Mission in the Spirit: Formation, Theology, and Praxis

CONTENTS

Foreword xi
Acknowledgements xiii

1 Introduction 1

2 My Pilgrimage in Mission, So Far 9

3 My Three Mission Teachers 23

4 Rethinking Theological and Missional Formation 35

5 The Holy Spirit in the Shaping of Mission Awareness and Practice 47

6 “When the Poor Are Fired Up”: Pneumatology in Pentecostal Mission 59

7 “Life” in Theological Education and Missional Formation 71

8 The Theological Motivations for Pentecostal Mission 89

9 Eschatology and Mission: What Happened When the Wave Hit the West End of the Ocean? 103

10 Evangelism and Church Planting 119

11 Blessing 133

12 “In Jesus’ Name!”: Power Encounter Among Pentecostals and Third Wavers 153

13 Spirit-Motivated Leadership and Service to the Poor: Hawaii’s (Korean) Cedar Church 167

14 Pentecostal Gift to Christian Unity 181

Selected Bibliography 195
Index 203

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wonsuk Ma (PhD, Fuller) is a Korean Pentecostal serving as Distinguished Professor of Global Christianity and Executive Director of the Center for Spirit-Empowered Research at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.

In this book, Wonsuk Ma provides a valuable guide to Pentecostal missiology past, present, and future. By combining personal narrative with intellectual and spiritual insights, he shares deep wisdom born of leadership on three continents. Ma's reflections inform and inspire. I recommend this book very highly.
Dana L. Robert, Ph.D. William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, Boston University, Boston, MA

Mission in the Spirit: Formation, Theology and Praxis is a refreshing and inspiring look at the growth of the Church in the Global South through the eyes of one who participated in the movement from the very beginning. Dr. Ma is a practical Pentecostal scholar who has trained national leaders who are on the “cutting edge” of the growth of the Church. He has tested his Pentecostal Missions Theology among some Unreached People Groups (UPGs) and has witnessed the work of the Holy Spirit in the Global South.
While Harvey Cox and Philip Jenkins have cited the statistics of the growth in the Global South Church, Wonsuk Ma is one who inspired leaders in the Global South to believe in a biblical Pentecostal theology and put it into practice in the marketplaces of the countries. He has had the distinct privilege of helping to shape the theology of these leaders of the Global South Church. He has a great part in shaping the national leaders of this remarkable growth.
This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the work of the Spirit in the Church of the Global South. The future of Pentecostal scholarship will use this volume as a guide to the formation of practical Pentecostal outcomes.
Bob Houlihan, Ph.D. Former Dean of Southeastern University, Lakeland, FL and Missionary in Asia Pacific

If I would pick out three necessary elements in mission, I’d say first, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, second, deep knowledge or reflection on the Word, and finally personal maturity, spiritual formation in other words. If I choose someone who has these three elements integrated, I will name Dr. Ma without hesitation. This book speaks of mission and the Holy Spirit, yet it is a record of the three things mentioned above being integrated.
Sung Chan Kwon, Ph.D. Director, GMF, Seoul

Reading the introduction, I wondered why Dr Wonsuk Ma decided to use himself as a case study for this book. However, after reading through the script, I realized that he is an epitome of mission, a reservoir of global Christianity that many people can drink from. The complexity of his theological education, his ministry among Asian Pentecostals, his ministry in Oxford Centre for Mission Studies that ushered him to ecumenism, and his work with Oral Roberts University that links him with Pentecostals and Charismatics qualify him to write a book that demonstrates that we serve “One Christ, [with] Many Witnesses”.
Opoku Onyinah, Ph.D. Immediate Past Chairman, The Church of Pentecost, Ghana

What does mission formation look like that is initiated, developed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit? Missiologist Wonsuk Ma, with invaluable help from Julie Ma, gets at the heart of this question. And it’s a crucial question for a couple of reasons. First, mission is often treated as an appendage to Christian formation. This book makes the case for mission to be at the core of it. And second, authentic Christian formation is finally not in programs and curricula, but in the hands of the Holy Spirit. This book at once applauds the contributions of Pentecostalism to mission and encourages all to be faithful to the full range of God’s mission in the world in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Al Tizon, Ph.D. Affiliate Associate Professor of Missional and Global Leadership, North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL