World Harvest Mission
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Christopher88
Puritan Board Sophomore
"World Harvest Mission was organized under the leadership of Dr. Jack Miller, a pastor, evangelist and author. In the late 1970s, the missions-outreach of the congregation he founded and pastored, New Life Presbyterian Church, was spreading beyond that local body.
Other church leaders gathered with Dr. Miller to work together in wider ministry. After many informal missions trips to Ireland and Uganda, World Harvest Mission was officially established in 1983.
Bob Osborne was appointed as executive director of the mission in June of 2005. Today, WHM has over 150 missionaries serving in 14 countries.
WHM is a nondenominational foreign mission agency, founded in the reformed tradition. As a faith mission, WHM receives no assurance of funds from any source."
History - World Harvest Mission
Other church leaders gathered with Dr. Miller to work together in wider ministry. After many informal missions trips to Ireland and Uganda, World Harvest Mission was officially established in 1983.
Bob Osborne was appointed as executive director of the mission in June of 2005. Today, WHM has over 150 missionaries serving in 14 countries.
WHM is a nondenominational foreign mission agency, founded in the reformed tradition. As a faith mission, WHM receives no assurance of funds from any source."
History - World Harvest Mission
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
To a significant degree, my faith has been strengthened by folks associated with World Harvest. There's much to praise.
- As a missions organization, they're one of the best sending agencies any missionary could hope for. They take excellent care of their people, spiritually as well as with basic needs.
- There's an infectious zeal for Christian piety within the organization. Much prayer on every occasion. A desire to examine the heart. Open and honest confession of sin. A passion for daily repentance. As a result, people are truly joyful. It's an amazing gang of folks.
- Their discipleship materials, first created to encourage burned out missionaries, have caught on in a lot of churches and are now produced mostly as a renewal ministry to churches. They take a grace-first approach... you grow in faith as you foster a deeper belief in God's goodness to you in Christ. Thirty years ago, World Harvest was on the forefront of what is sometimes called the "Grace Movement" within Presbyterianism. Although some of today's "Grace Movement" voices tend to resist talking about Christian obedience and only speak of grace, the World Harvest materials have never shied away from vigorous examination of how we should live in light of grace. (Fair disclosure: I've helped write a bit of the stuff that carries the World Harvest name.)
- Puritan-era influences would be Walter Marshall, Sibbes, Edwards. Luther is an influence, too.
Most of the criticism they get comes, I would say, on three fronts:
- "They talk too much about sin and Jesus. It makes me uncomfortable." This criticism usually comes from liberals or shallow believers, so I don't mind it at all.
- "They teach that you only have to obey if you feel like it." This is batted around a lot but simply untrue. Teaching "grace first" sounds like this to some people, but my own experience will attest that World Harvest teaching invariably involves confronting and repenting of sin that was previously ignored. The process is not feel-good, but rather is typically quite painful at first.
- "They aren't true, good Presbyterians." This has some truth to it depending on how you define a true, good Presbyterian. There is tolerance for folks who may not strictly hold to some Presbyterian positions like Sabbath-keeping or regulated worship. And there is probably some influence of Luther's law/gospel dichotomy in some of the teaching, although in the main the teaching fits much more strongly in the Presbyterian camp. When the teaching has been challenged in this regard, the mission's habit has been to re-examine itself based on a desire to remain true to Reformed, Presbyterian theology.
No group is perfect, but I'm a fan.
- As a missions organization, they're one of the best sending agencies any missionary could hope for. They take excellent care of their people, spiritually as well as with basic needs.
- There's an infectious zeal for Christian piety within the organization. Much prayer on every occasion. A desire to examine the heart. Open and honest confession of sin. A passion for daily repentance. As a result, people are truly joyful. It's an amazing gang of folks.
- Their discipleship materials, first created to encourage burned out missionaries, have caught on in a lot of churches and are now produced mostly as a renewal ministry to churches. They take a grace-first approach... you grow in faith as you foster a deeper belief in God's goodness to you in Christ. Thirty years ago, World Harvest was on the forefront of what is sometimes called the "Grace Movement" within Presbyterianism. Although some of today's "Grace Movement" voices tend to resist talking about Christian obedience and only speak of grace, the World Harvest materials have never shied away from vigorous examination of how we should live in light of grace. (Fair disclosure: I've helped write a bit of the stuff that carries the World Harvest name.)
