LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

UNREACHED: THE IRISH OF IRELAND

A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR. C. THOMAS WRIGHT

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR

THE COURSE GLST 500

LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

BY

JOHN M. BROWN

LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA

AUGUST 15TH, 2013

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

THESIS STATEMENT………………………………………………………… 2

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………… 3

BACKGROUND RESEARCH ………………………………………………….. 4

HISTORY

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

RELIGION

MISSIONS METHODOLOGY SURVEY …………………………………….… 8

HISTORICAL MISSION EFFORTS

CURRENT SITUATION

PRESENT STRATEGIES

A PROPOSED STRATEGY …………………………………………………. 13

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A MISSIONARY

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A MISSIONS ORGANIZATION

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A SENDING CHURCH

CONCLUSION ………………………………………………………………..19

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THESIS STATEMENT

The Irish people, who inhabit the Republic of Ireland, have traditionally been a

difficult people group to evangelize. The main reason is their historic connection to the

Roman Catholic Church. However, the current culture is disillusioned with the Roman

Catholic Church. It seems this generation is better prepared to hear the Gospel than previous

generations. This paper will seek to understand the Irish culture more fully through its history.

It will also seek to understand the work of evangelism that is currently in progress and

determine good strategies that may be put into practice to further the work of evangelism in

Ireland.

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INTRODUCTION

Throughout the twentieth century, the missions efforts in South America have been to

peoples who were completely dominated by the Roman Catholic Church. It has been an

accepted fact that the Roman Church does not preach the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ

from the authority of the scriptures alone.1 It is a terrible thing to die and never hear of the

Lord Jesus Christ, but it is most awful to die without Christ while hearing His name on a

regular basis. While the Protestant Reformation had a major effect on Europeans, the Catholic

Church still held sway over a few cultures in a seemingly unbreakable way. As most of

Western Europe embraced various expressions of the evangelical Protestant faith, the

movement never made any great headway through the Emerald Isle.

The Joshua Project records the people groups of the world that are unreached by the

evangelical Gospel. The Irish have only .9% active Evangelical Christians within their

culture.2 Their adherence to the Roman Catholic faith is above 95%. The Operation World

website places the number of evangelical Irish around the 1.5%.3 The current trend among the

Irish exhibits a falling away from religion in general.4 This open door has led to many hearing

and accepting the free gift of salvation through faith in Christ alone. The Irish people who

inhabit the Republic of Ireland, have traditionally been a difficult people group to evangelize, 1 Tony Coffey, Once a Catholic (Eugene, Harvest House, 1993) 19. Dr. Coffey expressed the Roman Catholic teaching that all truth and practice is determined by a mixture of scripture and Church teaching. George Duncan Smith, in his work communicating Catholic doctrine said, “The Church, infallibly assisted by the Holy Ghost, tells us what God has revealed.” This statement shines light onto the fact that the Roman Church establishes no teaching solely from the scriptures, but always uses a mixture of scripture and Church dogma. George Duncan Smith, The Teaching of the Catholic Church. (New York, MacMillan, 1959) 31. 2 Joshua Project (web Site) http://www.joshuaproject.net/peoples.php?peo3=12256 (accessed July 27, 2013) 3 Operation World http://www.operationworld.org/ (accessed on August 2, 2012) 4 Gallup.com (web site) http://www.gallup.com/poll/13117/Religion-Europe-Trust-Filling-Pews.aspx (accessed August 4, 2013)

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but the current culture are disillusioned with the Roman Catholic Church and are now better

prepared to hear the Gospel than previous generations. It seems to some, Christ is saying, “I

have set before thee an open door.”5

BACKGROUND RESEARCH

In order to understand the missions outreach methods that needed to reach the Irish, a

survey of their cultural history is in imperative. This section shall seek to elaborate upon the

historical, cultural, and religious elements that have shaped them into who they are today.

HISTORY IN BRIEF

The Island of Ireland is a part of the collection of Islands known as the British Isles.

