If field selection were the topic for a presentation to
missions committee I would give them some general guidelines,
communicate to them the resources that are available, and listen to
their own experience and dreams. If I were sitting down with a
missionary candidate who was seeking advice concerning the
selection of a field for a career in missions, I would show him the
information I have on some prime target peoples groups and cities
and advise him of other resource people. But when it comes to
colleagues who are in academic institutions who are neither
primarily interested in selecting a field in which to support a
missionary nor to serve there themselves, there is a quite a bit
broader agenda that needs to be covered. It is to that latter
audience to who this paper is written. This is a proposed model,
not a tried and tested paradigm. It is being followed as a whole,
and parts of it have been tested over three or more years.
Research must be a major component of the mission enterprise
at academic institutions. Guess work is not tolerated in any of
the other disciplines at our institutions and such laziness demeans
our role in the Kingdom. We need to train and mature students. We
also need to be the research centers. It is not a matter of
publish or perish, but being stewards of the resources and
opportunities the Lord has given us in our academic settings.
The field selection model being proposed concerns itself with
opening new areas. It is an assumption that new members will be
added to existing teams and some teams will need replacing. There
is, however, a great need for initiating of new church planting
mission efforts among the ethnic groups and cities of the world.
Much time could be spent in attempting to discover how the
Apostles went about selecting where they would work. It is obvious
that the spirit led them directly into certain fields. Mission
committees, mission canditates, and we should be constant in prayer
concerning the Lord's priorities. We should be using our best
research skills in targeting as well. Students depend on us to
guide them into areas which have a potential for a growing work.
Upon what do we give such recommendations? Upon what should we
give such recommendations?
Defining the Area
The first step is to identify the target pool. Most of us are
unable to comprehend, nor have enough time to plunge into the task
of looking at the entire world as the pool or possible targets.
Each has their own area of expertise and service. Together we can
make a composite picture of the state of the church and the
immediate and future needs. A continent is a good segment of the
world to be tackled. What are the main divisions of people? In
Africa we look at ethnic groups in the rural areas and urban
centers. These are two distinct pools.
Macro Criteria
These groups need to be filtered through a list of macro
criteria which would return a more select pool in each group. The
macro considerations might involve some questions. What has been
done in these groups? Where are the bases covered, and where is
there great need? How large do cities need to be to be considered
at this time? What are the most favorable religious situations?
Which ethnic groups and cities are in such situations. This
question will yield a large pool of target areas. In Africa, the
initial criteria for ethnic groups were (1) having a population of
200,000 or more and (2) being less than twenty percent followers of
the Christian religion. The initial criteria for cities were
having a (1) population of 500,000 or (2) being a capital. This
pared down the target pool to one hundred and sixty-five ethnic
groups and just short of one hundred cities. This pool was
manageable enough to research in-depth.
Micro Criteria
After the initial macro criteria are applied to the pool a
more detailed list of micro criteria should be applied. The list
of criteria should not be put together quickly nor without the
input of many who have expertise in the particular part of the
world understudy. The overall question is what factors are the
most germane to bringing about a rapid and healthy church planting
mission effort? These factors will come from a wide range of
considerations from cultural, religious, and governmental realms.
It is expected that the lists will not be identical from one
segment of the world to another. Some factors will, in fact, be
common to all parts of the world.
In the Spring semester of 1991 a group of four faculty members
with African mission experience and three graduate students with
the desire to serve in Africa began meeting as the African Mission
Fellowship Strategy Group. The purpose of that group was to "be
used by God to stimulate and creatively mobilize God's resources
for entering and planting thousands of churches in the unchurched
areas of Africa." This group labored for six weeks to develop a
list of micro criteria for site selection in Africa. There are two
distinct lists, one for each target pool.
Great thought and discussion goes into selecting the criteria
and enormous research goes into gathering data for criteria on each
of the cities and ethnic groups. Precise definitions for each
criterion must be developed in order to make certain that needed
data are collected to satisfy a particular criterion. Data
concerning population and availability of scriptures is relatively
easy to discover. Criteria such as a city's area of influence and
the homogeneity of an ethnic group are much more difficult to
uncover. Some of the data will have been compiled in large
resources such as the Global Research Database and Ethnologue.
Other more obscure sources will be uncovered in libraries and by
querying on-line networks. Along the way we have found some
resources which we did not know existed and also found out that
there has been no complete, or in some cases even scanty, research
done on a few of the certain criteria. A computer database is the
best place to store the data once it is collected. Such storage
allows for sorting and searching the data with some facility. It
will take many months or possibly more than a year to come up with
the first complete set of data for the criteria list. Guess work
and estimations will only further skew data which will already have
some questionable qualities such as currency and accuracy.
New questions and understandings will come to light during the
collection stage. These will necessitate expanding the research.
Some criteria will only be satisfied when an index of several
groups of data are computed. Correlations and contrasts will beg
attention. A research group will naturally follow some of these
intriguing questions. For the most part, during the first time
through the data collection the research should center only on
satisfying the criteria lists. Giving advice along the way to
missions committees and missions candidates should not be avoided.
