September 01, 1984 by W. Harold Fuller

This Is the goal SIM's General Council accepted this year. But where will the new members come front?

SIM International (originally Sudan Interior Mission) set a faith goal last April to Increase active membership to two thousand by the mission's centennary. In terms of active missionaries (not including retirees) that means doubling by the end of 1993.

It's, a goal of faith, but not without works. Its the result of vision and prayer, but it has involved intensive research. self evaluation, and accountability on the part of SIM's 16 councils worldwide hard work coupled with faith.

Here is how it happened: Nine years ago Slid evaluated how it was fulfilling Its mandate to evangelise and to plant churches. Like many other evangelical missions. SIP in the Fifties had had a large Intake of new missionaries who prepared for service following World War It. In the Sixties the mission was able to extend and consolidate work which earlier pioneers had Initiated, and by the Seventies national leadership was begInnIng to assume responsibility In several ethnic groups. The mission still had a task to perform among these peoples, but was also concerned for others unreached.

New Thrusts

In 1975 SIM's international policy making General Council established a Study Committee "to review and evaluate the possibilities open to strategic expansion... and to recommend major new thrusts for S IM involvement."

Surveys pinpointed unreached peoples in several African countries. Other missions in those countries welcomed SIM's Interest. In Northern Ghana, for instance, Wycliffe Bible Translators had prepared literacy materials. "Put we don't have church planting teams to use them," WBT told us. "If SIM can send teams in  great) These people are totally unreached." Slid was able to redeploy several missionaries from Ethiopia, where the Marxist \ revolution had forced a reduction in staff.

In Kenya. Africa Inland Mission was concerned for a frontier In the North  Muslim Somalia. In this case SIt! had the linquists  missionaries who had had to leave Somalia. So SIN worked with AIM to achieve joint objectives. Other frontiers opened in Liberia and Bourkina Fasso (Upper Volta).

Redeployed missionaries enabled us to get started among these new groups, but obviously we needed a new impetus in recruitment to meet the vast needs Opening before us. These increased after the Andes Evangelical Mission joined SIN In 1982. In 1983 we targeted eight additional unreached peoples in Africa and South America. This year our Personnel Department lists 387 new missionaries needed to reach these as well as to continue our work.

At the same time, projections indicate that another 300 missionaries will he needed to replace personnel due to retire in she coming ten years.

All told, a net 7s annual increase will he needed over a ten year period if the Slid is going to meet its commitments and respond to new challenges in frontier missions. That means an average of 180 new recruits a year in order to come out with the 7% net increase.

FINDING RECRUITS

In any case 180 new recruits is the goal SIM's General Council accepted for this year. Rt,1 where will those new members come from?

The Seventies were not encouraglnp in recruitment. SIM total membership had actually lowered from 1222 in 5976 to 11111 in 1980. This was partly due to withdrawal of around two hundred from Ethiopia. In Nigeria our training program made it possible to Indiaenize a large number of teaching posts. Also as the churches' missionary arm developed, nationals were able to continue the outreach of several retiring SIP pioneers.

There was another reason for the decline. SIN, like other missions in the Seventies, faced the general apathy toward missions or the part of Christian youth. Perhaps unconsciously some were affected by the feeling of liberal groups, that the day of missions was over. They also belonged to a disillusioned generation, gold, to demonstrate but reluctant to commit themselves. Sometimes missions themselves, busy with she complexities of many strategic ministries, failed to send out clear signals as to their basic frontiers, purpose, and how their ministries could help fulfill that purpose.

ENLARGING VISION

Evangelical missions struggled with these problems in the Seventies. Sit' joined In executive retreats and conferences sponsored by the IFMA and EFMA (interdenominational Foreign Mission Association and Evangelical Foreign Missions Association), Including their joint Missions Evaluation Task Force. In July 1970 the International Congress

on World Evangelization (Lasts enrol stirred 2,700 participants


pants from ISO nations. In the USA the Institute of International Studies 0f the U. S. Center for World Mission was exposino students to mission frontiers.

There InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade and the Navigators were imparting a mission vision In schools, and the Association of Church Mission Committees was doing the same In churches.

As the Eighties opened. SIM noticed the difference in response, the mission sent out 100 new workers In 1582 and 102 in 1983 By January 19811 active membership (apart from retirees and special short termers had climbed back to 1,000 for the first time since 1973.

And the new Interest has not been confined to North America. Last year 5101 accepted 15 candidates in French speaking Europe alone, and 20 from Britain. East Asians are also applying to serve with 591 in Africa and South America!

"Our decision in 1975 to search out unreachad packets of people and aggressively to plan strategies to reach thorn hegan a renewed sense of vigor and a growth pattern which is encouraging," says General Director lam 0'. Hay. "When clear goals are identified and we step out in faith, Cod supplies the people and the support to

achieve them. When we draw back and concentrate on the problem. which surround us. retrenchment follows."

GROWTH FACTORS

SlOt sees the following factors in achieving its 100% growth coal:

1. It is a faith goal  which means dependence on God. Mission membership and

constituency must make it a matter of prayer.