These islands are located off the western coast of the European continent.6 Although Ireland

may be classified as part of the British Isles, it is separate in its political structure. The Island

is located along a region of the Atlantic Ocean that allows for a moderate climate. The fact of

moderate temperatures and constant precipitation create a very fertile and green environment.

This has given rise to the common expression that Ireland is a land of forty shades of green.

The British Isles were first settled by the Celts7 from mainland Europe. The Island,

historically being referred to as Hibernia, was never influenced politically by Rome. It is

believed that the Roman Empire never made its authority to extend across the Irish Sea from

its conquests in Britannia.8 The Celts who traversed the waters to inhabit the fertile island

5 Revelation 3:8, King James Version 6 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "British Isles," accessed August 05, 2013, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1346048/British-Isles. 7 Enoch Pond, “St. Patrick, and the Primitive Irish Church” Bibliotheca Sacra. 28:109 (January 1871): 21-42 8 Ibid. 21

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developed a unique form of language that was different from those in Britain. This isolated

island never became a source of economic interest to the Roman government.9 Its political

and linguistic developments led to a distinctive culture. The history of the Irish cannot

ultimately be understood apart from two incursions. The first was from Patrick, who has been

beautified by the Roman Church as a Saint. The second was from the Protestants from Britain.

Both people/s have had major developmental influence upon the Celtic people.

St. Patrick’s ministry of evangelization helped to set this small island nation on a

unique path. The religious period leading up to the Christianization of Ireland is shrouded in

some mystery but the general facts can give a clear picture. The common belief system was

that of Druidism. As the work of Patrick and others began to take root, the pagan island

became absorbed with the Gospel of Christ. Patrick may not have been the first Celtic

Christian to spread the Gospel in Ireland10 but he has been attributed as being the most

successful. Although claimed by Catholic historians, there is no evidence that Patrick was

ever associated with the Roman church.11 However, as the Roman Church began to unite the

Christian communities underneath one universal church, the Irish Church was drawn in and

assimilated. The Celtic church may have been strong enough to claim victory over the Druids,

but they failed to withstand the Roman Priests. Moreau said, “The victory over Celtic church

9 Neil Hagerty, The Story of Ireland. (New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2012) 15. 10 Encyclopædia Britannica Online, s. v. "Saint Patrick," accessed August 5, 2013, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/446636/Saint-Patrick. 11 Enoch Pond, “St. Patrick, and the Primitive Irish Church” Bibliotheca Sacra. 28:109 (January 1871): 21-42

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leaders by Roman representatives at the Synod of Whitby in 664 ensured that Roman

Christianity would dominate not only Britain and Ireland, but also much of Europe.”12

The oppression of the Irish at the hands of the ruling class of England during the last

five-hundred years has left a lasting impression concerning any non-Catholic church.

European powers traditionally have joined the areas of Politics and Religion. When the

Reformation began to take root becoming a force in the political world, Catholics began to

suffer the same fate non-Catholics had endured for centuries. As the Catholic rulers were

removed from power in Great Britain, those who tenaciously held to their Roman Catholicism

were persecuted. During the time of the Protestant ruler, Oliver Cromwell, it was policy to

“confiscate all Catholic-owned land in Ireland.”13 Oppression and suffering at the hands of

those non-Catholic Christians have been the basis for a complete rejection of any Gospel

endeavor.

The Irish finally achieved full independence from Great Britain in 1936, when the

Prime Minister, Eamon de Valera, forced through constitutional changes that ultimately led to

the Republic of Ireland as a self-governing nation.14 The mid-nineties saw a great number of

changes for the Irish people. They voted to become a full member in the European Union and

begin the process of changing currency. Today, Ireland uses the Euro instead of its traditional

Irish Pound.

12 A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee. Introducing world missions: a biblical, historical, and practical survey. (Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, 2004) 104. 13 Ryan Hackney and Amy Blackwell Hackney, 101 Things You Didn’t Know About Irish History. (Avon: Adams Media, 2007) 87. 14 Ibid, 183.

