Papers by Walter McConnell
Mission Round Table, 2024
Walter has directed OMF International's Mission Research Department for more than ten years. He h... more Walter has directed OMF International's Mission Research Department for more than ten years. He has previously served in Taiwan as a church planter and team leader, taught Old Testament, worship, and other subjects in a number of seminaries and Bible schools in Taiwan,
Mission Round Table, 2023
Drawing upon both biblical theology and anthropology, this article shows how difficult it is to a... more Drawing upon both biblical theology and anthropology, this article shows how difficult it is to articulate a biblical theology of race and ethnicity, particularly since these ideas that are so important in the modern world were either unknown in ancient times or understood in a completely different way. A tentative biblical theology of race and ethnicity is based upon biblical terminology for humankind as a whole and as they are used for different people in relation to one another. What it teaches is supremely important for all who are "in Christ".
Mission Round Table, 2014
Though the Bible never mentions ecology or the environmental crisis, Christians have developed a ... more Though the Bible never mentions ecology or the environmental crisis, Christians have developed a number of different understandings of a biblical approach to the issue. This paper examines the relations God built into the created order and how humans fit into his design from the original creation to the new creation.
Asia Journal of Theology, 2006
In recent years, people have expressed a new concern for the well-being of the physical world. We... more In recent years, people have expressed a new concern for the well-being of the physical world. We are constantly informed that we should do certain things in order to save the environment. A number of organizations exclusively focus on doing this, be it through saving certain animal or plant species from extinction or encouraging us to do what is necessary to prevent global warming. At times, the Christianity and the Bible have been accused of being the main cause of environmental degradation. Is this a fair assessment? This paper will consider some biblical teaching about the relationship between humankind and the rest of creation to show that the biblical view is not negative as has sometimes been proclaimed but that it has very positive things to say about the issue.
Mission Round Table, 2020
A number of recent books examine the presentation of the gospel through the lens of honor-shame. ... more A number of recent books examine the presentation of the gospel through the lens of honor-shame. This article assesses some of the arguments given in these books to see what they have to say is of valuable and what should be questioned from the perspective of anthropology, the Bible, language, and mission history.
Mission Round Table, 2019
Mission is God’s work of coming into the world to make a difference in the lives of the people he... more Mission is God’s work of coming into the world to make a difference in the lives of the people he created to have relationship with him. This paper is about God's work among the Lisu of SW China who recently celebrated more than 100 years of Christian work among them. Of particular interest is the ministry of CIM missionaries who worked among them in Yunnan Province.
Many things rob us of the joy we desire—the loss of a spouse through death, divorce, or dementia,... more Many things rob us of the joy we desire—the loss of a spouse through death, divorce, or dementia, inability to find a marriage partner or conceive a child, failure to find or keep a job, psychological or sexual abuse, physical pain, depression, etc. These things also impact our relationship with God, particularly with regard to worship. This paper examines how we can worship God in and through our suffering by exploring the biblical teaching on lament. It asserts that biblical lament provides an avenue for boldly bringing our troubles to the Lord who will hear us, intervene for us, and give us the hope that we will praise him again in this world and be freed from trouble in the next.
Mission Round Table
This paper examines the response of the China Inland Mission and its successor, the Overseas Miss... more This paper examines the response of the China Inland Mission and its successor, the Overseas Missionary Fellowship, to the pentecostal and charismatic movements beginning in the early twentieth century, particularly as it impacted membership. It considers the historical and theological backgrounds that were shared in common and traces the development of a series of statements made by leadership regarding policy and concludes by raising some issues that should be considered for the future.
This paper examines discipleship in the light of the Great Commission. By studying the final word... more This paper examines discipleship in the light of the Great Commission. By studying the final words of Jesus within the context of Matthew's Gospel we can better understand Christ’s claim, command, and words of comfort as he sends his disciples into the world to make disciples.
Though it is common to speak of a call to missions, since the Bible never speaks in such terms we... more Though it is common to speak of a call to missions, since the Bible never speaks in such terms we should not think of it in the sense of a biblical or theological category. Rather, we should think of it as either specific or general guidance by which God directs our lives.
Journal of Asian Evangelical Theology
Evangelical Review of Theology
Thesis Chapters by Walter McConnell
J. O. Fraser and Church Growth Among the Lisu of Southwest China, 1987
At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Lisu tribe of western Yunnan Province, China was m... more At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Lisu tribe of western Yunnan Province, China was made up of subsistence farmers who lived high in the mountains above the Salween River. This group had little, if any, contact with Christianity before James 0. Fraser arrived in Tengyueh, Yunnan in 1909. Fraser quickly developed a love for the Lisu and desired to reach them for Jesus. He began by praying for them and enlisting others in England and America to Join him in prayer. During his first visit to one of their villages, the family with whom he stayed tore down their idol shelf, giving evidence of their desire to become Christians. In the years that followed, many Lisu became Christian and sent out evangelists to spread the gospel to their neighbors. Today the Lisu church remains strong and continues to grow.
This masters thesis aims to identify factors used by the Holy Spirit in the growth of the Lisu church. In order to attain this goal we will examine traditional Lisu culture to see the changes effected by Christianity and the motivations Lisu had to accept the new religion. We will also examine the principles and methods adopted by the missionaries of the China Inland Mission who worked among them in order to discover how their work promoted the growth of the church.
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Papers by Walter McConnell
Thesis Chapters by Walter McConnell
This masters thesis aims to identify factors used by the Holy Spirit in the growth of the Lisu church. In order to attain this goal we will examine traditional Lisu culture to see the changes effected by Christianity and the motivations Lisu had to accept the new religion. We will also examine the principles and methods adopted by the missionaries of the China Inland Mission who worked among them in order to discover how their work promoted the growth of the church.
This masters thesis aims to identify factors used by the Holy Spirit in the growth of the Lisu church. In order to attain this goal we will examine traditional Lisu culture to see the changes effected by Christianity and the motivations Lisu had to accept the new religion. We will also examine the principles and methods adopted by the missionaries of the China Inland Mission who worked among them in order to discover how their work promoted the growth of the church.