The Center for the Study of Global Christianity has just released their annual "Status of Global Christianity" table: It is their 38th year compiling and offering what amounts to a unique opportunity to see the big picture. We can be very grateful for the work and generosity of the Center. Let me encourage you to …
Eddie Arthur would like to suggest that Everything You've Learned About Church History is Wrong. You don't have to lean into the clickbaitiness of his title to see that has a point. I hope you take the five minutes or so it will cost you to read his post. Here I just want to offer …
I've just come across the following map which claims to show African literacy rates by country: Now, before we go any further there are a number of issues with the map. For starters, I cannot confirm its accuracy and really I don't love the "Best and Worst" categories. I made a quick attempt but did …
Because it is easier to see our own faults when they are on display in other people, let me share a few lines from the ancient Greek historian, Herodotus. He is introducing his readers to the ways and customs of the Persians and says the following about how they deem others worthy or honour (or …
Vince Bantu offers us a warning that I'm doing my best to take to heart: "While the gospel has indeed spread at unprecedented rates over the last century, it is often a Westernized expression of Christianity that fails to adopt local and cultural norms and empower indigenous leadership. This dynamic only exacerbates the perception of …
Today, October 19th, the Anglican lectionary directs attention to Henry Martyn. Martyn is an important figure in the early history of the modern missions movement. If you don't know of him, it is worth clicking through here for a short summary (or here for a longer introduction). Martyn has strong connections to Cambridge in his …
A Christianity Today article in 2008 suggested that Andrew Walls may be the most important person you've never heard of. I am quite sure that I didn't know who he was in 2008, but Walls has had a significant impact on the course of my life since then. I am often still surprised to be …
I am finally reading Marilynne Robinson's novel, Gilead. I had heard that it is remarkable because she captures the inner experiences of ministry so well. My bookmark sits at page 22, holding my place while I gather these thoughts, because what I heard is true. The form of the book is a letter written by …
Where are the frontlines of missions today? That might not be a fair question. I’m not exactly sure how we would go about giving a straightforward geographical answer to that. But I’m using the question to (hopefully) bait you into some surprise when I suggest that we spent a Sunday afternoon on the frontline of …
Just a mile down the road from my home, housed inside the lovely red brick buildings of Westminster College, is the Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide. The goal of the Centre is to "encourage people...to engage with, encounter, and enquire about the global nature of Christianity in its historical development and in the contemporary world." …
Too Small A Thing 