Mission students in particular will be interested in research, even
if it is a "research so far" analysis. Even specific advice can be
given, recognizing that the advice will be better than that which
could have been given prior to entering into the in-depth study.
However, do not be satisfied until all the data is collected.
Once the data collection is complete, the analysis begins.
In the case of our African Mission Fellowship Strategy Group's
criteria, it is rank listed from most important to least important.
A weighting system may be developed. Calculations and sorts will
be made in an attempt to narrow the pools of target areas down to
a more manageable collection. Thinning the pools to twenty in each
pool would ready the research group for the next stage.
On-Site Research
The smaller pool of target areas which has dropped through the
grid of the macro criteria should become the subject of on-site
research. A research team should be selected. For the past three
summers I have selected students with academic preparation in
missions and previous experience in Africa. Most of them have been
graduate students. They are not viewed as surveyors, who are
deciding whether the area under study is where they would like to
settle. They are given orientation and motivation to be able to
collect and discover specific information about the target areas.
This is an excellent educational experience. The experience will
stretch their reasoning powers and cause them to be more
analytical. Only a few students have received academic credit for
the experience. Such is not encouraged. It is best viewed as a
highly motivated practice and amplification of what they have
learned thus far in their missions preparation. It will also set
new horizons for their further academic studies upon return to
campus.
The research team begins in-depth research prior to leaving
the campus. This study and orientation normally lasts the entire
Spring semester. The research team should consult the Mission
Handbook to ascertain which mission agencies or churches are
working in the areas to be studied. Besides gathering broader
statistical data and understanding the work these agencies are
doing, they should be asked for the addresses of their workers who
can be interviewed during the visit. If reports of their work are
available they should be studied thoroughly. The government
documents section of a library should be searched for information on the areas. Travel guides and
publications by the target government should be obtained. These
resources will assist in setting itineraries and logistics for the
on-site research. We have a database of the addresses of the major
universities in Africa as well as the African government agencies
which collect census and other demographical statistics. The
addresses of these offices will be taken on the research trip so
they can be visited. Searches of libraries (your own and through
Telnet) for books and periodicals will surface readings which will
allow the research team to have a working knowledge of the target
ethnic groups or cities prior to arrival on-site.
The on-site research team is given an orientation in the use
of the instruments for collecting information in the field. They
should understand the principles behind the instruments and the
manner in which they are to be administered and, latter, evaluated.
At present we are using five instruments for on-site research in
Africa:
A schedule for interviewing missionaries and national
church leaders.
A logistics form on which prices of food, rent,
automobiles, etc. will be recorded along with particulars
concerning entry into the country, shipping, living
conditions, medical services, schooling (for children and
language learning).
A daily report form for researchers to record their own
impressions of what they are hearing, feeling, and
experiencing.
A scale to judge the amount of change and potential for
change based on communication models developed by Carley
H. Dodd, PhD.
A Worldview Dissonance Scale developed by Richard
Chowning. This is also an aid in the prediction of
receptivity to the gospel in an African context.
While these instruments are being administered, new questions
will come to light which will need to be answered. Answers should
be sought to all questions which seem to be germane to the criteria
or logistic matters. Upon arrival at the target area every major
mission agency or missionary should be interviewed. Government
offices including those concerning statistics, religious affairs,
and development should be visited. The American Embassy should
also be visited for interviews with a councilor and a USAID
official. The team should travel to many parts of the target area.
Each evening they should discuss the day's findings and plan the
next day's schedule.
Presentation and Selection
When the on-site research team returns to the States a
detailed report should be written. The reports should include the
documentary research conducted prior to leaving the campus as well
as the information gleaned on-site. The on-site research team will
no doubt leave without having answered all of their questions.
Such unanswered questions should be noted in the written report.
For ease of comparison and contrast all reports on a segment of the
world (i.e. Africa) should follow a similar structure. Abstracts
should be made of each report. The reports can then be scrutinized
by the resident strategy group (i.e. African Mission Fellowship
Strategy Group) in order to make judgements on which areas should
be presented to students and congregations as priority areas. It
is advised that a priority list not be ranked from one to five, but
rather a small group of five or six areas should be presented as
priorities.
The final ranking is best left to the missionary candidates
and supporting congregations. The selection process will heighten
their motivation and give them some greater confidence in their own
abilities. It is assumed that each team and individual will view
a list of secondary criteria differently. The secondary criteria
include such factors as living conditions, security, medical
facilities, school and the like. These and other criteria will
determine which area will finally be selected for the planting of
churches.
Conclusion
Site selection should be a continuous process for those in the
academic arena--as teachers, mentors, and consultants. If we
expect to be looked to, we need to be serious about how we give
advice. What is it based on? All models seem sterile and
unbending. This one is no exception. It is hoped, however, that
this model does set some parameters for research as well as some
fodder for further discussion and refinement.
Definitions for each of the above criterion appear in Appendix
A.
Global Mapping Incorporated, Global Research Database,
Pasadena: Global Mapping Inc., 1991.
Grimes, Barbara F., Ethnologue. Dallas: Summer Institute of
Linguistics, Inc., 1988.
Bitnet and Internet, Telnet.
