July 01, 1985 by Darrell Dorr, John Holzmann, and Jim Stewart

It was the morning of April 19, 1977. Dr. Ralph Winter put the finishing touches on the document he was working on, handed the paper to his secretary to retype and photocopy, and then sat back in his chair. Looking out the window, he continued to think about what he had been writing.

Only six months earlier he and his wife Roberta had incorporated a cooperative mission center and established toehold residence on the former Pasadena Nazarene College campus. Only two months earlier he and his board of directors had changed the name of the organization from the World Mission Center to the U.S. Center for World Mission, a move that reflected Winter's concern that his center be properly understood as one in a series rather than one of a kind.

Winter was concerned that his center be understood as one in a series rather than one of a kind.

In all of this there was a wondrous sense of God leading the way. Now, after a flurry of other projects, Winter had finally been able to revise an earlier statement of rationale for his organization. What's more, this document had laid the philosophical foundation for what he hoped would be similar initiatives in other places.

Today, more than eight years later, an estimated 25 centers for world mission, varying in size and scope, span the globe. Some were started earlier than the USCWM. Each is autonomous. But all share similar purposes with the U.S. Center for World Mission. Sister centers can be found in.

Australia, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Sweden, South Africa, Great Britain, and other countries. Furthermore, four centers, including the U.S. Center, are now operating on the North American continent alone.

Is there a need for multiple centers for world mission?

The Northwest Centre for World Mission in Vancouver, British Columbia was founded in May 1981. The Canadian Centre for World Mission in Toronto, Ontario was founded in February 1984, and the Midwest Center for World Mission in Oak Park, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) is barely six months old. Where did these centers come from? And what are they doing? Is there a need for multiple centers for world mission? How are they helping evangelical Christians to complete the task of world evangelization?

The U.S. Center for World Mission

It was in the early 1970's that discussions began among Fuller School of World Mission faculty concerning the need for a separate, autonomous mission center. As they became increasingly aware of what God was doing around the world and of what remained to be done, they became convinced of the need for something more than a school. They needed a place, an organization, a structure something  that would enable personnel from different missions to pool their efforts, to mobilize, to implement, to act upon the latest insights in the world of missions.

One faculty member, Ralph Winter, was particularly impressed that the mission fields of concern to his students, mostly furloughing missionaries and national church leaders, represented only a fraction of the world's non Christians. His mentor, School of World Mission founder Donald McGavran, had long observed that mankind is a cultural mosaic, each of the pieces of which must be purposely penetrated with the gospel. An accumulation of statistical research ultimately led Winter to conclude, in a major address at the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in July 1974, that five out of six of the world's nonChristians are in cultures or social strata as yet unpeneirated by existing church and mission efforts. Winter later estimated that there are approximately 17,000 such unpenetrated societies or "unreached peoples.

The burden of the task remaining grew in Winter's heart. In late 1976 he heard that the former Pasadena Nazarene College campus was for sale, and after much soul searching, prayer, discussion with colleagues, and negotiation with college officials, he and his wife, 'feeling literally dragged out in faith," asked for an option to buy the campus.

The U.S. Center for World Mission was born.

After more than eight years of rollercoaster efforts to purchase the campus and establish the center (a story chronicled in Roberta Winter's Once More Around Jericho), the USCWM and its sister organization, William Carey International University, today encompass 100 buildings on 35 acres equally divided between the central campus and 85 residential properties. This complex is the largest single piece of property in the United States ever to be set aside as a cooperative nerve center for the use of mission agencies.

Within this environment, a host staff of 120 constitutes the core of a total of almost 300 full¬time people, including missionaries with backgrounds in at least 70 mission agencies, who work in research institutes, educational campaigns, training programs, and a wide range of auxiliary services from printing to video production. All these projects focus on frontier missions, the task of planting the church where it has not yet taken root, (Winter has come to describe the difference between Fuller and the USCWM as the difference between the crucial task of encouraging the worldwide church to "grow where it is" and the equally crucial task of preparing the church to "go where it isn't".)

Anticipating the Need for Sister Centers

The U.S. Center still has not secured its campus, facing possibly two more years of $300,000 quarterly payments and a $8 million balloon payment in September 1987. Nevertheless, Winter and his staff have found time and energy to not only catty on ministry from Pasadena but also encourage the development of sister centers in other parts of the world. Though these additional centers, including the two in Canada and one in the U.S., have sprung from the initiative of others, and though none have sought to purchase a campus the size of the USCWM's, all share a strong unity of purpose with the Pasadena center.

