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The International Missionary Council (IMC) was the most significant and effective planning organization for international Protestant missionary cooperation of the 20th century. Its formal organization in 1921 came about as a direct outcome of the Edinburgh World Missionary Conference of 1910. In its brief 40-year history it was an important expression of the movement toward Christian unity, especially in the dimension of world mission, and a forerunner of the modern ecumenical movement. 1. Formation The Edinburgh World Missionary Conference of 1910—itself the successo…

Missiology is systematic reflection on the work of mission (usually Christian mission), including the mission or sending of God (missio Dei), of Jesus Christ, of the apostles, of the church, or of other mission organizations. In the broadest sense it includes the study of the theology of mission (foundation, goal, and means; Mission 1–2), particular mission theories, mission principles and practice, and the social, cultural, or political aspects of mission. As an academic discipline, it includes research, writing, t…

The understanding of the term “missionary” depends on semantic usage, theological interpretation, and historical context. Derived from Lat. mitto (send) or missus (sent), the word “missionary” has traditionally designated someone sent on a religious mission—by God (Jesus Christ as representative of the missio Dei) or by a church, a mission society, or another sending body to propagate faith or carry out a mission task. A close relation exists between the aim, intention, and authority of the sender, the credentials of the person or perso…

1. Background North American missions originated in work among American Indians. In the colonial period some colonists, especially New England Puritans and Moravians in the Middle States, engaged in missionary outreach to their Native American neighbors. John Eliot (1604–90) of Massachusetts was probably the first North American to engage in missions when ¶ he began preaching to Indians near Boston in 1641. David Zeisberger (1721–1808), working in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, was known as the Moravian “apostle to the Indians.” After American …

1. Theology of Mission: Historical Development 1.1. Definition As a branch of missiology, the theology of mission is a discipline of faithful questioning that focuses on the basis, methods, and purpose(s) of Christian witness in all its forms. Most theologians of mission consider Scripture to be the normative text from which the proper foundation of mission should be drawn. In some traditions, definitive guidance for contemporary reflection on mission is also sought from patristic sources and/or magiste…