2. there must be a commitment to the post, from top leadership to the newest recruit, S IM's General Director and General Council set the pace; local councils have picked up the torch.

This kind of involvement is typified by Bill Schmidt, a Pastor and member of the SlOts USA Council as well at General Council.

eWe can't pass the buck to mission offices and expect it to happen," he told fellow council members — "II has to be the life of the mission. Suppose every one of us was confronted by God to trust Him for a certain number  suppose 1001) missionaries and 100 council members Pit did that, I suspect our recruitment offices might be hus, places. 11

3. We must communicate SlO's basic purpose in clear terms, so missionaries, supporters, and potential recruits will

understand the goals, SIM's Manual states:

"The purpose of 5104 Is to glorify God by evangelizing the unreached and ministering to man's needs, discipling believers into churches equipped to fulfill Christ'. Commission Matthew 28:19, 20)."

Each missionary needs to know how his/her work helps achieve that purpose.

ni. Facilities for recruitment and processing will need increasing. The base for prayer and faith giving must he enlarged

5. Apart from pre  service orientation, adequate field orientation is essential to ensure effective absorption of greater numbers. Example: at their recent meeting, the SIM council for the Andes Area (Bolivia and Peru) assigned each of eight new recruits to experienced missionaries for ongoing orientation.

Continued on next page...


IMI Pushed into Growth

Bill Tarter, Executive Officer

Like Frontiers, Inc. iMi is flooded with candidates, almost exceeding Its entire existing force. With 175 active missionaries in the USA and abroad, and a whopping ItS appointees, growth is a prominent Involvement in Itself.

According to Bill Tartar, president of iMi, part of this new thrust can be credited to the impulse resulting from the Iranian crisis several years ago. Although IMi historically has worked in Asia, somehow the crisis resulted in a large increase In the number of students desiring to reach Muslims.

The immediate impact on the mission, Tarter reports, was that "our Candidate Department had a vision to aggressively recruit new candidates." But growth in number of candidates called for radical change elsewhere. The first was a much larger allocation of funds budgeted to the Candidate Department.

Even more Important. however, was the necessity to formulate plans for preparing these new appointees. Here is the gist,

.continued from page

5. Scriptural management procedures must he followed, to achieve administrative accountability and stewardship of resources. As part of this process, Slim recently completed

mission wide self evaluation which is having ongoinn application.

7. Research of new frontiers, including the exploding cities, will continue, accompanied by proper analysis of each unreached people's needs and strategy planning. In addition to eight unreached groups currently targeted, S IM intends to identify and initiate church planting among eight other unreached groups by the end of 1988. Urban evangelization will be a priority as we extend current projects and target other' cities, "The needs of the urban jungle," stases General Director Hay, "though perhaps not as romantic, are as great or

1. "Our month long candidate school includes training in Interpersonal and cross cultural relationships. mission policy and procedure, Information about the fields. and training for pre¬field ministries (pre departure deputation).

2. 'Appointees who will learn a new language are expected to attend a language acquisition course.

3. "Appointees In Hindu and Muslim ministries attend STP. IMi's six week Summer Training Program in Muslim and Hindu Evangelism. Some appointees are Involved in an internship as an extension of this program.

4. "Generally, there is closer folio. up of appointees to confirm that predeparture requirements I further education or TESOL .. counseling. participating in church Internships) are completed before ring overseas. Our desire is to send well prepared people overseas."

In order to handle the

Increased administrative load more personnel have been added

greater than those of the Primitive jungles."

In countries where the work is developed, part of 5151's strategy is so encourage church leaders to keep new mission frontiers before their churches. For instance, In the Seventies ElM provided a researcher for the Nigerian Evangeilcat Fellowship. His findings shocked delegates at the Nigerian Congress on Evangelization 1977) with the revelation that there were still 25

million unreached people in their nation.

ElM related churches have since Identified 86 unevangelized ethnic groups in the North alone. Their Evangelical Missionary Society has targeted several and has over 500 Nigerian missionaries at work. "The lives of these people are in our hands," says Panya Baba, EMS General

to Ml's headquarters staff to help assure continued main tenance of people and programs during this growth period. Both in 1982 and 1984, each home and field administrator took part in two¬week Leadership Training Seminars which are designed to help each delegate understand himself better and develop a stronger desire and ability 10 serve the missionaries in his sphere of responsibility.

"Training," said President Tarter, "Includes Interpersonal relationships, administration, and cross cultural work. Many administrators realize their personal walk with God is foundational to successful leadership and so spiritual ministry to delegates is also Included in the seminars."

Ml works among many unreached people groups in Asia, and if their number of missionaries increase as expected to keep from sacrificing quality they feel they must hold the number of new candidates per year down to 50 for a while even so they will no doubt he opening many new fields. (Note that 50 added to 320 active and appointed Is over 15%, which is one of the highest expectations of the agencies for which we have reports. Ed.)

Secretary. "We must take them the Gospel or answer to God,"

To help develop national missionary leadership. ElM is currently sponsoring an experienced Nigerian missionary

taking graduate studies at Columbia Bible College Graduate School. His goal is to set up a missionary training school in his nation.

