January 01, 1981 by

Reaching God's Hidden People

Strategy Division

Where are the hidden people?

How can they be reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

The Strategy Division at the U. S. Center for World Mission works on the answers to questions like these by:

• pinpointing hidden people
• studying their culture and religion
• developing strategies to reach them with the Gospel
• facilitating overseas research.

The "Hidden" people groups of the world  where there is no viable church  are primarily found within four major blocs: the Chinese, Hindu, Muslim and tribal peoples. It is the task of the STRATEGY DIVISION of the U. S. Center for World Mission to gather information on the "Hidden" people groups within these four blocs and to work alongside mission agencies to develop specific creative strategies for presenting the Gospel to such groups in a meaningful way.

China - Institute of Chinese Studies

In the spring of 1980 Alan Gates, Jim Ziervo gel and John Shindledecker of the ICS traveled to the Peoples Republic of China. They were thrilled by evidences of Christian strength, and anticipate returning in 1981 to study more in depth the possibilities for work among the minority peoples of China.

In his recently published Think China, Alan Gates summer groups have been published by the ICS, including one on Tibetan "Miens" and another on unemployed youth in urban China.

The Institute has also been compiling descriptions of minority peoples in China for World Vision's Unreached Peoples '81.

A graduate study program to enable students to do on the field research of different cultures has been prepared by a joint effort of ICS and the Chinese World Mission Center (CWMC). The course receives credit through the William Carey International University.

The ICS is developing a series of pamphlets for mission leaders to show all the different ways Americans can be involved in the evangelization of Chinese.

In cooperation with the neighboring Evangelical China Office (affiliated with IFMA/EFMA/NACOCE), a joint periodical room has been established. About 95 regular periodicals are received and monitored by the World Consultation on Frontier MIssions (Edinburgh '80) Also headquartered in the same suite was the U.S. office for the International Student Consultation on Frontier Missions. Both conferences proved to be very valuable. (See Dec. 1980 issue of Mission Frontiers for a full report.)

The research office of GOSPEL RECORDINGS, directed by Allan Starling, coordinated the compilation of the Peoples file, taken on microfiche to Edinburgh '80. The Peoples file synthesized material from Wydiffe's Ethnologue (10,000 languages and dialects), MARC's Unreached People file (3,000 people groups), and Gospel Recording's Directory of Recorded Languages (4,070) languages and dialects). In 1980 Gospel Recordings recorded 70 new unreached people languages.

Sister Centers

The concept and growth of the U. S. Center for World Mission has stimulated many inquiries from other countries during 1980. At the beginning of 1980, centers were functioning in Bolivia, Burma, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Kenya, Korea (2), Scotland and Singapore. During the year other new centers were inaugurated in Australia, England, Germany, Holland, Japan, and South Africa. At year's end, concerned parties were prayerfully investigating possibilities in Brazil, Canada, Guatemala, Lebanon, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Taiwan.

Dr. Ben Jennings with International Missionary Advance (IMA) keeps in contact with all these centers. They are autonomous, and responsive to the churches and agencies in their own countries. The USCWM is only one such center, tied to the others only by a doctrinal statement, a common commitment to the frontiers, and monthly correspondence through Ben Jennings.

New Staff in 1980

What Brought you to the Center?

RICH MELIKIAN, Phoenix, AZ. "At first it was a call to arms, the desire to make life count, not for myself, but for God's work to be furthered here on earth. Second, it was the important needs of the Center in all areas of the Kingdom's development (especially the real estate needs here) in which I felt the Lord's leading. And third, it was the fear of wasting years of precious time on trying to accumulate wealth for myself, while the needs of the world's peoples were not being met."

KOLEEN MATSUDA, Harbor City, CA. "I came to the U.S. Center for World Mission because to me, the excitement of aiding in a new birth is irresistable. After one month here, I am convinced that the USCWM really is a one of a kind missions innovation center, that by its very focus (the untouched frontiers), compels the exploration of unique tools and avenues which can be used to bring

God's intended blessing of salvation to all nations. I can't imagine a more provocative environment for creatively channeling natural gifts to serve the cause closest to God's heart."

STEVE RAY, Bakersfield, CA. "It's been a steady process of God's leading. Realizing that I have one life to live, and wanting to spend it wholeheartedly for the Lord who gave Himself for me, helped us decide to come here. Security and comfort with a steady income just can't compete with a life of faith, helping fulfill Christ's command to take His good news everywhere!

