Historical Overview I. A Simplistic Approach to World Evangelization since the time of Christ: presented by Dr. Ralph D. Winter’s “The Kingdom Strikes Back” (Perspectives, B-3ff) Winning the Romans (0-400 AD) Early 1st century persecutions and advances Roman Empire penetrated Constantine in Constantinople, Christianity becoming popular By 375 AD, Christianity had become the “official religion of Rome” Winning the Barbarians (400-800AD) The Gospel made a difference among the tribes as they heard and accepted the message of the Cross Rome made no deliberate attempt to win them, however, the Visigoths ( ), Ostrogoths ( ) and Vandals ( ) came into a superficial relation to Faith, enough to give them a certain respect for humanity and a form of civilization that causes their invasions to be not nearly as terrible as they could have been The Celts had become true believers from the ministry of St. Patrick which seems to have built upon that of , Simon the Canaanite or Zealotes, one of the original apostles of the 1st century. These people from Britain took the message to the Anglo-Saxons ( ) and the Goths ( ) Winning the Vikings (800-1200 AD) Winning the Saracens – Medieval Arabs/Muslims (1200-1600 AD) To the Ends of the Earth (1600-2000 AD) II. From My Thoughts A. First Four Centuries 1. Aggressive evangelism and church planting ministry 2. Institutionalism of the Church or of local churches B. Dark or Middle Ages (400 - 1400 AD)

C. Protestant Reformation (All Souls’ Day, 31 October, 1517. On this day Martin Luther stated his concerns for the use and abuse of indulgences in the Roman Catholic Church in his 95 Theses. This was not a call for reform, only an expressed concern for the theology of indulgences and the error that had crept in over the centuries.) D. Post-Reformation to Present III. Modern Protestant Missions: adapted from Dr. Winter’s “Four Men, Three Eras, Two Transitions: Modern Missions” (Perspectives, B-33). A. William Carey (India, 1792) - to the Coastlands B. J. Hudson Taylor (China, 1865) - to the Inlands C. Donald McGavran & Cameron Townsend (Tribals, 1934) - to the nations/people groups NOTE: Summing up recent Christian Mission history 19th Century - - “The Great Century” (Dr. Kane) 20th Century - - “The Innovative Century” (leh) 21st Century - - “The Assessment Century” (leh)