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LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Although cultures are shaped by the actual ethnic inhabitants of the land, the language

is one of major elements of the development of any culture. However, the language alone

does not ensure progress. The event that sets a culture on this road to potential progress is

when the language begins to take a written form. E.J. Wolf expresses this idea in relation to

the missions movements in Europe:

The starting-point of all intellectual progress is a written language. Christianity as a religion of ideas, a system of truth, requires, first, a vehicle for conveying an intelligent and permanent exhibition of its principles. The barbarians possessed no written tongue. Hence, the first requisites of their calling constrained the missionaries to invent an alphabet, to construct a grammar, and organize a language for each of the barbarian races.15

The ministry of the venerable missionary St. Patrick found a similar situation among the Celts

during his beginning evangelistic work among them. Although he had previously been a slave

in Ireland, it was upon his return to bring them the Gospel that he began to help create a

written form of their language.16 The written language has always been important for

Christians because of God’s Word being given through the median of manuscripts. The

Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to study and research the scriptures so he could become a

more developed pastor.17 Therefore, it is easy to see the strong desire missionaries like Patrick

would work hard to create an avenue for the written Word to be disseminated into the culture.

In Patrick’s case, he actually created an alphabet for the Irish language to help facilitate a

physical copy of the scriptures.

15 E.J. Wolf, “Christianity and Culture” Bibliotheca Sacra. 51:202 (April 1894): 186-205 16 Ibid. 188. 17 2 Timothy 2:15, English Standard Version

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RELIGION

The religion the Irish are known for is Roman Catholicism. Since the days after

Patrick Rome has held on staunchly to its Irish adherents. In common vernacular, to be Irish is

to be Irish-Catholic. This form of Christianity is very old and has developed over time into its

current structure. Among Christian groups and denomination there can be countless

differences. Most of which are small in doctrinal significance. However, in Christendom,

there are two basic differences in doctrinal belief that answers the question “How can a sinner

be saved?” The first teaches that Christ’s atonement upon the Cross completely provided for

the lost sinner’s restoration to God and this obtained by faith. The second teaches that Christ’s

atonement along with the faithful righteous deeds brings the sinner redemption. The Roman

church falls into the latter category. Anyone who has tried to witness to a Catholic will

inevitably hear “but the Catholic Church teaches…” during the conversation.18 Until recently,

the Irish people have been the one bright spot for the Roman church in the English-speaking

world. The massive Irish contribution of Irish Priests to the Catholic world had been

disproportionate given the smaller population in Ireland. This trend has turned. Currently,

Irish men seeking to begin training for the priesthood are down to abysmal numbers. In 2013,

only 12 young men have joined seminary.19 This number is down by half of the 22 men who

joined in 2012. In short, the Irish are seemingly following the trend of Europeans leaving

behind religion.

18 Tony Coffey, 1993. 23. 19 The Catholic World Website: accessed on August 6th, 2013. http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Item/1706/irish_priestly_vocations_in_worrying_decline.aspx

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MISSIONS METHODOLOGY SURVEY

In truth, the attempt at spreading the Gospel among the Irish is not a new endeavor.

However, the late seventies brought about a renewed interest in reaching the Irish for the Lord

Jesus. Since then, mission agencies and churches from the United States and the UK have

sought to build gospel-preaching churches in the Republic of Ireland.

HISTORICAL MISSIONS EFFORTS

In the past, evangelical outreach to Ireland was strictly limited to those from Northern

Ireland. This particular area in the island is not a political part of the Republic. Instead, the

northernmost six counties are a state within the United Kingdom. The majority of the

population in the north has traditionally been around 70%20 It may seem that the close

proximity would provide the Irish in the south with a greater opportunity to hear the Gospel

from their northern neighbors. Sadly, however, the animosity between these two groups make

even general socializing difficult. Though there have been many attempts at evangelization

little has come of their efforts. The groups who have been in Ireland from before the turn of

the 20th century have found a very difficult existence. These groups include Baptist, Brethren,

and other protestant churches.

