History demonstrates an ebb and flow of missionary activity in the years since our Lord gave His disciples His Great Commission. Of course, Christ’s church experiences times of persecution and times of plenty. Intense missionary activity can be triggered by either situation. In recent history, World War II ushered in a time of intense missionary activity as the churches of Christ “experienced” so much of the world during wartime. In the subsequent post-WWII “years of plenty”, tremendous investment in missions was made with great sacrifice.
The call to missions was answered by incredibly brave men and women who, with little available formal training, took it upon themselves to learn the hard way. More importantly, these missionaries often devoted themselves to helping the next generation of missionaries undertand the Biblcial principles of missions and field-tested methods that produced Christian church growth movements on a global scale. I was one of those young missionaries. The late Dr. Joe D. Gray (pictured) was one of my missionary mentors. Brother Gray, or “Papa Joe” as many of us young missionaries in training knew him, served along with his wife Harriette as missionaries in the South Pacific. Equipping himself with a PhD in Ethnography, Joe joined many of the missionaries of his day in the preparation of Biblical missions training materials. Missionary training programs were crafted by visionary congregations, and many missionaries were formed and sent. How often my wife and I avoided a costly error in the field because principles and practices had been shared with us by those who had “learned the hard way”!
Together in Mission seeks to provide another avenue by which congregational missions training will be encouraged and where missionaries (or potential missionaries) can benefit from the wisdom of those who have gone before. While standing on the foundation of unchanging Biblical principles, Together in Mission hopes to encourage the participation of current missionaries in the exploration of effective methods in Christian missions.
Missions in every era needs a forum for encouragement, inspiration, and serious thought. I pray that Together in Mission will contribute to those ends for your congregation and for your missionaries. If we can ever help and encourage you in the pursuit of the greatest mission on earth, please let us know! And feel free to let us know what would be helpful in future articles of Together in Mission.
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In this episode of One More Chapter, Brian Rex Davis, Noah Davis, and Bryson Davis continue their study of biblical “principle”, explaining how general teachings give inclusive guidance that can be applied in various ways, while specific commands are authoritative and must shape belief and practice.
This episode of One More Chapter continues the series on Bible study by introducing the idea of “principle” as a way to bridge what a passage originally meant and what it means today, after first stressing purpose and context. The team takes a long–but useful–detour into Bible translations and versions—covering textual preservation, the spectrum from word-for-word to paraphrase, group vs. single-translator work, Dead Sea Scrolls, and which editions they personally use (NASB 1995, ESV, NIV 1984, etc.). The discussion on ‘principle’ will continue in the next episode!
This episode explores how understanding the purpose behind a Bible passage helps bridge the gap between what it originally meant and how it should shape life today. Brian, Noah, and Bryson discuss how purpose protects against shallow, checklist-style interpretation and helps distinguish enduring principles and examples from incidental details.
Brian Rex Davis sits down with Sahadevudu Vanga of India, a fellow missionary since gospel meetings in 1995. They talk about World Bible School’s renewed work in India and the effort to put Telugu translations and advanced courses—especially The Kingdom of God—into digital form. The conversation also covers family ministry, cultural care in a changing India, and tools that serve the next generation of the church.