Former president of the Southern Baptist’s International Mission Board addressed the international missions class yesterday. He told how missionaries “used to just go to the most receptive people in a nation-state, rather than thinking about people groups.” Sadly, the relatively modern notion of a nation-state clouded our understanding of ‘ethne’ (ethnic groups). So when missionaries went to, for example, Nigeria- they believed their mission field was all of Nigeria, with its 400+ distinct ethnolinguistic groups. Ever since the 1990s, mission agencies have been focusing on people groups, rather than nation-states. That has revolutionized mission strategy, and is responsible for what Rankin said is the greatest advance in the worldwide effort of evangelism.
Jerry Rankin at Belhaven U
It was a great lecture–informative, biblical, and encouraging. We serve a great and loving missionary God.