KEVIN BERASLEY, Reseda, CA. "Several friends from college had come on staff, so I had lots of contact with the Center. When I graduated, the Center seemed to be the place where I could best use what I had learned to accomplish what is most important."

DAVE and DELORES SHAVER, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. "My wife and I had served many years with the Christian Literature Crusade in Pennsylvania and had been through a period of change and transition after leaving the Crusade in late 1977. Then the Lord challenged me from II Peter about getting things into perspective.

"A copy of Once More Around Jericho was loaned us by a friend and after Delores and I read it we were so challenged by the Lord that we wrote to ask how we can be involved. . .and here we are."

SHIRLEY LAWSON, Erie, PA. "My life was committed to the Lord for missions from my teens, and the USCWM is the most exciting, far reaching mission work I know."

JEAN KIM, Potomac, MD. "I wanted to serve the Lord in an effective way, and I saw an opportunity to take part in fulfilling the Great Commission, especially in giving priority to the peoples currently beyond the reach of the gospel as in Romans 15:20 21."

JOHN NOVAK, Glendale, CA.
As I approached retirement I prayed that the Lord would direct me to a Christian group where my manual skills could most profitably be used to further the cause of Christ. After doing some part time volunteer work at the USCWM, it became obvious that He wanted me here on a full¬time basis.

GENE KELLER, Grants Pass, OR.
The Lord brought me to the Center in response to my desire to obey and serve Him using the abilities and training which He has given me. I also came to learn more about missions, and to seek His leading in my life concerning my service to Him."

MARILEE DAVIS, Los Angeles, CA. "My heart is very burdened for peoples who yet have not even had a chance to hear about the love of Christ. After taking the Institute for International Studies course I saw a need for laborers here at the Center God led me to stay and help."

ROBBY BUTLER, Los Angeles, CA. "I was excited about using my skills in the most effective way to advance God's kingdom."

GENE and DONNA IVES, Ventura, CA. "Upon hearing at our church missions conference of the 2.5 billion people who had not yet heard of Jesus, we felt d to dedicate our lives to this task. Subsequently, Gene picked up Once More Around Jericho for 10 cents at the thrift store, read it and got excited about the Center. After a series of events, the Lord led us here to be a part of the staff."

DAVE BONZO, Evans City, PA. "I came to the USCWM to be able to serve God with my undergraduate training. I also felt that. this would be a good place to have my vision broadened and also to grow in the Lord."

DARRELL DORR, Pasadena, CA. 'The great, startling reality that the church must take new, bold, creative initiatives to provide a church for 16,750 Hidden Peoples is a reality that demands action. The clear commands of Scripture, the unmistakable need of humanity, plus, frankly, the prospect with working with the USCWM staff I knew, wooed me to the USCWM."

KAREN RAY, Alameda, CA. "1 wanted to work for a cause with eternal purposes in mind. The USCWM put together my interest in missions, higher education, student personnel and community life and I rejoice over the opportunity to serve the Lord here."

PENNY EIDEM, Fergus Falls, MN. "Both Chuck and my desire was to be involved in missions. How or where we did not know. After reading or a plea for help in the Mission Frontiers we prayed for God's guidance and direction in this matter. Through reading God's Word we came to a real peace and assurance that the Center was where He wanted us for now."

BARB OVERGAARJJ, Fergus Falls. MN. As a student in the Teaching English as a Second Language program last year I saw not only the strategic role the Center plays in reaching Hidden People for Christ by multiplying vision but also I saw the need for more staff to make this massive project succeed. God called, I responded, and I don't regret it one bit."

LEE PURGASON, Greensboro, NC. "Having felt led by God to seek a position where I could use my accounting, I discovered the needs at the Center at Urbana '79. I applied with the conviction that this was a strategic place where the needs of the unreached of the world could be met."

CHUCK EIDEM, Fergus Falls, MN. "Back in 1977, I had a chance to be a part in the launching of the U.S. Center for World Mission on a volunteer basis. Now I am here full time to use my gifts and abilities in a support area of world missions."