"I am convinced that the decade before us has the greatest potential for effectiveness of any we have had," Dr. Hay told SIM's General Council. "It must become the decade of fulfillment,

(Rev. W. Harold Fuller is Deputy General Director of SIN' International. Author of several books, including one published by William Carey Library, he has lectured on six continents concerning missions.)


Frontiers, Inc     A New Mission Planning for Quick Growth Greg t,.lvlnqstone. Deputy Director Open Letter From Frank Robbins of Wycliffe

Frontiers. Inc. is a new mission which is planning for quick growth. First organized in 1982 as "NAM Associates" under the North Africa Mission, by the then Deputy Director for North America, Greg L ivingstone. It was later (with NAN', blessing and encouragement) Incorporated as a separate and independent mission in 1983. Almost Immediately three other small missions concerned with Muslim outreach merged with Frontiers.

Starting from zero in 1982. Frontiers has already entered 18 fields and will soon enter two more.

Out of a total of 165 missionaries, 84 are on the field, 77 assigned and preparing to leave, and 7 are accepted but as yet unassigned. An additional 57 have applied, but are currently in the process of candidate selection.

The new missionaries are challenged 10 plan on success measured by establishing a church. They are also challenged to he ready for Imprisonment and suffering, If necessary. This philosophy Is that of the old time pioneers In the now well  established fields of older missions, and Is certainly appropriate for a mission which is

involved specifically and exclusively in pioneer work today.

Such breathtaking growth especially to work with unreached Muslim peoples  Is an indication that Cod is moving among young Christians today. Greg Livingstone and his team hope to have 2000 "fellow Frontiersmen planting the church among 200 Muslim people groups by the year 2.000l"

Being a new mission with a basically youthful home staff. Frontiers has the advantage of special appeal to young people. And since its headquarters offices are on the USCWM campus, it also has the advantage of high visibility to students and young USCWM staff on their way to the field.

But it is also true that Frontier's philosophy of mission appeals to young people today. Although Frontiers sends its candidates into "closed" countries, each one is assigned to a team leader  a "circuit riding coach" who, because of the youth of the mission. may be only slightly older and perhaps only slightly more experienced as a missionary.

PFAR FELLOW MEMBERS,

The U.S. Center for World Mission embodies the vision for the world's unreached peopLes, ,any of whom are the Etibleless minority groups. In a relatively brief period of years. the world community of missions are all talking shout unreached peoples, and most are attempting to adjust their priorities In order to mobilize their resources toward reaching the unrear'hnd. The U.S. Center also encoepasses bc' William Carey Internatin nal University Which Is committed to training mlss,onarles to each the .preached. A number of missIon

  agencies hose reprecentetlves at the Center, each work,ng on some aspect of reachinci liw upreached. From the outset. Wvcjlffe has r*IOlced at this development and sought to he supportive. George Cowan serve, on the Center'. Board of Refer ' en

THE CENTER'S operation Is self supporting, but It has purchased a facility (former cohleqe campus) that requires an extensive capital Investment.

At a recent Evangelical Foreign Missions Association for mission executives retreat, Dr. Ralph Winter, founder of the Center, reported on their financial plight relative to that obligation. The Center has recently passed a maior deadline and agreed to a schedule for paying off their mortcmaqe. Their current debt servIce costs are very high. Ralph has developed a program among the Christian public that he calls the "Touch Ten' program. The Idea Is to communicate with ten people who are not currently Involved heavily r mission outreach and invite them to consider gIvIng a one time gift of $15.95 to the purchase of the U.S. Center for World Mission.

WE CAN HELP the Canter in four ways: One Is to inform Ourselves further: information

Is readily availahie from the Center. Second, we can use that Information to prey for the Center. Thirdly, to consider Contributing a one time gift of $15.95 ourselves. Finally, and perhaps more effectively, we can ctncnuraoe some of our constituency to become Involved in the program and reach out and touch ten people that they know who are not presently part of or constituency) who mIght like the Opportunity to contribute the one time gift of $ tS.g5. At you ran see, the potential from this last alternative Is far reaching. Ralph has repeatedly staled that he Is not trying to develop his own mailing list, but simply seeking one time $15.95 gifts. Any Wycliffe member who would like to become Involved Ire this way could conceivably benefit directly U Ralph has dialed that any names and addressee resuitlnca from Such cop tire gifts wIll he turned over to Wyci irfe to hopeft.l become Part of Our'scL i consituency.

THE CENTER will send you packets of information which you can provide for those of your constituency you desire. in

requesting packets, please

Indicate that you are responding to this letter and that wili tacit ii ate the transfer of addresses that are generated. The address is:

U.S. Center for World Mission tees E. Elizabeth Street Pasadena. California 91104 Phone: (918) 797 1111

I have never recommended support of a specific minlat ry to Wycllfl'e members before. believe the significance of the

Center Is such that it merits

our prayerful consideration. With the encouragement of the administration and, now as a feltow¬member. I urge you to give it that.

Your. sincerely,

Frank Rohhlns