U.S. Center for World Mission
Encyclopedia
The United States Center for World Mission (USCWM) is a place where mission agencies work together to strategize, research and promote ideas that will help to complete the unfinished task of reaching every people group with the Gospel. It has been described as a missions think tank or “missions Pentagon.”
(1924-2009) and his wife Roberta Winter (1930-2001) served as Presbyterian missionaries to a Mayan tribal group called the Mam people
in Guatemala
for 10 years. Roberta was a registered nurse who graduated top of her class.
In 1967, Ralph served as professor at the School of World Mission (or SWM, now called School of Intercultural Studies) at Fuller Theological Seminary
for 10 years. Among other things, he taught the historical development of the Christian
movement. Roberta was very involved in Ralph's teaching.
effort was no longer needed because every political country had heard the Gospel
. Using statistics and graphs, and with input from around the world, Winter showed that there were still 2.5 billion people who could not hear the Gospel in their own languages and cultural setting and therefore cross-cultural evangelism is not only needed but urgent.
The presentation became known as a watershed moment for world missions and many believe it changed the global strategies of mission agencies thereafter.
After coming back to the United States
from the conference, Winter felt that there needed to be a place where mission agencies can collaborate to complete the unfinished task. At first he tried to persuade Fuller Theological Seminary
, where he was a professor, to create such a missions think tank. Fuller decided not to develop such a center so Winter took it upon himself to found the center.
He left his tenured faculty position at Fuller and along with Roberta and a receptionist, and only $100 in cash, began the task of purchasing the former campus of Pasadena Nazarene College to be the site of the USCWM.
“We seek to avoid doing what others can or will do, and focus our limited resources on critical contributions to the mission effort that others can’t make or won’t make” -USCWM
had yet to reach these people in their own language
and culture
. An unreached people group is one where there is no viable, indigenous, evangelizing church movement
.
In 1976, when the USCWM was founded, there were an estimated 17,000 unreached people groups. The latest figure as of 2009 places the number of unreached people groups at about 7,000, but some of that decrease is from a better understanding of the situation "on the ground" in any given people group.
(WCL) was founded in 1969 by the entire Winter family while Ralph was at the School of World Mission. It now serves as the Center's media publishing
arm. At the request of the faculty of the SWM, Winter created the WCL to ensure that important mission tools, which may not be cost effective for others to publish could still be printed and distributed. The WCL also acts as a clearinghouse for more than 90 different publishers, handling and distributing mission books and resources around the world.
Perspectives
on the World Christian Movement is a college level course offered in 200 locations across the U.S. (and in select places globally) with over 80,000 alumni in the U.S. and Canada
. Now a ministry of the U.S. Center for World Mission, it seeks to examine the Biblical, historical, cultural and strategic dimensions of what God is doing around the world. Many students who come out of Perspectives decide to become missionaries, but it is really targeted at those who will mobilize, pray and otherwise promote and support mission in their local churches.
Mission Frontiers Magazine
In 1979, the USCWM began to produce a newsprint magazine called Mission Frontiers. It has continued publication since, and it is a conduit for some of the strategies, breakthroughs and current events in the mission world globally.
INSIGHT: Intensive Study of Global History and Theology
A one year college program that walks students through all of history in one year with a biblical and missiological perspective.
Founders
Ralph D. WinterRalph D. Winter
Ralph Dana Winter was an American missiologist and Presbyterian missionary who became well-known as the advocate for pioneer outreach among unreached people groups. He was the founder of the U.S...
(1924-2009) and his wife Roberta Winter (1930-2001) served as Presbyterian missionaries to a Mayan tribal group called the Mam people
Mam people
The Mam are a Native American people in the western highlands of Guatemala and in south-western Mexico.Most Mam live in Guatemala, in the departments of Huehuetenango, San Marcos, and Quetzaltenango...
in Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
for 10 years. Roberta was a registered nurse who graduated top of her class.
In 1967, Ralph served as professor at the School of World Mission (or SWM, now called School of Intercultural Studies) at Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
for 10 years. Among other things, he taught the historical development of the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
movement. Roberta was very involved in Ralph's teaching.
History
The USCWM was founded by the Winters in 1976, two years after Ralph presented a paper about hidden (or unreached) people groups at the 1974 Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization. During the presentation, Winter defeated the widely held idea among mission groups at the time that cross-cultural evangelismEvangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
effort was no longer needed because every political country had heard the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
. Using statistics and graphs, and with input from around the world, Winter showed that there were still 2.5 billion people who could not hear the Gospel in their own languages and cultural setting and therefore cross-cultural evangelism is not only needed but urgent.
The presentation became known as a watershed moment for world missions and many believe it changed the global strategies of mission agencies thereafter.
After coming back to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from the conference, Winter felt that there needed to be a place where mission agencies can collaborate to complete the unfinished task. At first he tried to persuade Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
, where he was a professor, to create such a missions think tank. Fuller decided not to develop such a center so Winter took it upon himself to found the center.
