The Caribbean's Response to the Great Commission
History and Models of Response
Introduction
The Caribbean has been greatly criticized for losing its vision for missions. Indeed, the Caribbean region has changed from being a mission field to being a mission force. With this change, the region has been challenged to become involved in cross cultural missions and aid in fulfilling the Great commission. Author Las G. Newman examines this critical issue in his article "The Caribbean's Response to the Great Commission - History and Models of Response, published in the Caribbean Journal of Evangelical Theology, Issue #1.
He concludes that the Caribbean church is in fact fulfilling the Great Commission, especially in terms of the "Jerusalem" model outlined in Acts 1: 8. This writer will seek to summarize and critically analyze Newman's article, presenting her ideas and findings on this very interesting topic.
Las G. Newman begins his article by quoting the words of Canon Max Warren - "the Great Commission is Jesus Christ himself". Jesus is the model missionary and embodiment of the Great commission. There is no other commission given to the church except the Great Commission. Mission as defined by Newman is "the notion of agents being sent out to cross frontiers, to bear a message and to engage in a particular activity with clearly defined objectives on behalf of someone else".
In his introduction, Newman states that the gospel message did not reach the Caribbean until a millennium
and a half after Christ's death and resurrection. Christian missionaries did not visit the Caribbean region until the wake of the discovery of the "New World" by Christopher Columbus, five hundred years ago.
Christian Mission in the Caribbean
The Caribbean has experienced five centuries of Christian Mission in the modern era. In the late 15th century the Europeans first discovered the Caribbean. During the first two centuries of European colonization, the early Spanish conquistadors sought to Christianize the Caribbean with their medieval notions of Christian civilization. In fact, the first Catholic missionaries, the Franciscan and Dominican friars from Spain also pursued this policy. Following this, the Moravians introduced Protestant Missions in the 1730s. Then the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians arrived in the 18th century.
However, in the 19th century, evangelization was performed by the American and British Baptists among the African slaves in Jamaica and Trinidad. The Canadian Presbyterians who worked among the East Indians in Trinidad were also outstanding in their contribution.
First, Sweeney provides an overview of American evangelicalism that is brief and balance. This is demonstrated by his broad yet comprehensive writing style and selection of chapter themes. Next, Sweeney’s inclusive approach provides the reader not only with the history of the more famed evangelicals, but also acknowledges the influences Pentecostals, charismatics, women and black leaders of the movement. Additionally, he is not afraid to highlight many of the shortcomings within the movement. In fact, “he confronts the American imperialism and “cultural chauvinism” that often accompanied mission in the nineteenth century (98) as well as the unfortunate embrace of slavery and racism by some evangelicals.” Lastly, chapter four contains a good summary of the development of modern missions movement. To his credit, Sweeney includes within this summary several trailblazing women in the rise of evangelical missions and affirms that women “worked more freely with internationals abroad than they could minister to Americans at home.” Moreover, he discusses criticism concerning “contextualization” and offers a couple of perspectives on the demographic trends of evangelical
Religion played a major role in expansion for both the Portuguese and the Spanish due to their extensive anti-Muslim crusade. Due to the over zealous religious fervor of the Christian Iberians, Christianity and thus the Iberians expanded into parts of western Europe during the crusades as Christians tried to convert the Muslims who were occupying this area. The Iberians did not stop with the European mainland; they were also expanding overseas. They were interested in the fertile land of the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores and Cape Verde. These islands would also prove to be strategic acquisitions for the Iberians, as they would eventually provide the Iberians with bases and ports to be used for commerce. Throughout the 15th century the Spanish and Portuguese had been exploring lands throughout the Atlantic which drove Queen Isabella of Spain to commission Christopher Columbus in 1492 to “Discover and acquire islands and mainland in the ocean sea” (p.340) which eventually led to the discovery of North America.
The Roman Catholics were one of the first Europeans to disembark in the New World. In addition, there were the Spanish Catholics. There were two missionary efforts of the Spanish that attempted to convert the Native Americans to Christianity. One of their attempts revolved around the priests and their ability to spread the faith. This attempt did not work for several years, until finally, in 1595, the Franciscans were able to progress with their plans. Furthermore, another attempt was when the Spanish used force to enforce their Christian belief. They were outnumbered by the Indians and therefore brought weaponry and soldiers to keep them at bay. Their reason behind the missionary efforts was that they were ordered to spread Christianity to the Native Americans by a holy spirit.
English Protestants first arrived at a place called Plymouth, and then a decade later a much larger group began to arrive just north of Plymouth. These new peoples came in family groups, planning to create communities like the ones they left behind, but instead the wanted to base them off of protestant principles. After Columbus voyaged to west Indies, the Spanish soon established sugar plantations. They first used the natives to work their plantations, but they were soon greatly affected by diseases. When most of the Natives died, they then imported African slave labor remaking the population of the Caribbean. Traditions of government such as regulating land and water use was brought from Spain. New England and Chesapeake both had the goal of self sufficiency. The biggest difference between and the two, was that while the Chesapeake
The missionary expansion and their work within different nations is a dilemma of well intentions versus prosperity and power. Many missionaries remained out of politics and out of local culture and only served the communities for the better. They increased educational opportunities and provided medical care; most importantly they served to ensure the communities could actively participate in the international community. While the government and businesses reaped the rewards of increased prosperity and power, these rewards were in many ways not the purpose of missionary expansion but merely an outcome.
