Church Extension, Church Reformation, and Domestic Missions (4)
Bruinsma explains the Protestant Reformed understanding of domestic missions and the distinction between foreign mission work (to the heathen) and home mission work (to the dispersed). He defines "the dispersed" as culturally Christianized but unchurched people who have abandoned their faith heritage, and discusses how this classification shapes the church's missionary approach and strategy.
Previous article in this series: March 15, 2014, p. 278. The Form for the Ordination of Missionaries in the Protestant Reformed Churches is employed to ordain missionaries to be sent either to the heathen or to the dispersed. A mission work directed "to the heathen" has become synonymous with foreign mission work. A missionary sent "to the dispersed" labors in our own country or other Christianized lands. From the Form it is clear what is meant by those who are dispersed. They are the...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org