For instance, the Jamestown Road Baptist Church was begun around 1895 in Dublin,

after all the years in existence; the Sunday attendance is still less than seventy-five. The

facility is a converted duplex type house. This one church is representative of a few who have

endeavored to succeed, but countless others have failed and closed their doors.21 It was not

20 The CIA Factbook. (accessed on August 6th, 2013) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html 21 One of the repeated topics from the missionaries that were interviewed was the negative effect the failed churches had left in the community.

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until Americans began to move to Ireland with the intent of establishing a Gospel mission that

things slowly began to happen. In the late seventies missionaries from England and America

began to work at seeking to establish missions. These missions would range from the Dublin

city center, to Cork and everywhere in between. The work among the Irish in those early days

was very slow and difficult.22 The situation was made even more difficult by the persecution

of the priests. It was said, “Influential Irish bishops regarded evangelicals as cultic.”23

CURRENT SITUATION

Currently, out of a population of just fewer than 5 million have less than 1% claim to

have been born again.24 While there are a number of evangelical churches throughout Ireland,

most of them have less than 20 members. When a congregation has a small membership, the

efforts and exposure to its community are limited. This is the area were most Irish churches

exist today. This status is generally called a mission. The number of evangelicals has risen

significantly over the past thirty years. These numbers have been affected by the good

economics of the nation. When the Irish economy began to grow so did immigration. People

from all over the world have found new beginnings in Ireland. Many of these people had an

evangelical past or familiarity. Of the missionaries interviewed, they all stated that over 40%

of their congregations were non-Irish. These nationalities come from nations like Cameroon,

South Africa, Nigeria, China, Taiwan, Canada, England, New Zealand, Russia, Ukraine, and

Lithuania.

22 Personal Interview with Rev. Robert Zemeski. Missionary to Ireland since 1978 23 Mary Cagney, Ireland’s Evangelical Moment in Christianity Today. (accessed on August 8th, 2013) http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/april/7.21.html 24 United States Department of State, 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom - Ireland, 26 October 2009, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4ae8613473.html [accessed 08 August 2013]

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A veteran missionary in Ireland, Rev. Travis Snode explained that he believes is one

of the main hindrances to receiving the Gospel is pride. He said, “The greatest hindrance in

my experience to the Irish receiving the gospel is pride. Their pride keeps them from listening

to the work of the Holy Spirit, from being open to getting saved, from going against the

opinions of their families and friends, and from being looking down upon by others.”25 The

Irish are a very social people. Family means a lot for most people. When an Irish person is

confronted with the Gospel, they begin to see how much they will lose if they accept Christ. A

major area of concern is fear of alienating those they love.

As there are many possible reasons for the difficulty of Irish evangelization, one must

never forget the ultimate orchestrator of this blindness is none other than Satan. The Apostle

Paul elaborated on this idea when he said, “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the

minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the

image of God, should shine unto them.”26 The sad situation is one of spiritual darkness

oppressive evil. The Irish are a blinded and bound people. Those who have worked among

them have come to see this darkness and suffer under its cruel nature.

The many pastors and elders who faithfully serve week after week without seeing

much visible fruit should be an inspiration to other ministers. Their tenacity and dedication

should also be a humble reminder that we serve no matter the outcome.

25 Personal Interview with Rev. Travis Snode. Missionary to Ireland since 2002. 26 2 Corinthians 4:4 King James Version

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PRESENT STRATEGIES

The research for this section revealed that there are many applications of church

outreach, but most have a few general similarities. Here are a few common practices of

current evangelical ministries in Ireland.

LITERATURE DISTRIBUTION

The publishing and distribution of Gospel material is one of the key endeavors for

many Irish evangelical churches.27 The type of material varies according to the location and

purpose, but normally has Gospel centered content. The main reason this is such a normal

activity is the opportunity to place printed material inside mailboxes or mail slots. While this

is illegal in the United States, one can freely place postage free material directly. The only

downfall with this method is the man-hours it takes to cover a large area. Literature is also

distributed on the busy sidewalks of a community. Because of its common nature, most

people willingly take things handed to them in shopping districts.28

SMALL INFORMAL GATHERING

One of the main differences between the Irish and American is their view of social

connection. Rev. Snode explains the issue:

