Wonsuk Ma

'When the Poor are Fired Up': The Role of Pneumatology in Pentecostal- charismatic Mission 1

Introduction During the one-hundred years of the modern Pentecostal-charismatic movement, it has made many impacts on Christianity in general, but its role in mission is extremely significant. The explosive growth of churches, particularly in the non-western continents, is but one example. As discussed below, there are several important roles of the Holy Sprit that are evident in the mission practices of Pentecostal-charismatic believers. However, before we take this journey of discovery, it will be helpful to clarify several issues. The first is the complexity of Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity in the world today. Many have argued that the ‘fountainhead’ of the movement is found in North America at the turn of the twentieth century, especially at the Azusa Street Mission (1906-1909) under the leadership of the AfricanAmerican preacher William J. Seymour. However, more evidence has been presented to contest this theory, with India and Korea being examples. Also, the stunning ‘discoveries’ of the so-called ‘indigenous Pentecostals’ from Africa and Asia appear to support the theory of ‘multiple fountainheads’ for the origin of Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity.2 In fact, we may be arriving at the notion that ‘the church is charismatic’ after all, from its inception. As I try to represent this fastest-growing segment of Christendom, I do so with evident limitations. First, Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity is not homogenous. It encompasses classical (or denominational) Pentecostals, Charismatic (or Neo-) Pentecostals, and indigenous (or Neo-Charismatic) Pentecostals. The last category is particularly problematic because of its diversity and also because some groups in this classification advocate questionable doctrines with which orthodox Christians are not comfortable. This gives rise to the possibility of having groups that may be ‘more Pentecostal, but less Christian.’ Second, the pneumatology of groups broadly classified as Pentecostal or Charismatic is not ‘standardized.’ For example, while Classical Pentecostals feature a unique experience called ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit,’ many other groups may not necessarily subscribe to such a doctrinal statement but are, nonetheless, open to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. The rapid growth and vast diversity of this movement also poses a challenge in defining the parameters of the movement; but, as I attempt to represent this loosely identified group of Christians all over the world, here is a minimal working definition for our discussion: ‘Segments of Christianity which believe and experience the dynamic work of the Holy Spirit, including supernatural demonstrations of God’s power and spiritual gifts, with consequent dynamic and participatory worship and zeal for evangelism.’3 My reflection comes with two main points: Pentecostal-charismatics represent the ‘poor,’ for whom poverty and sickness are a part of their lives, and the core of Pentecostal-charismatic pneumatology is ‘empowerment’ for witness.

Asian Pentecostalism: a religion whose only limit is the sky

The study surveys the current growth of Pentecostal Christianity, as defined broadly, in Asia, particularly in comparison with Latin America and Africa, predicting that the future growth is expected to be exponential. In a brief historical survey, the continent is divided into four categories depending on the beginning and development of Pentecostal Christianity: Pre‐Azusa Revivals; Azusa Missionaries; New Pentecostal churches; and ‘None of the above.’ The study concludes with the discussion of four unique characteristics of Asian Pentecostalism: the movement in the context of suffering; the charismatic nature of the church as demonstrated by some Asian churches; explosive church growth among Pentecostal churches; and the emergence of strong Pentecostal scholarship in Asia. The author presents the bright future for Asian Pentecostal Christianity, but also raises a warning signal for the healthy development of its spirituality and theology.

My Pilgrimage in Mission

This self-reflection on my missionary journey is characterized as a process of learning, particularly about the meaning of “mission.” Missionary formation is part of one’s spiritual development, and for me, immersion in several cross-cultural contexts accelerated the process. Through long years in the Philippines, combined with study in the United States, my understanding of mission deepened. Another decade of mission leadership at OCMS in Oxford added further dimensions of my understanding of mission. Through this continuing journey, I have had several surprise “teachers” of mission. Reflecting experiences in a “new” missionary church, this “pilgrimage” may speak for mission workers of the Global South.

The Holy Spirit in Pentecostal Mission: The Shaping of Mission Awareness and Practice

This study investigates the role of the Holy Spirit in mission formation and practices among Pentecostal Christians. Conversion and spiritual formation, encounters with God, experience of healing and the miraculous, and the sense of calling and empowerment shape mission awareness. In practice, this spirituality is expressed particularly in evangelism, in the establishment of local congregations, in signs and wonders, and in the reproduction of the empowerment cycle. Pentecostals are encouraged to remain faithful to their distinctives, gain a broader perspective of the Spirit’s work, expand their understanding of mission, and maintain a creative tension between pneumatology and eschatology.

‘Life’ in Theological Education and Missional Formation: A Reflection for a New Christian Era

The third Christian millennium has dawned and global Christianity has been making a drastic shift from the north to the south. This also coincides with the beginning of the post-Christendom era. How these two mega shifts would impact theological education and missional formation is an active discussion today. The study, intended to be a preliminary conversation starter, is a reflection of a southern Christian. It identifies three major components (‘world’, ‘mission’ and ‘life’) that have been developed, altered, or even dropped in the Christendom process, and how the new era affords world Christianity with a rare opportunity to evaluate, revision, and restore the vision of theologising and theological formation. A fourth component (‘Evangelical Christian experience’) is added to counter-balance the de-Christendom attempts that took place in the twentieth century, which also illustrates the complexity of, and the limitation to, the argument that is presented here.

