Approval of Thesis

240 Pages·2006·4.55 MB·English

by  Andrew Hankinson

PARTNERSHIP IN MISSION
by
SHANT HENRY MANUEL
B.A., Saint Thomas University, 1981
M.Div., Acadia Divinity College, 1985
A Thesis Project
Submitted to the Faculty of Theology, Acadia Divinity College
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Degree of Doctor of Ministry
Acadia Divinity College,
Acadia University
Spring Convocation 2001
© SHANT HENRY MANUEL
Approval of Thesis
This thesis by Shant Henry Manuel was defended successfully in an oral
examination on April 11, 2001.

The examining committee for the thesis was:
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Dr. Allison Trites, Chair
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Dr. Frank Quinta, External Academic
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Dr. Lionel Moriah, External Practitioner
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Dr. Andrew MacRae, Supervisor
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Dr. Das Sydney, Second Faculty Reader
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Rev. Elwood Bannister, Ministry supervisor
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Dr. Andrew MacRae, Director of D.Min
This thesis is accepted in its present form by Acadia Divinity college as
satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree Doctor of Ministry.
P ermission to Photocopy
Permission is herewith granted to the Head Librarian at Acadia University
to make copies of this thesis, upon requests of individuals or institutions on a
non profit basis.

.......................................................
Shant H. Manuel
.......................................................
.......................................................
Date
Acknowledgments
The writer wishes to express his appreciation to several people for their
support and encouragement in the preparation of this thesis: the Meductic
United Baptist Church for their initial approval of my studies; professors Roy
Williams, Allison Trites, Jerry Barnes, John Gladstone, H. Miriam Ross, Ron
Sider, Andrew Irvine and Randy Legassie for their academic guidance; my
ministry supervisor Rev. Elwood Bannister who helped with his experience and
knowledge in mission; and the Head of St .Margaret’s Bay and Mill Cove
United Baptist Churches for their patience in allowing me the time to complete
this project.
A special thanks to Dr. Andrew MacRae with whom I initially shared my
reasons for pursuing this degree. As my thesis supervisor he has shown much
patience, knowledge and wisdom. Thanks to my children Christa and
Benjamin who have fixed many glitches on the computer. Also thanks to my
loving wife Ginny who helped me with editing and other tasks in the
preparation of this thesis, and for standing by me during the trying times.
And finally, my deepest gratitude to the Lord Jesus Christ for His abundant
grace and love, without whose approval the thesis may not have been possible.
A ll scripture references used in this thesis are taken from the
New International Version ( NIV).
Abstract
Developing a strong global Christian mission requires accomplishments in
at least three areas ,namely evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.
Evangelism is the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ in an area where
there was no knowledge of eternal salvation. The task of evangelism is the
commission of the Lord recorded in the gospels. The result of evangelism is
the numerical growth of new Christians.
In order that new converts be nurtured and strengthened, there is need for
the organization of a church. Nurturing and enabling new Christians to live
their lives in Christ and to build up the body of Christ is discipleshipE (phesians
4:11-16). The result of discipleship and church growth is church planting.
This thesis examines the biblical foundation for partnership in the Old and
New Testaments where it is recorded that God is the initiator of mission and He
establishes a Covenant Partnership with His people. The concept of partnership
is not a modern invention. It is evident in the New Testament writings,
especially in Paul’s epistle to the Philippians. Therefore, partnership as a
mission strategy is biblical and has been developing over the centurie s I.n the
past few decades missiologists have considered partnership as an effective
strategy for world mission. Since partnership is still being studied, idscussed
and tested over the decades, the project of proposing a strategy to CBM will not
be conclusive but a small step toward meaningful partnerships in the future of
our Baptist work abroad.
The thesis has eight chapters t,he first providing an introduction and
direction for the project. The second chapter lays an Old Testament foundation
for covenant partnership between God and His people. The third chapter
examines partnership in practice in the New Testament. Chapter four covers
the historical development of partnership in the modern missionary period and
speaks specifically of the Manila conference in 1992. Chapter five gives a
history of the Society for International Ministries (SIM) along with a summary
and analysis of the responses of six SIM respondents. The sixth chapter does
the same with Overseas Missionary Fellowship (OMF). The seventh chapter
covers Canadian Baptist Ministries (CBM), giving a summary and analysis of
responses from sixteen respondents. The eighth chapter offers conclusions and
further considerations with regard to six specific areas of partnership in
mission.

D edication
I dedicate this thesis to my loving parents Doraj and Chandra Manuel, my
mother having gone to be with the Lord in 1996. Both of them nurtured our
family of four with love and taught us reverence for our Lord Jesus Christ,
laying a Christian foundation in our home in India.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPROVAL OF THESIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ii
PERMISSION TO PHOTOCOPY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
iii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
iv
ABSTRACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
vii
CHAPTER 1.
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1
A. Personal Pilgrimage
B. Setting a Direction
CHAPTER 2.
COVENANT PARTNERSHIP IN THE OLD TESTAMENT. . . . . . . . . . .
11
A. In the Time of Genesis
B. With Abraham and Moses
C. With Eighth Century Old Testament Prophets
CHAPTER 3.
COVENANT PARTNERSHIP IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. . . . . . . . . . .
22
A. In the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostle s
B. In the Epistles

CHAPTER 4.
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PARTNERSHIP IN MISSION. . . . . .
41
A. In the Modern Missionary Period: From 1792 to 1990
B. A Specific Partnership Consideration: The 1992 Manila Conference
1. Background
2. Critical Issues

CHAPTER 5.
SOCIETY FOR INTERNATIONAL MINISTRIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
87

A. Beginnings
B. Mission Organization Information
C. Support Information
D. Summary and Analysis of Six Individual Responses
CHAPTER 6.

OVERSEAS MISSIONARY FELLOWSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
99
A. Beginnings
B. A History of Partnership Development
C. Mission Organization Information
D. Support Information
E. Summary and Analysis of Six Individual Responses

CHAPTER 7.
CANADIAN BAPTIST MINISTRIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
117
A. History and Areas of Ministry
B. Mission Organization Information
C. Support Information
D. Summary and Analysis of Sixteen Individual Responses

CHAPTER 8.
CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER CONSIDERATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . .
146

BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
167
APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
180
1. Letter to Respondents
2. Questionnaire SIM / OMF
3. SIM Mission Statement
4. SIM Ten Core Values
5. Responses from Six SIM Missionaries
6. OMF Mission Statement
7. OMF Five Foundational Principles
8. Responses from Six OMF Missionaries
9. Questionnaire CBM
10. CBM Mission Statement
11. CBM Purpose Statement
12. CBM Vision Statement
13. CBM Ends Policy
14. CBM Current Partnerships
15. Responses from Seven Past CBM Missionaries
16. Responses from Nine Present / Recent Missionaries