Protestant Reformed Missions, The Depression Years: Mission Methods Developed (1932-1939) (1)
This article examines how the Protestant Reformed Churches adapted their domestic mission methods and strategies during the Great Depression (1932-1939), when severe economic hardship limited both congregational resources and the church's ability to support mission work. The author documents how the classis took on increased responsibility for financially subsidizing struggling churches and organizing mission efforts during this difficult period. The resource provides valuable historical insight into how Reformed ecclesiology functioned under economic stress and shaped practical pastoral care and church-planting strategies.
Previous article in this series: December 1, 2015, p. 114. The decade of the 1930s ushered in the era known as the Great Depression. The Depression actually started already in 1929, when in October of that year the stock market crashed, causing millions of investors to lose all their money. Business and construction began to slow down, resulting in a large-scale firing of laborers. By 1932 twelve million, about 25% of the work force, were without work. The farmers had already been battling...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org