CONTEMPORARY MISSIONARY

MOVEMENT (AAD 3123)

L E C T U R E 8 T H
2 2 A P R I L 2 0 1 9
D K F 1 . 1 F K P
 METHODS AND APPROACHES OF CHRISTIAN
MISSIONARY AMONG THE NON-MUSLIMS IN MALAYSIA

• What are the proselytization methods of Christians Missionary Movement?

• Methods and approaches of Christians Missionary Movements to proselytize
the Chinese in Malaysia.
• Methods and approaches of Christians Missionary Movements to proselytize
the Native People In Peninsular Malaysia.
 PROSELYTIZATION METHODS

• Source of Teaching Christianity: The Old Testament and The New

Testament.

• The Christians Missionary Movement: can be done collectively and

individually.
• E.g. Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. WCC, NECFM, CFM (1986), SIB, CCM
(1965), Christian Association for Relief (CARE), Young Men Christian Association
(YMCA), Young Women Christian Association (YWCA), Seminari Teoloji Malaysia.
 CONT.

• Individual efforts: In Indonesia Aren Teodor Van Leeuwen a Dutch Christian

scholar. He used to teach in Theological Seminary Malang, Jawa Timur.
• Regarded as the prominent and expert figure in spreading Christianity among the
Muslims especially in Indonesia.
• The other important figures known as “ Living Leaders in the world of Thought of
Islam” are Theodore Noldeke, Martin Hartmann, Snuck-Hurgornje, carl Becker,
Ignaz Goldizher and David Samuel Morgoliouth.
• They are Scholars in Islamic studies, speak Arabic fluently- they can spread
Christianity in the Muslims world effectively.
 METHODS

• Evangelism: According to Sherwood Elliot Wirt (1978) in Evangelism

Strategy for the 80s:: Essays Presented To Dr. Billy Graham- prominent evangelist
evangelism means“ to preach and teach the Gospel in the power of the Holy
Spirit and to take disciples to the glory of God and in the name of Jesus Christ.”
• As an individual duty to God.
• Bishop Rudvin: Christians have different point of views.
• Psychological approach: Be friend with them, sincerity, respectful, caring, loving,
kindness, religious.
• Contextualization: Bong Rin Ro (1976)” the capacity to respond meaningfully
to the Gospel within the framework of one’s situation ” . Meaning one
should be able “to express Christian teachings in national, cultural patterns,
liturgical setting, church music, dance, drama and building structures .”
• E.g The term used commonly in Protestant Chinese bibles for God is Shén, or " 神 ".
This term is much more generic, meaning god,
• John Changjin Bai : Jesus the Christ as a Jun-Zi in Confucian
Perspectives:
• In this paper, I seek to understand who Jesus is, through the lenses of “jun-zi 君
子” (best translated as gentleman), a discussion and comparison between the
concept of personhood of the jun-zi in Confucianism perspectives and the story of
Jesus in the New Testament, I believe there is the possibility and implication to
present an excellent image of Jesus the Christ as a jun-zi within Confucian
personhood. Jesus, his ethical norm, high moral standard and religious life are like
Confucian jun-zi. If we evangelize or evaluate the concepts of traditional Chinese
Confucian jun-zi, Jesus would appear as a Chinese face to us.
• Practical Contextualization: A Case Study of Evangelizing Contemporary
Chinese
• Enoch WanProfessor, Western Seminary
• Published in Global Missiology, Contextualization, Oct. 2003, www.globalmissiology.net

• In Sino-theology, salvation should be presented as having "en-qing （恩情） "

(gracious-intimate-relationship among the "three persons of the Trinity") and "en-yue （恩約） "
(gracious-covenant of the Triune God for human kind) as the foundation of salvation due to
the high value of Chinese culture on relationship. The focus of salvation is "yong-ru jiu-
en-lun （榮辱救恩論） " (Christ's shame-bearing death and honor-gaining resurrection) for honor
is very desirable and shame is to be shunned at all cost by the Chinese.
• When we share the Gospel to the Chinese, Jesus Christ should be presented as the
"zhong-bao （中保） " (mediator), "jiu-shu-zhu （救贖主） "(redeemer) and "fu-
hu-zhe （復和者） " (reconciler) because "guan-xi （關係） "(relationship)
is of supreme importance and harmonious relationship is the ideal for
Chinese.
 MEDIUM

• Health institutions
• Education
• Entertainment
• Economy
• Social
• Publications
METHODS AND APPROACHES OF CHRISTIANS MISSIONARY MOVEMENTS TO
PROSELYTIZE THE CHINESE IN MALAYSIA.

• Historically: In the Chinese New Villages.

• Lee Kam Hing: 2013 A Neglected Story: Christian missionaries, Chinese New
Villagers, and Communists in the Battle for the ‘hearts and minds’ in Malaya, 1948–
1960.
• After resettling nearly 500,000 squatters in a strategic move against a communist-led
insurgency that broke out in 1948, the Malayan authorities then enlisted hundreds of
overseas Christian missionaries to serve in the new villages they created. It was an
enterprise of considerable significance in the war against the insurgents as well as on
the Church’s overall evangelical efforts. Over 400 missionaries from more than a
dozen mission boards came during the Emergency period to serve an estimated 333
New Villages accessible to them
• The missionaries were expected to improve the education, medical, and social
lives of the villagers, and the provision of medical services was considered to be the
most important part of their work. Government clinics or mobile medical units were
insufficient in many New Villages, particularly in Perak and Pahang. According to a
Malayan Christian Council survey of 1957, there were clinics in 100 out of the 156
New Villages in Perak in that year. Of these, 32 were run by Protestant missions
whilst 18 were run by the Catholic Church and the other 50 by the local government.
• Literacy work was an area given emphasis in almost every village where there was a
resident Evangelist.
• Literacy was essential to carry out evangelism. But a report of the Malayan Christian
Council also noted that given the high drop-out rate from formal schools as well as
high unemployment among the youth, what was urgently needed in the New Villages
was creating jobs and providing trade and skill training.
• The Christian missions therefore proposed setting up cottage industries,
cooperatives, and crèch amenities but given the dispersed nature of the New Villages,
organizing such facilities and training was difficult.
 TODAYS’ APPROACHES

• MCCBCHST- against Islamization

• Christianity is better than Islam. No compulsion in religion.
• Psychological approach: Publication
• Entertainment
• Social organizations/welfare
• Education
Iain Buchanan: Chinese as Proto Christians, Chinese very much like the Jews (pg. 7)