In September 2016, 33 OC workers met in Asia for a Global Research Consultation. Upon reviewing the 50+ years of OC’s work in mission research, we realized that we are in a third and new era of OC research. This article will provide an overview of the three eras of OC research and highlight what we envision for the next five years.
This article describes the early early beginnings of OC Research.
I. The Early Days
Research in OC has developed through the ministries of several of its distinguished missionaries and leaders. Its beginnings were, perhaps, informal. For Dick Hillis it was a matter of looking around to see what needed to be done and where the best opportunities were for ministry. The Holy Spirit prompted Dick to pay attention to the things he saw and to capitalize on those opportunities.
In the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, the worker to Population Ratio was a statistic often used evaluate of how "engaged" a non Christian population was.
Research has been a part of Protestant Missionary work since its inception. It will be seen that research has been a significant factor in launching each new wave of Protestant Missions.
Outline:
William Carey
1. In terms of OC Research, what is the platform we’re standing on right now?