- Puritan-era influences would be Walter Marshall, Sibbes, Edwards. Luther is an influence, too.
Most of the criticism they get comes, I would say, on three fronts:
- "They talk too much about sin and Jesus. It makes me uncomfortable." This criticism usually comes from liberals or shallow believers, so I don't mind it at all.
- "They teach that you only have to obey if you feel like it." This is batted around a lot but simply untrue. Teaching "grace first" sounds like this to some people, but my own experience will attest that World Harvest teaching invariably involves confronting and repenting of sin that was previously ignored. The process is not feel-good, but rather is typically quite painful at first.
- "They aren't true, good Presbyterians." This has some truth to it depending on how you define a true, good Presbyterian. There is tolerance for folks who may not strictly hold to some Presbyterian positions like Sabbath-keeping or regulated worship. And there is probably some influence of Luther's law/gospel dichotomy in some of the teaching, although in the main the teaching fits much more strongly in the Presbyterian camp. When the teaching has been challenged in this regard, the mission's habit has been to re-examine itself based on a desire to remain true to Reformed, Presbyterian theology.
No group is perfect, but I'm a fan.
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AThornquist
Puritan Board Doctor
Thank you, brother Jack, for your helpful insights. Do I remember correctly that WHM is associated with what is called Sonship theology?
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
Yes. "Sonship" was the title of the original discipleship coursework designed to encourage the missionaries, though I don't believe anyone set out to establish a distinct brand of theology. I'm personally not real comfortable with the label. It suggests something distinct from the mainstream of Reformed theology, which isn't right. It's more a matter of some particular pastoral applications and emphases within Reformed theology.
Their mission fields are quite varied, ranging from remote parts of Africa to major European cities. And within the cities, different teams focus on different people groups. But there are a handful of churches they've planted within Middle Eastern communities, in particular, in European cities. I have good friends who've served on those teams.
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AThornquist
Puritan Board Doctor
Ah, I see. I appreciate the explanation.
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
In brief, the distinctive of Sonship is an emphasis on resting in Christ and believing all the benefits of union with him—and doing so as the basis for growth in holiness and confidence in ministry.
In layman's terms, it's learning to deeply believe that God is on your side. You don't have to keep proving yourself to him. You're his dearly loved child, counted righteous and working with the Spirit. Let that power your Christian life and ministry.
For many believers, their battles with sin feel to them like war with God. They constantly worry that every moral failure or ministry failure means God will get upset with them and leave them hanging. As a result, they have little confidence in battling sin or the devil. And they don't fight those battles with God, depending on the Spirit, because they're performing for God instead. Sonship addresses this pastoral need.
If you're interested in more, send me a PM with email address and I can email you a more detailed document. A few years back they had a guy write a paper of 20 pages or so on the theological basis for Sonship.
Edward
Puritanboard Commissioner
I believe that they did descend from a Presbyterian group. I don't know if they are are on a downward slope. I'm not sure which meaning you intend.
Justin,
I work as a Director with World Harvest and would love to speak with you or email about your interest. You can reach me through the World Harvest Phone (215) 885.1811 or at my email: [email protected]. If you have other questions about our work or how we might partner, I would look forward to trying to answer.
Sincerely,
Josiah Bancroft
I work as a Director with World Harvest and would love to speak with you or email about your interest. You can reach me through the World Harvest Phone (215) 885.1811 or at my email: [email protected]. If you have other questions about our work or how we might partner, I would look forward to trying to answer.
Sincerely,
Josiah Bancroft
Jerusalem Blade
Puritan Board Professor
I also have been profoundly influenced for good by the Sonship emphasis within certain PCA churches. It has made all the difference in having an obedience which is motivated by gladness, gratitude, and love - toward a wonderful Father God and His Son and Spirit. This depth of the Gospel of Christ glorifies God - as Paul puts it, "To the praise of the glory of His grace" (Eph 1:6).
Logan Almy
Puritan Board Freshman
Chad B. Van Dixhoorn wrote a 1999 article in the Westminster Theological Journal called "The Sonship Program for Revival: A Summary and Critique." He summarizes the theology, goals, and methods of the "Sonship" program and then provides a critique.
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