In his foundational April 1977 document, titled "World Need, World Problems Can Missions Make Any Difference?", Winter stated.

"The most strategic overall response Christians can make to world need is a string of nerve centers around the world, centers of a new kind."

The most strategic overall response Christians can make to world need is a string of nerve centers around the world, centers of a new kind .... In every country these centers will have two functions:

1. They must be information centers
   
   concerning unreached peoples within the country where the center is located  so that foreign mission agencies and expatriate missionaries coining into the country can readily avail themselves of precise, reliable local guidance as to where the highest priority needs are. Thus they consider their own country a mission field.
    
2. They must be information centers managing at least the basic outlines of the mission needs in the rest of the world, so as to help people from their country become strategic missionaries to other pans of the world  they consider their own country a mission base.

The task of these centers will be to awaken interest in cross cultural mission, to stimulate and encourage support, and to do essential studies and strategic thinking about the unmet needs. It is expected that if this [Pasadena] center succeeds, similar centers will no doubt spring into being in other countries (both Western and non Western) wherever substantial resources and interest in missions exist, and it will be part of the mission of the United States Center for World Mission to encourage such centers and to relate to them.

The centers for world mission in Vancouver, Toronto, and Oak Park have borne out Winter's prophetic words. Each of these centers has received encouragement from the USCWM, focused on its own region as both a mission field and mission base, and borrowed the USCWM's four part divisional organization into strategy, mobilization, training, and services. In addition, each maintains a strong focus on frontier missions. Nevertheless, some interesting differences remain.

The Northwest Centre for World Mission

In March 1981 the Canadian Baptist Convention invited Winter to be the featured speaker at its Western regional "Missionfest '81' conference in Vancouver. During the conference the idea of a Northwest Centre was first discussed, and two months later this center was off and running. B.W, (Andy) and Lorna Anderson assumed direction for the new project, and they were later joined by Hal Neufeld of the North American Indian Mission and Roy and Doreen Hodgcs of SIM International (formerly Sudan Interior Mission).

Andy Anderson Administrative Director or the Northwest Centre, shows visitors a wall map coded to highlight churches and peoples in the Vancouver area.

The Northwest Centre seeks to call the attention of Christians in southern British Columbia to the world's unreached peoples and in particular to unreached peoples in their own midst. To that end, a Strategy Task Force is nearing completion of a demographic survey of some 200 square miles of the lower Fraser Valley area. In addition, the Northwest Centre has produced a survey of 130 local ethnic churches. Both tools are intended to equip local believers to become actively involved in world evangelization. Doreen Hodges recently wrote to her prayer team:

The multicultural nature of our environs was very evident at the Billy Graham Crusade in October. The Sun reported, "It was the first time in a major crusade that organizers have made translations available in ten languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese, Hindustani, Punjabi, Vietnamese, Greek, Italian, and Spanish."

The foreign language electronic translations were used by up to 1800 people each night. Even so, there are still large people groups here among whom there are no Christians and certainly no church. It is therefore the responsibility of our established churches to locate these groups and to find ways of reaching them with the Gospel.

In order to equip churches, Sunday school classes, and youth groups to act on the information provided by research projects, the Northwest Centre sponsors a series of 'Frontier Focus" cross cultural evangelism seminars. Directed toward peoples in the greater Vancouver area, the seminars consist of three one hour sessions that may be scheduled over a span of three weeks or combined during one weekend.

In addition, the Northwest Centre stocks and sells a large number of books on cross cultural missions. Doreen Hodges notes, 'Different pastors are elated to find these available for their own and church libraries. 'You just can't find these kinds of books anywhere else!,' one said to me. Exactly! That is why NCWM stocks them!" Administrative Director Anderson adds, "We have been wonderfully encouraged and aided by those books connected with the U.S. Center."

The Canadian Centre for World Mission

Whereas the Northwest Centre is largely regional in scope, the Canadian Centre for World Mission, based in Toronto, seeks to serve Canada nationwide. This center, too, was partially catalyzed by a speaking engagement of Ralph Winter, who during a visit to Ontario Bible College in January 1983 conferred with long time friend Howard Dowdell. Dowdell, like Winter an engineer in background, was then director of SIM Canada after years of directing SIMs work in Francophone West Africa. Winter encouraged Dowdell to either come to the USCWM or begin a similar center in Toronto, and Dowdell agreed to consider both options.