“The Irish people are very social. The pubs, the emphasis on drinking tea, sports, and so much of their lives revolved around spending time with family, friends, and other people. Americans pride themselves on what they can accomplish as an individual, but the Irish are more concerned with succeeding as a group. Because of this, Americans can come off as distant, uncaring, lacking compassionate and often too busy for people.”29

27 Canavan, Snode, and Zemeski Interviews – 2013 28 Zemeski Interview, 2013 29 Snode Interview, 2013

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Rev. Zemeski explains a similar area of concern while developing his pattern.30 He

says that low-pressure exposure to Christians and their witness is best in the beginning. These

simple introductory Bible studies are held in homes of Irish Christian who invite a friend over

to be a part. From these types of contacts, a pastor can begin to build relationships that are

Gospel focused. The social need is also continued within each church surveyed. A common

thread seems to be a routine time of fellowship after a worship service which normal would

include tea and biscuits.

YOUTH OUTREACH WITH SPORT

The universal language for teens is fun sports. In order to reach a young generation,

missionaries have created activities such as soccer (football in Europe), Basketball

tournaments, and day camps with a various array of game activity. In one such instance, Rev.

Canavan hosted a group from the States who brought 40 people to facilitate a week long

basketball camp. Over 100 young Irish people attended and many made professions for

Christ. The local church gained two new families from that particular experience.31

A PROPOSED STRATEGY

There are a number of ideas how to better use the opportunities that have been given

to those who are seeking souls in Ireland. The following will be ideas will cover areas from

the local church, to the mission organizations that promote missions and give support to

missionaries, and concepts for the missionary on the ground.

30 Rev. Zemeski Interview, 2013 31 Personal Interview with Rev. Dan Canavan. Missionary to Ireland since 1999.

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FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A SENDING CHURCH

The local church is the very ground of the basis for any future missions endeavor. The

importance of this body to the missions command is universal. The Lord Jesus set the burden

for evangelizing the world on the shoulders of the local church. The Lord said “But ye shall

receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me

both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the

earth.”32 Clendinning repeated the statement made by an SBC missions committee when he

said, “The battle for missions is won or lost in the local congregation.”33 To answer the

statement he four reasons that reinforce the concept:

Missionaries themselves come from local congregations; (2) prayer support is provided by members of local congregations; (3) financial support also is given by members of local congregation; and (4) as a local church cooperates with other churches in supplying missionaries with prayer support and financial support, members come to realize they can accomplish much more together than by working alone.

The idea that the local church has such sway over the future missions effort demands a

solid education program within the church. An education system that would instruct and

promote missions and missionaries should be structured for all ages of the church. A program

that educates on a regular basis is important. Consistency and regularity should be identifying

markers of this system. In addition, a program to educate all Ages would be of necessity. Each

age group must be exposed to the missions process of the church on a regular basis. While it

is vitally important to educate adults, it is probably more important to bring children into a

32 Acts 1:8, King James Version 33 Monte Clendinning, Strategies for Missions Education in the local Church in Missiology: An Introduction to the Foundations, History and Strategies of World Missions. Editors Anderson, Justice. Terry, John Mark. and Smith, Ebbie (Nashville: Broadman, 1998) 605.

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missions mindset as early as possible. Clendinning summarized the idea: “One may enter the

process at any age, but the individual who has been exposed to effective missions-related

experiences on a regular basis from early childhood has a better opportunity to develop a

missions lifestyle as an adult.”34 The process should seek to give not simply general scriptural

commands for world missions, but also seek to expose the church to particular cultures. In

relation to the Irish, most Christian may not think of Ireland as a mission field. This could be

could possibly be said of other cultures as well. Helping Christians to learn more of the needy

peoples of the world can broaden the vision of a people and could open the door for the Holy

Spirit to lay a call upon someone’s heart for a particular field.

