily so to describe some specific ways that ministry is being done effectively among UPGs, that I believe has relevance for other ministries as well.
13.08.2010
United States
@ Abe_Barnard:
I believe in the indigenous church and indigenous leadership. But, why is it so easy and popular to slam Americans, especially American missionaries?
Yes, new Godly ways of reaching others for Christ may be necessary, but don’t shoot the messangers.
14.08.2010
South Africa
@ Joseph_Paul_Cadariu:
Sorry if it sounds like I’m slamming Americans or American missionaries. I have met many American missionaries and most of them are back in America because doors closed for them in Asia. I just think the role to play for American missionaries have changed. Maybe the Lords are directing them to be used in a different role in His church. Americans is doing a great job and have done so in the past as well. It is just so difficult for them to be effective now as they were in the past.
18.08.2010
Singapore
At the first Lausanne Congress, there were 2,700 participants and guest gathered from 150 nations.
Some time ago, Dr Ralph Winter spoke on video about the event and the concept of UPG. Our task goes beyond the discovery of UPG ("missing peoples"?).
< http://video.christianpost.com/20091106/ralph-winter-unreached-peoples-and-beyond-1974-to-now/ >
13.07.2010
You must be logged in to post a comment. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up now (it’s free and easy!).