A study of the process of indigenization in Church of God missions from 1947 to 1992

The subject of this study is the relationship between the philosophy and practice of mission methods of the Missionary Board of the Church of God.; This study reveals that for the first fifty years of the Board's existence there has been very little correlation between the stated philosophy and the actual practice on the field. The interviews conducted with past and present Missionary Board personnel reveal that there is a high degree of variation in their understanding of the Board's present philosophy concerning its relation to the overseas church (see Appendix A). This study also reveals that, while most Missionary Board personnel include self-support as an important aspect in an indigenous church, many churches are considered indigenous even though they still rely on the Missionary Board for a percentage of their regular operating budget. This study does see signs of improvement since the 1970s particularly in Asia and Latin America, with isolated examples in Africa. More recent changes in the Board's philosophy as reflected in the 1989 revision of the Missionary Manual toward the concept of partnership should assist the Board in developing a more realistic relationship with the national churches. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...