Reverend Josiah Strong's Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis inspired missionaries to travel to foreign nations.
Two different aspects of the discovery of the Indies and Hispaniola were seen. The first aspect was from the viewpoint of Christopher Columbus. In 1493, Columbus wrote a letter to Luis De Sant Angel announcing his discoveries in the Indies. The letter was also being sent to the king and queen of Spain. The letter was written in a very deceitful manner to make it so the king and queen would continue to fund Columbus and his expedition as long as he continued making achievements for Spain. Upon his arrival, Columbus talks much of the land the Spaniards have conquered in the name of Spain. In the letter, he also talks about how the Indies were inhabited by a great number of people. Columbus describes the people as, “hopelessly timid, unsuspicious, generous, and very accepting.”1 The indigenous people were accepting of the conversion to Christianity. The justification of Christianity was used for Columbus’ expedition, while the territory and resources were the byproduct. Columbus was hoping that by
Religion was a main motive for colonization in the 17th century. Many wanted to establish a godly nation and spread their religion. Over the next century, the extremely religious colonists died and their kin weren’t as religious. Understandably, many were more worried about their quality of life and wealth. The characteristics of religion and the colonists relationship with God caused concern from preachers, such as George Whitefield, during the mid-18th century. Religious leaders believed that religion had become more of an intellectual experience rather than a spiritual one. So, many preachers set out to convert people back to Christ. Starting in 1930, John Edwards began converting people in Northampton, Massachusetts and soon him, George
Carl Henry, in his “The Uneasy Conscious of Modern Fundamentalism”, describes the evangelical’s lack of social and cultural engagement in the world as an embarrassing divorce. He laments that the evangelicals has failed to challenge the injustices of the totalitarianisms, the secularisms of modern education, the evils of racial hatred, the wrongs of current labor-management relations, and the inadequate bases of international dealings, they have ceased to challenge Caesar and Rome, as though in futile resignation and submission to the triumphant Renaissance mood. 1 As a result, the Gospel message stands divorced from a passion to right the world. This divorce between the Gospel message and the passion to right the world is related to the fact that modern Fundamentalism does not explicitly articulate the social implications of its message for the non-Christian world. While identifying himself within the premillennialism camp, Carl admits that premillennial thinking regarding the kingdom of God, which holds no hope for changing within society, has induced a pervasive mood of “prophetic despair,” whereas Protestant liberalism is at least concerned to address the problems attending social evil.2 This negligence or abandonment of Christian social imperative has made Fundamentalists to be more world-resisting than world-changing; consequently, out of this mindset it is impossible for any contemporary version of Augustine’s City of God to emerge.3 But this doesn’t have to be the end of the story,
Originally when Columbus had convinced the Ferdinand and Isabella to fund his exploration, it was with promises of Christian conversion in India. Subsequently, Columbus discovered North America first and developed dreams of Christianity in the New World. Columbus spreads that idea throughout his writing speaking of how easily they received him. As his letter was received all throughout Europe, many conquest were sent out with a common goal: the spread of Christianity. Erik Seeman, author of Death in the New World: Cross-Cultural Encounters writes “Indian deathways would be crucial to the success of Christianization, and the Christian afterlife would be one of the Europeans’ greatest selling points” (46).
Ideas on how to spread Christianity throughout the new world were enormously dissimilar between the Spanish and English colonies. Before settling, the Spanish had been kicking
In 1492, Columbus, the first of the Spanish explorers, sailed the Atlantic Ocean for the purpose of converting the inhabitants of the land he arrived on (thought to be Asia) to Christianity. He wanted to use them, according to Taylor’s writings in American Colonies, “to recruit their bodies and wealth to assist
encouraged calls for modernization and progress in these Latin American communities. Illustrating this shift, congregations began to work with the poor to
Europeans came into contact with the Caribbean after Columbus's momentous journeys in 1492, 1496 and 1498. The desire for expansion and trade led to the settlement of the colonies. The indigenous peoples, according to our sources mostly peaceful Tainos and warlike Caribs, proved to be unsuitable for slave labour in the newly formed plantations, and they were quickly and brutally decimated. The descendants of this once thriving community can now only be found in Guiana and Trinidad.
Europe flocked to this New World, and founded many colonies, including the Thirteen Colonies, founded by Great Britain, which later became the first states in the United States of America. From these colonies, they extracted the wealth of and gold and spices that they sought in Asia. Additionally, they would convert the native people of the lands to Christianity. Columbus saw himself as a messenger of G-d, who brought salvation to the natives by converting them. Missionaries were built wherever a colony was founded, and often along the route of an exploration.