The church needs to embrace the responsibility of world missions as the foundation of

all potential efforts. This begins with the leadership so that a positive education plan may be

established. However, the efforts must go beyond simple education. It must enter into action

on sending through finances and sustaining through fervent prayers. A missions church does

not happen by accident. A missions church is created on purpose and continued through

persistence. Embracing and exhorting the goals of mission within the congregation fosters an

environment whereby more people can be willing to heed the call to go themselves. The

church should be the incubator for mission care and support, but most importantly, for

missionaries themselves. At the end of any missions education program should be the sending

of missionaries out from the congregation.

FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A MISSIONS ORGANIZATION

A mission agency can be one of the better tools for the Church in reaching the world.

Organizations established for the purpose of world evangelism can be places of

34 Ibid, 601.

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encouragement, training, and support for foreign missionaries. While it is true that these

agencies can be a help to the Church and the missionary they are not the replacement for the

church. Instead, “they are supportive institutions created to serve the Church in its life and

mission.”35 It would seem the mission organizations should channel their efforts toward two

groups. The first group would be the local congregations. Being a depository for information

and experience, the mission agency is clearly suited to enable churches to deploy a solid

education and support ministry within their congregations. Providing pastors and church

leaders with information and programs that can help them in their ministry of promoting the

cause of missions would be time and money well spent. The second group is missionaries

themselves. The relationship should be seen as co-laborers instead of employers. An agency

may have much authority over some missionaries, but their greatest benefit for the missionary

could be in enabling particular preparation for a specific field. Although seminary can provide

much needed training, the post-seminary specific training can make all the difference.

Because of its cooperative nature, an agency can become a major pre-field asset to a mission

family before they ever move to the field. In regards of preparation for Ireland missions, an

agency could facilitate connections with Christians in the country that could help learn more

of the entrance demands from the government, cultural issues known to exist between

Americans and the Irish, and methods of ministry that have been proven to work.36

35 Howard A. Snyder, The Church in God’s Plan in Perspectives On the World Christian Movement. Winter, Ralph. And Hawthorne, Steven C., Editors. (Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009) 156. 36 A. Scott Moreau, Gary R. Corwin, and Gary B. McGee. Introducing world missions: a biblical, historical, and practical survey. (Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, 2004) 184.

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One of the major current burdens for missionaries in Europe is financial strain.37

While this has caused much issue with missionaries who were on the field before the change

into the Euro, new missionaries would be well served to have an agency that could help them

understand the economic situation that exists in Ireland. This information needs to be

assimilated from a balanced source and disseminated in a manner that can be received by the

missionary candidate. Unlike a third-world nation, Ireland operates very much like the U.S. as

it pertains to taxes, regulations, legal requirements, and public safety. Therefore, making sure

a missionary is financially prepared to begin seems to be a very positive aspect to any mission

organization.

The continued line of communication and emotional support is another major area an

agency could provide care. As stated before, the evangelistic work in Ireland is traditionally a

slow work. Time and ministry operate on a very difference speed. Americans tend to be

success oriented. If a visual benefit is not witnessed, workers can become discouraged and

begin to reconsider a missions worth. Unfortunately, this type of strain can possibly become

overwhelming. An agency support team can intercede in the lives of missionaries in countries

like Ireland by providing regular encouragement through communication and visits. Keeping

perspective and expectation within a reasonable framework may enable a healthier mindset.

These can certainly be encouraged through continual ministry of a mission agency.

37 With each missionary interview that was conducted, a common theme was expressed. The burden of a weak American Dollar has caused much strain and stress on mission churches and missionaries families. Currently, it takes $1.33 to purchase €1.00 Prices exchanged into Dollars for example would be $6.50 for a Gal. of Milk, and Gasoline being $7.78 per Gal. http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/ (accessed August 10th, 2013) Tesco Groceries in Ireland http://www.tesco.ie (accessed August 10th, 2013)

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FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A MISSIONARY

During the interviews of the missionaries who have served in Ireland for many years, a

few things that rose to the surface as areas of solid strategy have that have developed over

time. In Ireland, a number of normal missionary practices are not valid points of time and

personnel investment. These would include medical missions, construction, orphanages,

schools, and feeding programs.38 The reasons for this are many. Universal healthcare, massive

costs for construction, extreme regulations for schools and orphanages, and social food

benefit are just a few reasons that limit such traditional areas of ministry. The work that is

seemingly open for effort is in basic mission/Bible study evangelism. Below are a few areas

that could be utilized in a successful missions ministry among the Irish. These will be listed

within the understanding that money can be a limiting factor.