NANCY WISE, Ridgewood, NJ. "I came here to work at the USCWM because I am headed overseas to work with Muslims, and I sense the importance of helping to mobilize a new student movement of American students committed to the Great Commission before I leave. I feel this is priceless precandidate training   my vision is growing and expanding daily."

Mobilization Division

How will Christians in the United States discover the plight of the hidden people?

How can sufficient spiritual and financial resources be generated to reach them?

The Mobilization Division at the Center is concerned with these and related matters:

• alerting the Church to frontier missions facilitating regional missions festivals, conferences, and centers
• creating and distributing vision expanding resources
• providing church mission liaison offices.

To channel the myriad resources available from member organizations and to continue stimulating a church's vision after a Hidden People Sunday, Mobilization developed the YEAR OF VISION. It is the single most comprehensive vision expanding program focusing on frontier missions available today and includes over 50 mission renewal seminars, media, and programs. In response to a preliminary brochure, over 25 churches have expressed keen interest in beginning a Year of Vision.

Mobilization oversees the production of any literature printed by the USCWM to help communicate a frontier missions vision.

The MOBILIZATION DIVISION seeks to help American Christians catch a vision for bringing the Gospel to the untouched frontiers. Literature, media aids, and mission resources are developed for local churches and schools to help in this process.

The HIDDEN PEOPLE SUNDAY program for churches was completely redesigned this year. A new kit was produced to help pastors introduce their congregations to the exciting possibilities of reaching hidden people through involvement at the local church level. As Hidden People Sundays occur in more and more churches (hundreds have already held this program without any major promotional effort), Mobilization anticipates reaching its goal of working alongside 10, 000 congregations for the sake of hidden people, by 1985.

This year, MISSION FRONTIERS expanded to 12 pages under the editorship of Steve Ray and is circulated to about 18,000 people.

Another key publication developed this year was the FRIENDS PRAYER BULLETIN, which prints the latest prayer needs of the USCWM and all member organizations. It is received by about 3,000 friends of the Center.

During the past year, Mobilization has sought to diversify the tools available for spreading the word about hidden people. New ideas such as the Jericho postcard the Hidden People Party, 11 and a share the vision tract have been developed.

HIDDEN PEOPLE GREETING CARDS have been developed by Jill Hastings of FACE. Each of the 4 cards highlights a person from one of the people groups with full color vibrancy. The cards are available from the Center.

In addition to developing literature to spread an awareness of hidden people across the country, Mobilization organized several exciting on campus events this year.

The STUDENT CONFERENCE ON WORLD EVANGELIZATION ("SCOWE") held in February in conjunction with Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship brought 350 college students from all over Southern California to hear top missions spokesmen share their burden for reaching the unreached. For the first time, 4 color videotapes were made of the plenary speakers; these tapes are now available to churches and interested parties.

In May, 700 friends came to help celebrate the third anniversary of the founding of the USCWM. (See June '80 MISSIONS FRONTIERS)

In July, Mobilization honored veterans of the Student Volunteer Movement from early in this century at the Southern California Missions Festival. Nearly 100 original Student Volunteers "passed the torch" to the new volunteers of this generation. (See August '80 MISSIONS FRONTIERS.)

Following the Missions Festival, the USCWM held its first on campus CHRISTIAN LEADERS INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (CLIIS). The excellent program drew an estimated 100 participants.

The WORLD BRIEFING CONFERENCE, held on campus January 1 3 put the significant mission events of 1980 into perspective to help equip pastors and laymen to share a global concern.

Two strategic "adoption" plans were developed this year. The ADOPT A HIDDEN  PEOPLE program is a strategy to link local churches with mission agency initiative in reaching hidden people. Adopting a hidden people is the goal of the Year of Vision. (See November '8 MISSIONS FRONTIERS.)

The second "adoption" plan is a new effort to involve the USCWM staff in keeping in touch with supporters of the Center. Each staff member has taken personal responsibility for one state. As a USCWM representative to that state, a staff member can develop a personal relationship with supporters and churches.

The EPISCOPAL CHURCH MISSIONARY COMMUNITY (ECMC) is a training center for Episcopalians on their way to the mission fields in Guatemala, Panama, Uganda, Malawi, and Guam. They have helped train missionaries for the South America Missionary Society of the Episcopal Church.