For a Canadian Centre. In February 1984 an ad hoc committee, representing a broad representation of church, mission, and Bible college leadership, gave the mandate to found the Canadian Centre for World Mission, which was incorporated soon thereafter. CCWM leaders kicked in $1200 of their own funds to launch the ministry, and the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Association of Canada contributed $1000 as one measure of its support.

David Michell, director of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship of Canada, was chosen as President Chairman, Charles Derr, director of the Latin America Mission, was named Vice-President and Treasurer, and Dowdell was appointed Executive Director and Secretary. Dowdell was convinced that this broad based leadership was essential to the CCWMs strength and credibility. Such an arrangement also corroborated Winter's position that centers for world mission should primarily be of, by, and for the existing mission agencies.Since its founding the Canadian Centre has moved steadily toward the fulfillment of its goals. Shortages of personnel and funds have slowed progress on some fronts, such as the attempt to establish 20 new prayer groups for unreached peoples, but other projects have strongly advanced. The CCWM has sponsored and organized conferences; distributed books, tapes, and videos, and sought to develop a network of smaller resource centers to do likewise; produced and distributed a prayer and information bulletin drawn from the monthly gatherings of missions leaders in the Toronto World Missions Fellowship; and provided seminars and workshops to churches.

The Canadian Centre has also been a strong stimulus in the formation and development of Student Mission Advance (SMA), a national student missions mobilization organization. Dowdell is a board member of SMA, and SMA Director Artaj Singh is reciprocally a board member of the CCWM.

Each center views its own region as both a mission field and a mission base.

Strong ties have thus been forged between senior and junior missions leaders in the Toronto area. Student Mission Advance, which grew from the Southern Ontario Youth Missions Conference held at McMaster University in October 1983, has since commissioned a "Grass Roots Travelling Team" to challenge Canadian youth to obedience to the Great Commission. SMA is also gearing up for "Mission Advance '86,' a Canadian "Urbana type student missions convention scheduled for December 27 31, 1986 at the Philpott Memorial Church in Hamilton, Ontario.

During the summer of 1985 several mission agencies are cooperating with CCWM in a supervised training experience for youth called the "CCWM Timothy Program." Emphasis is on crosscultural outreach within Canada, and the ultimate goal is to plant churches among people groups which have no local Christian witness. In the process, potential missionaries for cross¬cultural ministry are being trained through lectures, seminars and practical experience. In addition, host churches are receiving new opportunities to reach out to surrounding communities. Participating mission agencies, including OW, SIM, LAM, and RBMU, are providing the experienced personnel (the "Pauls') to supervise the young workers (the "Timothys"). Says Dowdell, "We believe that this kind of missionary internship will bless the students with invaluable experience, bless the churches with practical participation in mission work on our doorstep, and move into Satan's territory to win the lost.

More than a dozen volunteers support Dowdell in various aspects of the CCWM's ministry. Foremost among them is Dr. Nigel Buxton, a physician who has served as a liaison with the U.S. Center, organized prayer groups, and procured missions literature for distribution. CCWM offices are presently located in the Dowdells home, but separate office space is planned as funds permit. Mission agencies headquartered in Toronto have also given the CCWM liberal use of their facilities.The Midwest Center for World Mission.

The hub of the American Midwest, Chicago has also become a complex international megalopolis. Urban sociologist Ray Bakke, of the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, and the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE), among others, have made Chicago a byword for the complexities and opportunities of an age of missions in which unreached peoples have come to us. Throughout the world,fronrier missions increasingly involves urban missions and home missions.

The Midwest Center is located on the former campus of Emmaus Bible Institute in Oak Park, Illinois.The Midwest Center for World Mission was born in such an environment, springing from the initiatives of individuals in two churches active in home missions and urban outreach. The Chicago International Evangelical Free Church has developed a special ministry to international students. Circle Evangelical Free Church of Oak Park, a suburb on Chicago's western boundary, has in the last decade begun a constellation of inner city ministries: a health clinic, legal clinic, leadership development and counseling projects, and youth ministries. Circle Church has also recently purchased a dilapidated former high school and is refurbishing the campus for its new Community Center.