SATURATION EVANGELISM

To borrow the concept from Dr. Falwell’s book “Church a’ Flame”, a missionaries

goal should be similar. Saturation by getting the message of the Gospel and the existence of a

congregation into the eyes and ears of the community by any means necessary. The use of the

Web and other mass media outlets have been used in positive ways. Rev. Snode expressed his

desire:

If money was not a problem, I would like to implement a larger media ministry. I would like to use YouTube, internet, television, radio, and the newspaper to advertise, promote the gospel, and share truth with our community. Media is a very big deal in Irish culture and community. Sharing the gospel through those means would be a great way to get the message across to them.39

38 Each missionary expressed frustration with the limited ways to be exposed to more people. At present, friendship evangelism is the main manner of progression into a gospel relationship with an Irish person. 39 Rev. Snode, Interview 2013

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The use of radio ads, along with printed material leading people to a digital presence

online is an important use of energy. This connection, especially with young people, can

ultimately lead to conversations that can open the door for an opportunity to witness.

However, the idea would be to make as much information available as possible at any time.

Unfortunately, this area can be a very expensive region of ministry, but funding placed in the

advantageous types of media will make a major difference in strong exposure.

GOSPEL MUSIC CONCERTS

The area most helpful is that of initial introduction. After an Irish person has been

initially introduced to the missionary, the most difficult hurdle is past. Using the talents of

Irish Christians of other areas, the promotion of a free Gospel concert is a wonderful tool for a

church to be exposed to a greater local crowd in a non-confrontational manner. Irish people

love music and singing. It blends well with their pub and social culture. These events have the

potential of creating connections that could possibly turn into gospel relationships.

SHORT-TERM MISSION GROUPS

While the Irish culture takes much time to develop relationships to outsiders, Short-

term mission groups can be a wonderful help of exposure for a mission. These groups can

provide encouragement to the missionary laboring in a difficult field, but they can also be

utilized to distribute countless pieces of literature into thousands of homes. Special programs

such as Vacation Bible School can be amazing ways for a mission to build its contacts for a

beginning of a children’s ministry. Short Term Mission groups could be used to help staff a

youth camp during the summer break. In essence, a crowd has the potential to draw a crowd.

Rev. Zemeski shared the blessings of having groups come for a period time to help operate

ministries. He related that their numbers increased interest by the locals.

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CONCLUSION

The scriptures demand the Gospel to be spread unto the “uttermost parts of the

world.”40 Christ gave this command to the early church and promised as they went He would

be with them.41 As the Apostle Paul continued his journeys, he utilized different manners to

reach to various people groups. While in Athens, he preached in a manner that could better be

understood by this superstitious and pagan people.42Each culture of people is unique and

receives truth according to their own experiences. So it is with the Irish. Their religious

history has created a difficult environment for them to receive what is perceived as a

Protestant idea. It therefore, takes time to work through the cultural restraints in order to bring

them into the light of the Gospel. Some peoples seemingly receive the Gospel more readily

than others do. Some areas are ablaze with fires of evangelism, while others see only small

sparks. Does this mean the work in Ireland is not worth the amount of time and energy it

demands in order to seek the lost? Should cultures like the Irish be written off because of their

inability to easily turn away from Catholicism?