In June 1980, and again in '81, ECMC and the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, are co sponsoring the Episcopal World Missions Conference. To further develop frontier missions vision in the denomination, Walter and Louise Hannum, the founders/ directors of ECMC have led 15 "Days of Missions" in various locations in the U.S.

The office of the UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MISSIONS SOCIETY has been led by Mr. Frank Satterberg.

GLOBAL MINISTRIES director Elgin Taylor has been deeply involved in helping to create and develop an awareness of overseas mission among Black churches. GM focused particularly on California and Denver, Colorado this year, including community outreach in Pasadena, and "Deeper Life Crusades' in South Los Angeles. This culminated with a "Focus on the World" evening December 13.

LUTHERANS. FOR WORLD EVANGELIZATION (LWE) is directed by John Ottesen. John explains that his task with LWE as "sharing the frontiers of mission vision in Lutheran churches. About 12 days of prayer have been set aside in recent months. Ottesen has been involved with a variety of conferences recently including the "International Lutheran Conference on the Holy Spirit", "Good Soldiers" in Minneapolis, and Edinburgh '80.

OMEGA WORLD MISSIONS (OWM) was incorporated in July 1980 to help train young people of Pentecostal/Charismatic backgrounds as translators, literacy workers, literature specialists, community development personnel and support workers. "Our goal" according to Omega president Dr. J. Gene dkins, "is to help young people answer the question asked by multitudes on the day of Pentecost, 'How hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born?'

Founder Eric Stadell's MISSION SOS was one of the first agencies to become affiliated in the early days of the Center. Stadell plans to return from Sweden in February. SOS currently has 20 active missionaries in nine global locations.

HAGGAI COMMUNITY, led by Bruce Graham, is a fellowship that seeks to promote frontier mission vision in churches, mission agencies and among young people. Those goals are sought through a training community, church planting teams, and prayer bands.

In the CHINESE WORLD MISSION CENTER, Dr. Danny Yu directs the work of the helping to reach the over 500 North American Chinese churches with frontier missions vision. CWMC helped host the North American Congress of Chinese Evangelicals (NACOCE) in the summer.

Dr. Wing Pang, Director of Academic Programming for CWMC has helped design an extensive set of practical China related courses, culminating in a Masters of Arts in Applied Chinese Studies. Rev. Carl Hayes directs the prayer efforts for the Chinese peoples through publications and regularlyscheduled meetings.

Training Division

Who will go the hidden people?

How can they be prepared in the best possible way to meet the challenge of modern missions?

It is the task of the Training Division to develop creative programs to help prepare laborers for the harvest by.

• sparking student missions awareness
• offering specialized missions courses
• catalyzing a student missions movement
• equipping students with cross cultural skills.

Many graduates (Masters and Certificate students), as well as faculty have already found significant positions in Chinese and Muslim regions of the world.

During the past year the TESL Department has welcomed to its administration and faculty Dr. Keith Cox, Ph.D. (Professor of Linguistics, Ball State, Indiana) and Professor Donald Dorr (Cal State, L.A., and Ph.D. candidate, United States International University), each contributing a balance of theory and practice to the entire program.

The Training Division of the USCWM and the related WILLIAM CAREY INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (WCIU), has experienced significant progress and consolidation during the past year.

The decentralization of the training thrust into smaller entities has allowed the entire division to keep pace with the nationwide demand for missions perspective and education.

On Campus: Consolidation

Some of the courses which got underway more than a year ago are proving their strength and viability. One of the most vital programs is the department of TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (TESL), which enrolled 60 students this fall, making it one of the largest TESL programs in the country!

About 230 students have passec through the INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES in Pasadena this past year. Approximately 50 percent came to learn more about missions, while the other 50 percent came as a result of an already established personal commitment to a missionary call of some sort.

While many of these students plan to be on the mission field in two to four years, all of them, whether they stay or go, have a more focused commitment to seeing a whole new emphasis in missions take place in this generation

The specialized on campus SUMMER TRAINING COURSES (Introduction to Chinese Missions, Ethnic Arts and Missions, etc.), have also experienced consistent and substantial growth.

One of the long planned goals of the William Carey International University has been to develop the highest possible quality in external graduate studies. Dr. James Buswell III, Ph.D. (formerly Professor of Anthropology at Wheaton College) has become Dean of Graduate Studies, allowing the sophisticated research role of the university to emerge with credibility.