He left his tenured faculty position at Fuller and along with Roberta and a receptionist, and only $100 in cash, began the task of purchasing the former campus of Pasadena Nazarene College to be the site of the USCWM.
Purpose
The USCWM focuses on advancing God's primary purpose: His glory among all nations. To this end, the Center: studies and promotes global mission efforts for new insights; seeks to recognize what is missing; proposes answers to unresolved problems; and pilots solutions for others to follow or adapt; and mobilizes people to engage in the task.“We seek to avoid doing what others can or will do, and focus our limited resources on critical contributions to the mission effort that others can’t make or won’t make” -USCWM
Unreached People Groups
Originally called hidden people groups, mission leaders later agreed to change the name to unreached to better capture the image that the GospelGospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
had yet to reach these people in their own language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
and culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
. An unreached people group is one where there is no viable, indigenous, evangelizing church movement
Church Movement
Movements in the Catholic Church are groups of church members following a specific spirituality given to them by the founder of their movement. In the case of officially recognized movements, this specificity never finds expression in rejection or overemphasis of certain teachings of the...
.
In 1976, when the USCWM was founded, there were an estimated 17,000 unreached people groups. The latest figure as of 2009 places the number of unreached people groups at about 7,000, but some of that decrease is from a better understanding of the situation "on the ground" in any given people group.
Major Ministries of the USCWM
William Carey Library(WCL) was founded in 1969 by the entire Winter family while Ralph was at the School of World Mission. It now serves as the Center's media publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
arm. At the request of the faculty of the SWM, Winter created the WCL to ensure that important mission tools, which may not be cost effective for others to publish could still be printed and distributed. The WCL also acts as a clearinghouse for more than 90 different publishers, handling and distributing mission books and resources around the world.
Perspectives
on the World Christian Movement is a college level course offered in 200 locations across the U.S. (and in select places globally) with over 80,000 alumni in the U.S. and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Now a ministry of the U.S. Center for World Mission, it seeks to examine the Biblical, historical, cultural and strategic dimensions of what God is doing around the world. Many students who come out of Perspectives decide to become missionaries, but it is really targeted at those who will mobilize, pray and otherwise promote and support mission in their local churches.
Mission Frontiers Magazine
In 1979, the USCWM began to produce a newsprint magazine called Mission Frontiers. It has continued publication since, and it is a conduit for some of the strategies, breakthroughs and current events in the mission world globally.
INSIGHT: Intensive Study of Global History and Theology
A one year college program that walks students through all of history in one year with a biblical and missiological perspective.
Further reading
- Winter, Roberta H. (2003) I Will Do a New Thing: The U.S. Center for World Mission – And Beyond. Pasadena, California, USA: William Carey Library, 1987.
- Winter, Ralph D. "Frontiers In Mission". Pasadena, California, USA: William Carey Library 2005
- Winter, Ralph D. (1966) "This Seminary Goes to the Student". World Vision Magazine. Monrovia, World Vision, Inc.
- Winter, Ralph D. (1969a) "The Reluctant Missionary". World Vision Magazine. Monrovia, World Vision Inc.
- Winter, Ralph D. (1969b) "The Seminary That Became a Movement". World Vision Magazine. Monrovia, World Vision, Inc.
- Winter, Ralph D. (1970) "The Acron that Exploded". World Vision Magazine. Monrovia, World Vision, Inc.
- Winter, Ralph D. (1972) "The Extension Model in Theological Education: What It Is and What It Can Do". Pasadena, Fuller Theological Seminary.
- Winter, Ralph D. (1992) "Defining the Frontiers: A Response". International Journal for Frontier Missions, 9, 9-11
- Winter, Ralph D. (2003b) "Eleven Frontiers of Perspective (Part 2)". International Journal for Frontier Missions, 20, 135-144
- Winter, Ralph D. and Hawthorne, Stephen C. (2009) "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement: a Reader". Pasadena, William Carey Library
- Winter, R. D. and Latourette, K. S. (1970) "The twenty-five unbelievable years, 1945 to 1969". South Pasadena, William Carey Library
- Winter, R. D. and Winter, R. H. (1968) "When School is Half a World Away". World Vision Magazine. Monrovia, World Vision, Inc
- Winter, R. D. (1975) The Highest Priority: Cross-cultural Evangelism. In Douglas, J. D. (Ed.) Let the Earth Hear His Voice. Minneapolis, World Wide Publications
External links
- USCWM official website Official website of the U.S. Center for World Mission
- http://www.uscwm.org/about/rdw.html The Legacy of Ralph Winter
- USCWM's William Carey Library Mission Resource Publishing website
- Perspectives Perspectives on the World Christian Movement website
- Fuller Theological Seminary Official website of Fuller Theological Seminary
- Lausanne Movement for World Evangelization Official website of the Lausanne Movement for World Evangelization
- Mission Frontiers Mission Frontiers website