In 1984 lay and pastoral leaders from both churches met to discuss the possibility of a new project: a facility where international students could be housed, learn English, and meet American.

Christians willing and able to share their faith. Emmaus Bible Institute had recently decided to move from its large, three story building in Oak Park to a new campus in Dubuque, Iowa, and so, beginning in October, the planners of the international student ministry investigated the Emmaus facility for their own project Zoning obligations seemed prohibitive, but Emmaus officials, sympathetic to the evangelical purposes of the group from the two churches, postponed the acceptance of another organization's offer for the building in order to give the Christian group time to modify theft offer.

These Christians  Gaius and Martha Berg, Gary and Joanna Ginter, and Sam and Sharon Mall, after praying for guidance, drove to Urbana on December 31, the last day of the InterVarsity Urbana student missions convention. There they consulted with Ken Wendling, of the Language Institute for Evangelism, and Ralph Winter. Both Wendling and Winter encouraged the group to think about training English teachers, but Winter also spoke of larger goals. On the drive back to Oak Park the group decided to take a cue from the USCWM  they would fly for a Midwest Center for World Mission!

Armed with new options and new resolve, including the willingness of Circle Church to act as.

Throughout the world, frontier missions increasingly involves urban missions and home missions.

the nonprofit bidder and the stated intention of a handful of Chicago commodity traders to underwrite the five year purchase note, the group reapproached Emmaus and the local zoning board early in 1985. After negotiations Emrnaus accepted the group's offer, and the zoning board approved the sale contingent on continuing use of the facility, at least partially, for educational purposes.

Circle Church has since fumed over the deed to a duly incorporated Midwest Center for World Mission, to be known in secular circles as the Midwest Center for International Studies. Circle Church, previously renting facilities from other churches for Sunday services, now, also with zoning approval, pays rent to the Midwest Center and meets in the MCWM facility for Sunday services. And all this from the concern to teach English to international students!

Since April, when property negotiations were concluded, much has happened in Oak Park. Most notably, the MCWM founders have invited Frank Underhill, an instructor at the University of Washington with six years of experience in the Middle East, to be the new centers executive director. The Underhill family will move to Oak Park from Seattle in July. Also, the US. Center, in response to an invitation from the MCWM, has assigned USCWM Communications Director Darrell Dou and his wife, Linda, to Oak Park to help the MCWM in its early stages and from this base to more purposely strengthen the international network of sister centers.

Additional MCWM staff include Dan Bailey, coordinator of the 'Perspectives" missions study program scheduled to begin in fall 1985; Daniel Brown, administrative assistant; Kathy DeCanio, secretarial assistant; Bill Hudson, facilities manager; and Steve Walley, ethnomusicology researcher. Gairdner Ministries, an organization based in Great Britain which provides research and training focused on Central Asian Muslims, has also indicated its intent to locate its U.S. personnel at the MCWM facility.Like the other North American centers for world mission, the Midwest Center seeks to contribute training, mobilization, and strategy to the growing frontier missions movement MCWM leaders have stated that the Midwest Center will initially offer training via the 'Perspectives" course and a program in teaching English to speakers of other languages, focus mobilization efforts in the Midwest, and direct strategic energies to exploring "tentmaking" options and urban missions. They say, "A strategy which seeks tv evangelize the unreached must take advantage of the vast opportunities presented by the great urban centers of the modern world. Today we have unprecedented opportunities to reach the unreached peoples through their representatives who have migrated to the cities. These urban unreached peoples have the potential of becoming today's 'Bridges of God."

The MCWM facility, built originally as a YMCA and occupied by Enimaus Bible Institute from 1950 until its departure in 1984, includes classrooms, cafeteria, library, gymnasium, and 80 dorm rooms. MCWM staff are currently seeking a wide range of equipment and supplies to service the facility.

Four Centers, One Purpose

So God has established four North American centers for world mission in addition to other centers in other countries. Are they all needed? Absolutely! Does the U.S. Center feel threatened by "competitors"? Absolutely not! As anticipated on that morning in April 1977, a string of centers has developed, each center complementing and extending the ministry of the others, each pointing to the unfinished task. This is the collaboration necessary if God's people are to see the achievement of "A Church for Every People by the Year 2000!"