In truth, God has called for each generation to hear the Gospel. He has called His

people to carry the message around the world. Within this massive task, the Lord has destined

each missionary to reveal the Light to a people that they have been called unto.43 Therefore,

the question is not whether a certain people are worthy. Instead, are we willing to spend our

lives seeing little fruit, but owning the peace that comes from obeying God’s personal

command? 40 Acts 1:8, King James Version 41 Matthew 28:20, King James Version 42 Acts 17:22, King James Version 43 Acts 16:10, King James Version

21

Appendix

This is a map from the Operation World website displaying Ireland and the British Isles. The

Island is most made up of the 26 county Republic, displayed in orange, while the 6 county

state of Northern Ireland is displayed in tan. Northern Ireland is a self-governing state with

the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

http://www.operationworld.org/irel

22

Bibliography

Anderson, Justice. Terry, John Mark. and Smith, Ebbie. Ed. Missiology: An Introduction to the Foundations, History and Strategies of World Missions. Nashville: Broadman, 1998

Chapter 37 - Monte Clendinning, Strategies for Missions Education in the local Church

Cagney, Mary. Ireland’s Evangelical Moment in Christianity Today. (accessed on August 8th, 2013) http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/april/7.21.html The Catholic World Website - http://www.catholicworldreport.com The CIA Factbook. (accessed on August 6th, 2013) https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html Coffey, Tony, Once a Catholic. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 1993. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com (accessed August 2013)

The Gallup Polling Website – www.gallup.com Hackney, Ryan and Hackney, Amy Blackwell. 101 Things You Didn’t Know About Irish History: The People, Places, Culture, and Traditions of the Emerald Isle, Avon: Adams Media. 2007. Hagerty, Neil. The Story of Ireland. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. 2012 Moreau, Scott. Corwin, Gary R. and McGee, Gary B. Introducing world missions: a biblical, historical, and practical survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004 Operation World http://www.operationworld.org/ (accessed on August 2, 2012) Pond, Enoch. “St. Patrick, and the Primitive Irish Church” Bibliotheca Sacra. 28:109 (January 1871): 21-42 Smith, George Duncan. The Teaching of the Catholic Church. New York: MacMillan, 1959 The Joshua Project Website. http://joshuaproject.net/ (accessed July 20, 2013) United States Department of State, 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom - Ireland, 26 October 2009, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4ae8613473.html [accessed 08 August 2013]

23

Winter, Ralph. And Hawthorne, Steven C., Editors. Perspectives On the World Christian Movement. Pasadena: William Carey Library, 2009.

Chapter 26 - Howard A. Snyder, The Church in God’s Plan Wolf, E.J. “Christianity and Culture.” Bibliotheca Sacra. 51:202 (April 1894): 186-205. Inteviews: Rev. Dan Canavan: Irish / American Missionary in Ireland since 1999 Rev. Bob Zemeski: American Missionary in Ireland since 1979 Rev. Travis Snode: American Missionary in Ireland since 2002

24

UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP PROJECT GRADING RUBRIC

Element Criteria

Excellent: Satisfies

criteria w/ excellent

work

Good: Satisfies criteria

Average: Satisfies

most criteria

Poor: Does not satisfy criteria

Points Earned Instructor’s Comments

Introduction

• There is a clear thesis statement. The topic is identified.

• The introduction provides a clear overview of the paper’s contents.

28–30 pts. 25–27 pts. 23–24 pts. 0–22 pts.

Structure

• There are clear transitions between paragraphs and sections.

• There is a table of contents. • Proper headings are used. • The treatment of the topic is

logically oriented.

18–20 pts. 17 pts. 15–16 pts. 0–14 pts.

Content • The major questions in the

assignment document are addressed. • The analysis is thorough.

92–100 pts. 84–91 pts. 76–83 pts. 0–75 pts.

Conclusion • The conclusion offers a good

summary of issues treated in the paper and offer practical application.

28–30 pts. 25–27 pts. 23–24 pts. 0–22 pts.

Materials/ Sources

• The bibliography contains at least 6 scholarly sources.

• Materials are properly cited and quoted.

• Quotes are relevant to the topic. • Current scholarship is used.

55–60 pts. 50–54 pts. 46–49 pts. 0–45 pts.

Style

• The paper properly uses current Turabian formatting.

• The paper has a table of contents. • Footnotes and bibliography are

properly formatted. • The paper reflects a graduate level

vocabulary. • The paper is without spelling and

grammatical errors.

55–60 pts. 50–54 pts. 46–49 pts. 0–45 pts.

Total /300