He was joined in December by Dr. Robert Pickett, Ph.D., formerly Professor of Agricultural Studies at Purdue University and more recently a world traveling specialist with World Vision International. Pickett brings substantial experience of appropriate and applied technology, having worked in this capacity in over 100 countries. He will be heading up the International Development Division of the University.

Both Buswell and Pickett have a solid grasp of the avenues which must be taken in academic curriculum and design if the missions enterprise is to fill the growing opportunities for "frontier missions" across the globe.

New MASTERS PROGRAMS were initiated on two fronts, one in International Communications and the other in Chinese Studies.

Dr. Danny Yu, Director of the Chinese World Missions Center, was joined last year by Dr. Wing Pang, Ph.D. This greatly facilitated the inauguration of an M.A. in Chinese Studies. Courses in Mandarin supplemented the standard Introduction to Chinese World Evangelization course last year, and two other courses will be added by February.

Off Campus: Extension

In 1980, the perspectivedeveloping missions courses known as the INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (IS) and UNDERSTANDING WORLD EVANGELIZATION (UWE) were introduced into other campuses around the country. The Training Division plans to develop the IIS program on 40 campuses over the next three years.

Two model programs have emerged. At Penn State, a fourunit UWE course was offered in Spring '80. About 80 students participated from a number of campus ministries. A key to future programs is taking IIS where Christian students are isolated from the basic perspectives on world missions.

Plans are now laid for beginfling the same program at the University of Illinois at ChampaignUrbana, Ill., Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Ca., and Cal State San Jose, Ca. Christian leaders at several other campuses are inquiring about similiar possibilities.

The other model, scaled down in comparison to the program at Penn State, was held at the University or California at Santa Barbara. With two or three students leading, about twenty students were able to take the UWE course as part of the UC SB curriculum. The students themselves did the work in bringing world perspective to their school!

The UWE course curriculum has been undergoing revision and updating, and is nearly finished. A Pasadena/on campus extension course is being offered during the evenings year around.

The video tape capabilities of the USCWM are growing, and it is now possible to record and distribute the lectures of oncampus professors through video tape.

All this spells momentum. things are picking up! Pray for our different staff and organizations as they make plans in your direction.

Services Division

What essential services are necessary to enable the USCWM and cooperative agencies to reach the hidden people?

What are the behind the scenes efforts?

The Services Division of the U.S. Center is a many pronged effort.

• publishes quality missions literature
• coordinates research and information exchange
• innovates creative missionsoriented media
• assists mission agency administration.

The SERVICES DIVISION of the USCWM helps to implement programs developed by other divisions and by member organizations. As the "arms and legs" of the USCWM, it is involved in everything from processing daily mail, to printing and distributing books, films and literature and to making sure that the campus properties are receiving proper care.

Efficient processing of incoming and outgoing mail is critical for communication between the Center and its supporters. In 1980, the mailroon made a major move. Now, colorful displays of member organizations occupy the lobby where the mailroom formerly was located.

Probably the most significant advance in mall processing this year was the establishment of the William Carey International University Computer Center. In nine months the Computer Center has a beehive of activity. Some exciting projects completed this year include:

• selective mailing capabilities which sort through half of the USCWM's total mailing list for special mailings.
• a word processing program which streamlines correspondence and editing work. (Don Richardson finished his book in half the normal time because of editing it by computer.)

The WILLIAM CAREY LIBRARY, a publisher specializing in serious mission literature, is a member organization of the USCWM. Its CHURCH GROWTH BOOK CLUB is a major supplier of books and literature distributed by the Center.

This year the WCL produced 11 new titles. Among them was Christian Keysser's A People Reborn. Originally in German, this missions classic of a people movement in Papua New Guinea is now available to English speakers for the first time.

In cooperation with the Association of American Publishers, in May of 1981 the WCL will display 15 titles in six major cities of the Peoples Republic of China. Other possibilites for international distribution of WCL books were developed at Edinburgh '80, where the WCL managed the major book table of managing the WCIU/USCWM campus is caring for the physical upkeep of all 17 acres. In 1980, this acreage was doubled by the acquisition of 84 off campus houses. The maintenance crew, headed by Bob Schaff, has done a splendid job on house repairs and in keeping the offices in good working order. A great need continues for qualified staff personnel to keep these 35 vital acres in good shape.