Apostolic Function in 21st Century Missions

by Alan R. Johnson

In the past we have focused on the "why" of missions in terms of motives, the "what" of missions in terms of the content of the message, and the "how" of missions in terms of methodologies and strategies, but the "where" question, in terms of where we send cross-cultural workers, has simply been assumed; it has meant crossing a geographic boundary. In Apostolic Function in 21st Century Missions, Alan R. Johnson introduces the idea of apostolic function as the paradigm of missionary self-identity that reminds us to focus our efforts on where Christ is not named. He then examines in detail the "where" paradigm in missions, frontier mission missiology, with a sympathetic critique and a review of the major contributions of unreached people group thinking. Johnson concludes by illustrating his notion of seeking to integrate missions paradigms and discussing of issues that relate specifically to the "where" questions of missions today. 2nd in the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, J. Philip Hogan World Missions Series

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction

258 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[John Trotter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A resource you will want to come back to for years to come

This is a source that I have gone back to often over the last decade as an anchor on frontier missiology. Johnson speaks well into the mission movement in having the unreached at the very center of its ethos. He doesn’t simply throw out the data and call for an apostolic function amongst those who are passionate about the unreached but calls the Church to placed those who have never heard and our Christ-centered effort to reach them in every single facet of our thinking in mission. Hold on to this one as you will want to come back to it as I have.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has deepened my appreciation for the mission work remaining to be done. It provides a useful framework for thinking about the mission field, the call to missions, and the function of missionaries. Rather than falling into the either/or trap of many other paradigms, this book deconstructs those and reconstructs them into an and/and. It then examines the work to be done using a mindset of what can be done by the local church and near witnesses versus what has to be done by missionaries.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book completely shifted my perspective of missions and gave me a new passion for the unreached. My only qualm is that it was pretty dense with statistics, which made it dry sometimes. But it's definitely worth the read!

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book. Johnson explores the necessary question of where should we go in missions. He looks at the priority of frontier missions in a balanced and reasoned way. We must form a coherent and biblical missiology if we desire to be faithful to the commands of Jesus.

[Grace Lynch · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy the writing of this book overall. Too many words used to explain simple statements. Powerful points were made to only become less powerful through words and more words.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that provoked me deeply in my thinking. It is a powerful polemic on the essence of the Church's mission and it is also well-researched.

Johnson's central argument is that the current Church has adopted competing concepts for the terms "mission", "missional" and "missionary". He proposes a more narrow definition that prioritizes unreached people groups without diminishing the strategic value of other cross-cultural ministry. It is a work that attacks the ambiguity of popular missiology while maintaining a balanced in dealing with the missionary identity.

Having know the writer personally for some years, it brings great personal satisfaction to see a seminal work focused on one of the most salient missiological debates in our time. I highly recommend the book to practitioners, church leaders and those who hold the Great Commission as a divine mandate.

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book that really highlights the need for mission in the world, particularly the unreached part of our world. The only reason I don't give it a full five stars is due to the deep technical language. Every so often I would have to stop and re-read a section to truly grasp it. It is a fabulous book and a great reference for anyone trying to come to terms with the complexity of the mission here in the 21st century.