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Get a grip on mission

Missionary issues

GET A GRIP ON MISSION
The Challenges of a Changing World
By Martin Goldsmith
IVP. 240 pages. £9.99
ISBN 1 84474 126 7

With his characteristic mixture of stories, biblical exposition, world knowledge and missiological insights, Martin Goldsmith has written another good book to keep mission in the forefront of our thinking.

With an Introduction and a Conclusion, there are 13 chapters to take us from arguments for the uniqueness of Christ to some examples of contextualised theologies. Each chapter is followed by questions, which would make this a very good study guide for a church house group or a CU.

Goldsmith’s ministry as a missionary in Malaysia, Indonesia, South Thailand and Singapore, provides a rich source of stories and an appreciation of different missionary situations. In addition he has a long experience of teaching mission and travelling the world in ministry. But his early experience in Sumatra forms the bedrock of his missiological convictions.

He and his wife Elizabeth were invited to serve with the Karo Batak Church. The church set three conditions: they should give the church no money, they should live where the church decided, and they should do nothing that was not requested by the church. When the Goldsmiths were invited by an un-evangelised village to visit regularly with promise that 300 people would become Christians, it seemed like the answer to every missionary’s prayer. But then the church did not give them permission to go. I won’t spoil the story of what happened next! It did confirm Martin’s convictions of the need to work with the local church whether in England or Indonesia.

Not everyone will agree with everything that Martin says, but he aims to be faithful to Scripture and the questions provide a good starting point for those who want to debate with him. He sets out clearly the issues that need to be addressed by any Christian who wants to see the world evangelised and churches established that are both faithful to Scripture and relevant to their culture.

Ray Porter,
Director of World Mission Studies at Oak Hill Theological College,
attends St. Mary’s Church, Eaton Socon, near St. Neots, Cambs.