Jonathan Enns

Why A Firm Foundation is Necessary: Missionary Bible Translator renounces Faith

// February 14th, 2010 // missions

Daniel Everett, a linguist professor, was once a missionary to Pirahã tribe of Brazil. He gives his testimony of how he and his family went to live among the people to share Christ and translate His Word. Daniel Everett recounts his experiences, feelings, hopes, and challenges with preaching Christ in the tribe. He recounts the Pirahã objections, and eventually he begins doubting his own faith. Having a Gospel of Mark audio translated into their language, he explains how they listened to it intently, but mainly because it described the beheading of John  the Baptist. He preached the Gospel, but they didnt understand why they needed it.

Daniel recounts:

“The message I had stakes my life and career on did not fit their life and culture. They did not feel lost, so they did not feel a need to be saved later.”

He goes on to explain how their rejection of the Gospel led him to reject his own faith.

“have shown me that there is dignity and deep satisfaction in facing life and death without the comfort of heaven or the feer of hell, and in sailing toward the great abyss with a smile”

Watch/listen to this video of his testimony:

Tribal Missionary Deconverted by Tribe

Why or how does this happen?

Daniel’s foundational problem lies in the fact that he preached a Gospel that neither he, nor the Pirahã truly understood. The problem is that he had a Gospel with no foundation. This problem is seen in missions globally. Take for example, Africa. Christianity is the predominate religion across most of the southern half of the continent. Very widespread. However, though it be thousands of miles wide, it may only be a couple inches deep in most areas. Why is this? Because we messed up. Well meaning missionaries came in to animistic cultures and preached Christ crucified, died, and risen, believe and have eternal life. Great! But that is not the beginning of the story! That is the culmination of a story! What happened? Culture groups either accepted Christ as one of their Gods, accepted Christ as a good luck charm, or rejected Him because they did not truly understand Who He was, Why He came, and why they needed Him. They didnt get the big picture, they were missing the beginning of the story. The FOUNDATION for the Gospel.

What is the solution?

In order to to have a proper understanding of scripture, one must start in the beginning. Laying a foundation of Who the Creator God is. What is his character? What is sin? How did it get here? Why does it need to be paid for? Why does God love us? How can one man’s death take away another man’s sin? Why would a loving God kill his own son? In order to have a proper understanding of the Gospel, we must understand God’s purpose for Creation, His plan of reconciling the world back to himself after the Fall of Man, how man has tried and failed (The Law), how he desperately lost and in need of grace, and how a loving God accomplished that plan through Christ fulfilling it.

What is the result?

Grounded mature believers who understand who God is, and their desperate need for Grace. Hope-filled believers who no longer live in fear of the spirits or death, but find fulfillment and peace in Christ. A mature church.

New Tribes Mission is committed to laying a solid biblical foundation in the unreached people groups of the world. When NTM enters a people group, they desire to not simply dump the New Testament Gospel on them, but to train and disciple people in the solid foundations of the Bible, beginning in Genesis, and culminating in the Gospels. They desire not to plant a denomination, but to see indigenous believers gather together and form their own local church, have their own local leadership, and eventually send out their own local missionaries.

Watch this testimony of Wayumi, who now has a True understanding of the Gospel

Visit www.ntm.org for more information on their philosophy of missions and commitment to laying firm foundations.