The document discusses key concepts related to developing indigenous churches, including indigenization, enculturation, and contextualization. It describes how historically churches were developed by outside advocates but that a better approach is to guide cultural insiders as they integrate biblical faith into their local culture. It also discusses the three-self formula of self-supporting, self-governing, and self-propagating churches and the role of trusting the Holy Spirit in believers and developing partnerships between missionaries and indigenous churches. Models of relationships between missions and indigenous churches range from missionary control to complete indigenous church autonomy.

1. Introduction to Missiology Ch.18 – The Indigenous Church

2. Key Term - Indigenous Agriculture – thriving in a given location, soil, and climate Church planting – thriving in the cultural “soil” of a given place; culturally appropriate. Indigenization – developing a church that is self-governing, self-supporting, self-propagating, and that reflects positive aspects of the local culture in its expression of Christian community and ministry.

3. Key Term – Accommodation Used more frequently by Roman Catholic missiologists Definition: Accommodation – adapting or adjusting a culture to fit a received church tradition

4. Historic Indigenization Historically driven by outside advocates Developing a church native to its culture by external control is problematic Proper approach is to guide cultural insiders as they wrestle with issues of indigenization When insiders seek to integrate biblical faith and local culture, they sense the need for enculturation or contextualization

5. Key Term – Enculturation More Catholic in origin Def: the creative and dynamic relationship between the Christian message and a culture or cultures. More specifically, it is the church practices which emerge as a result of this interaction

6. Key Term – Contextualization Ecumenical Protestant in origin Emphasis is on addressing the social issues in a particular context Contextualization – Enabling the Christian message to become alive as it addresses the core issues of a sociocultural context and transforms people’s worldview, values, and goals.

7. Three-self Formula Originated by Rufus Anderson (1841) and Henry Venn (1855) Formula: Self-supporting, Self-governing, Self-Propagating. First thoroughly applied in Korea among Presbyterians upon counsel of John L. Nevius

8. Roland Allen (1868-1947) Key issue is trusting the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of new believers Result is partnership between missionary and native church based on mutual trust Books Missionary Methods: St.Paul’s or Ours The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church

9. IMC Meeting of 1938 Watershed event in India because of the influence of the report on proceedings “ An indigenous church…rooted in obedience to Christ, spontaneously uses forms of thought and modes of action natural and familiar in its own environment.”

10. Self-theologizing A requirement for the “three-self” formula to be realized Two-thirds world theologians began to introduce socio-cultural elements from their own context into the world theological dialogue

11. Models of Church-Mission Relationships Mission directs the indigenous churches Mission directs the indigenous church convention by controlling key leaders Mission directs the indigenous church convention by controlling funding Mission and indigenous church develop and implement a shared vision Indigenous church divests itself of all connection to the mission agency

12. Missionary Obligation Acknowledge the dynamic role change as the national church develops Foster the early emergence of local leaders Proactively shift roles to enable healthy autonomy of the indigenous church