There is a sense in which the collection is never complete
because of periodic refinement and updating.
Roberts, Dayton W. and Siewert, John A., Mission Handbook.
14th edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan and MARC.
Such items as Post Notes and Area Handbooks are useful.
Telnet is a function of Internet electronic communication
which allows users to access the on-line card catalogues of
most major universities in the United States and some in other
countries.
Dodd, Carley H. "The Receptivity Scale: A Pilot Study to
Develop an Empirical Receptivity Index" Strategy. April-June
1985.
Selected Bibliography
1987 Methods of Social Research. New York: Free Press.
Casley, Dennis J. and Kumar, Krishna 1988The Collection, Analysis, and Use of Monitoring and
Evaluation Data. Baltimore: John Hopkins University
Press.
Conn, Harvie M. 1984 Reaching the Unreached. Phillipsburg, New Jersey:
Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company.
Dayton, Edward R. 1983 That Everyone May Hear. Monrovia, California: MARC.
Dekker, John T. J. 1983 "Unreached Peoples Data: Out of the Computers and
into the Fields,". Evangelical Missions Quarterly.
19:232-242.
Dodd, Carley H. 1985 "The Receptivity Scale: A Pilot Study to Develop
an Empirical Receptivity Index" Strategy. April-June
1985.
Fenton, Thomas P. and Heffron, Mary J.1987Africa: A Directory of Resources. Maryknoll, New
York: Orbis Books.
Festinger, Leon 1957 A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. Evanston, Ill.:
Row, Peterson and Company.
Graves, Theodore D. and Graves, Nancy B. 1978 "Evolving Strategies in the Studies of Culture Change,"
The Making of Psychological Anthropology. G. Spindler, ed.
Berkeley: University of California Press. 518-551.
Grimes, Barbara F.1988 Ethnologue. Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics,
Inc..
Gutting, Gary1980 Paradigms and Revolutions. London: University of
Notre Dame Press.
Guzzo, R.A. 1982 Improving Group Decision Making in Organizations.
New York: Academic Press.
Harper, George W. 1982 "How Valid is Receptivity in Determining Mission
Strategy?" Evangelical Missions Quarterly.
18:204-209.
Landford, H. W. 1972 Technological Forecasting Methodologies. New York:
American Management Association.
McGavran, Donald 1955The Bridges of God. London: World Dominion Press.
1970 Understanding Church Growth. Grand Rapids: William
B. Eerdmans.
1983 "The Priority of Ethnicity," Evangelical Missions
Quarterly. 19:14-23.
Montgomery, Robert L. 1986 "Receptivity to an Outside Religion: Light from
Interaction Between Sociology and Missiology,"
Missiology. 14:288-299.
Robb, John D. 1989 Focus! The Power of People Group Thinking. Monrovia,
California: MARC.
Wallace, Anthony F. C.1956 "Revitalization Movements," American Anthropologist.
58:264-281.
Field Selection Criteria Definations
Unchurchedness: An area which contains a permanent Christian
presence of 20% or less.
Receptivity: The openness of an area or people to change,
specifically change towards acceptance of the Christian gospel,
either demonstrated through reports or reviews or diagnosed
through receptivity instrument.
Area of Influence: The sphere over which a city has the
ability to affect change directly (through the presence of
governmental or organizational headquarters) or indirectly
(through education, trade and politics). The city functions
as a communication center for the interaction of information;
the ability of which is greatly enhanced by the greater number
of transients.
Total Population: The number of people resident in an area.
Population Density: The proportion of people living in an area
as compared with the size of the area, stated in population/sq.
mile.
Stemming the Muslim Tide: Muslim evangelism is steadily making
inroads (south of the Sahara and along the East African coast),
gaining more converts from African Traditional Religion.
Planting churches along this non-homogeneous front will help to
impede the approach of Islam.
Denominational Protectionism: The aggressiveness displayed by
previously existing religious groups (especially older mainline
Protestant churches) and their missionary societies against
newer missionaries (especially in upholding old territorial
comity agreements).
Homogeneity: An area composed of peoples with cultural and
linguistic similarity.
Dayton & Fraser define peoples: "A human population with a
common language, shared ethnicity, and significant pattern of
social interaction," (Planning Strategies for World
Evangelization, 1990, p. 102).
people groups: "a significantly large sociological grouping of
individuals who perceive themselves to have a common affinity
for one another. From the viewpoint of evangelization this is
the largest group within which the gospel can spread without
encountering barriers of understanding or acceptance," (Dayton
& Fraser, p. 102).
Mobility: The degree of permanence the people of an area
displays with regards to their place of living.
Availability of Scriptures: The Bible, the New Testament, or
portions thereof are available in the vernacular, trade or
national language. People are able to access copies through
purchasing, libraries, and churches.
Expectations of Government: The role in which the central
government expects expatriate missionaries to function in
outlays of money and personnel regarding social and cultural
programs.
This site mirrors the JAM site at the ACU web site.
Mirrored by permission of ACU Missions Personnel
Direct questions and comments to Ed Mathews,
http://bible.ovu.edu/missions/jam/fldsel.htm
Last updated on February 4, 2013
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