The Planting and Development of Missionary Churches [Paperback]

John L. Nevius (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2003

The classic work that changed the face of foreign missions over a century ago bears rereading by each new generation of foreign missionaries. NeviusÂ’ respect for the integrity of indigenous populations grew out of his love for the apostolic mission of the early church recorded in the Book of Acts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Monadnock Press (April 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972943706
• ISBN-13: 978-0972943703
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,716,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Book that Transformed Korea, April 8, 2004

By 

Sam Pritchard (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Planting and Development of Missionary Churches (Paperback)

To employ or not to employ? That is the question Nevius primarily addresses in this work. At the end of the 19th century missionaries commonly employed national converts to be full-time workers for their mission. Nevius criticizes this practice and points out several ways this practice is detrimental to the missionary's purpose. He prefers to leave converts in their employment and social circles instead. Nevius includes a problematic transition from missionary leadership to national leadership as an important reason to discontinue the practice. In making this point, Nevius indirectly endorses planting self-propagating, self-supporting, and self-governing churches, though not describing it way. Nevius essentially advocates an "incarnational" model of ministry, where evangelism and service to the outside community comes primarily through the lay peole of the church, but Nevius does not use this term in the book. The later sections of the book address various other missionary topics by explaining his own practices as a missionary in China.

This book is an adaptation of teaching that John Nevius gave to some young Presbyterian missionaries in Korea in 1890. It became a distinctive part of that denomination's mission work in Korea. Even today missionaries credit the principles Nevius outlines in this book with the astounding growth of the church in Korea.

The strength of the book lies in its thorough treatment and investigation of Nevius' thesis. He analyzes the issue from the perspective of the missionary, the mission station, the potential employee, converts who are not employed, and the evangelization of the country. Someone preparing for missionary service in Korea would certainly benefit from a reading of Nevius' book to understand the basis of some entrenched missiological beliefs in that country.

The book's strength is also its weakness. Nevius wrote this book to address a specific problem at a specific time. Unless the reader is researching precisely Nevius' thesis, another book would be more helpful. The 19th century writing style may also be a difficulty for some readers. Slight variations in the connotations of words and a different approach to sentence composition demand a slower reading than modern books, but for those who persevere Nevius does provide valuable insights on an important missiological question.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nevius' work changed the way many looked at foreign missions work, July 31, 2011

By 

Mike Pettengill (La Ceiba, Honduras) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Planting and Development of Missionary Churches (Paperback)

This is a short little book (104 pages) that was originally written in 1885 by John L. Nevius. Nevius was a seasoned, effective and groundbreaking missionary to China. This book was originally written as a pamphlet to instruct new missionaries in China. It was so insightful that some mission sending organizations, at the time, made this work a required reading before entering the field and even required the passing of a comprehensive test on the reading. Today, over 115 years after it was first publish, some mission sending agencies still have this book on reading list for new missionaries.

Nevius' work changed the way many looked at foreign missions work. His respect for the indigenous people and their culture was not a frequently shared view. While his perspective was not prominent at the time it was not original to him. Nevius modeled his belief on missions after the Apostle Paul.

His message of treating indigenous people with respect and love was so effective that he experienced such a rapid rate of growth in church planting and converts that he could scarcely keep up. He trained new believers and raised up church leaders at a rate that does not exist today. He also trained new missionaries with a depth that few have duplicated. He was not afraid to plan big, and was regularly rewarded.

This brief paperback is a wonderful read for missionaries and those who support missionaries. It provides us with a century old example of what has passed the test of time and continues to glorify God today.

5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ for cross-cultural church planters!, February 21, 2011

By 

K. V. Dahlfred (Anaheim, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Planting and Development of Missionary Churches (Paperback)

From the guy who came up with the three self principles of missionary church planting (self-propogating, self-supporting, self-governing), here is a short book (100 pgs) that lays out some really Biblical but really practical and realistic advice for missionaries who are trying to establish churches in a culture without a Christian background. There is a helpful section at the end that has advice for new missionaries, concerning language study, when to start a new work, balancing your time and so forth. Nevius is concise, straightforward, and Biblical, not getting bogged down with unnecessary academic discussion or man-centered strategies that focus on making people like you rather than getting on with the work of sharing the Gospel.