One Christ – Many Witnesses: Marking the Completion of the Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series

Editorial for ‘One Christ—Many Witnesses: Marking the Completion of the Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Series’, a special issue to celebrate the Regnum Edinburgh Centenary Issue.

Book review: Gonsanim Querdo Querida: The Story of Sao Paulo United Korean ChurchKimYo-hwanChunDo-myungGonsanim Querdo Querida: The Story of Sao Paulo United Korean ChurchSeoul: Timothy Books, 2012. 290 pages. ISBN: 978-89-388-1540-8

This book is about the journey of Sao Paulo United Korean Church, an immigrant congregation in Sao Paulo, Brazil, particularly in its community and mission formation within a complex social context. A handy summary has been published elsewhere by one of the two authors.1 This book is authored by two senior church leaders: Kim, the present senior pastor, and Myung, leader of the Portuguese ministries who will soon become Kim’s successor. Kim is a first-generation Korean minister who went to Brazil to pastor the congregation. Myung, a 1.5-generation Korean-Brazilian, who is bilingual and bicultural, served as a medical missionary in the Amazon before being called by the church to lead the newly instituted Portuguese ministry. Although the church will soon celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, the book is not a commemorative historical study. It is an in-depth record of, and reflection on, the process that transformed the Korean first-generation immigrant congregation (single culture) into a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-generational, and multicongregational church. Currently, a name change for the church is being discussed, ‘Igreja Yonham de Sao Paulo’ (Sao Paulo United Church) (p. 118). The book was concurrently published in two versions: Korean and English. This was a conscious decision to share their experiences, struggles, mistakes, and lessons with the constantly increasing number of immigrant (or ‘diaspora’) churches all over the world. The main title is a combination of a Korean word gonsanim (senior deaconesses with an honorific ending) and two Portuguese words, querido and querida. The first word in this title is a common word used by a younger generation to honour the elder ones with respect and love, such as ‘mother’. The second set of Portuguese words is feminine and masculine forms of a participle, ‘loved one’, used as a response by the elder ones (p. 286). These are the unique words of endearment which the church has adopted as a symbol of inter-cultural, inter-generational and inter-lingual unity. I suspect that the creation of such language is to break down walls in the church. The book consists of two major parts, the first half is written by Kim, and the other by Myung. The first half (four sections with 19 short chapters) is autobiographical accounts. With amazing vulnerability and honesty, Kim shares his journey of missionary development (awareness, or formation) through challenging ministries of the Sao Paulo church. The section begins with his own experiences before he accepted the invitation of the Sao Paulo Church. Although he calls himself ‘unprepared’ (Chapter 2), he came with a broad range of mission experiences, including his time in England (at Selly Oaks Colleges to be specific) and Kenya, in addition to his pastoral ministries in Korea. He bravely confesses his own arrogance in branding immigrants as cowards running from national problems (such as poverty and security threats from the Communist North), and a lack of understanding 569952 TRN0010.1177/0265378815569952TransformationBook reviews research-article2015

Holistic Mission, Theological Education and OCMS: An Editorial

The theological map of the world has been transformed through demographic changes in the Church brought about by the recession from Christian faith in the West and the huge accession to it in other parts of the world. The implications for theological education and Christian scholarship are considered in relation to geopolitical, religio-demographic, academic and theological factors. All point to an urgent need for the development of Christian scholarship in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and for increasing African, Asian and Latin American leadership in theological education.

Discerning what God is doing among His People Today: A Personal Journal

This article begins with the personal faith journey of the author nurtured in Korean Pentecostalism. Christ is the best thing that can happen in life. The author’s faith journey becomes a missionary journey. It leads to the discovery that there are two types of mission: centred on ‘life after death’ (soul saving) and mission as struggle for ‘life before death’ (a just world). The next step is to realise that the two have to go together. The 20th-century mission has been marked by the World Missionary Conference of Edinburgh 1910 and the Pentecostal movement. The former has led to the ecumenical movement, which has truncated mission into the discussion on church unity. The missionary fervour of the Pentecostal movement has resulted in unprecedented expansion of Christianity in the global South but completely ignored Christian unity. Today we see signs of the two beginning to converge.

Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement

Reviews case study, (7) an essay on practical implications, and (8) a list of discussion questions related to the theme. With some exceptions, the case studies and practical implications sections tended to be thin on theology, while other chapters were more likely to include biblical and theological content. The strengths of this work surpass the few weaknesses noted above, and along with Marcia Bunge’s book, this work can be considered the best representation of theology of the child movement to date. I am sure other volumes marked by even greater maturity will be forthcoming, but this book is the one to read to understand this area of study as it is today. It is a substantive book, yet clearly written and easily comprehended. The arguments for the value and importance of children are compelling, as is the call for the church to not only understand the theology of the child but to act upon it in the many practical ways suggested – particularly in the world arena with at-risk children, but not to the exclusion of other youngsters. Children are not just the job of the church, they are the church. Are they taken seriously in your church, and does your church (and you!) act decisively in a manner that benefits children that need help the most? Do the pastor and the church program emphasize the needs of children, as Jesus did, and do they take practical steps toward meeting the needs of at least some children that are in desperate need around the world? Jesus equated himself with children (Mark 9:37). Should not our theology, as well as our practice, reflect an equal valuing of children?