William Carey International Development Journal

I recently returned from my first visit to India seeking to learn more about indigenous church planting (CP) agencies and the changing roles of American Christian workers there. As we all know, traditional CP models prescribe that one first seek out the Man of Peace (Luke 10:6), and what I’ve discovered is, surprise: in India, the man of peace wears a skirt!

From what can be read about William Carey’s life in India, it can be easily ascertained that he significantly impacted the society there. The results of his time in India directly impacted the lives of the people with which he came into contact. This same effect can be seen in the work of documentary filmmaker Jonathan Sigworth.

William Carey, the worker with a big vision is equally known for his practical pursuits putting faith into practice as much as the proclamation of the Gospel. The Gospel for him was not only for salvation of the “soul”; and therefore gave him access into several areas of life in India.  His was a holistic purpose in every sense of the word.

Imagine a quiz master at the finals of the All Indian Universities’ competition. He asks the best-informed Indian students, “Who was William Carey?”All hands go up simultaneously. He decides to give everyone a chance to answer.A Quiz:  Who Was William Carey?

Ruth Vaz’s seminar on on integrating anthropology, theology and cross-cultural work demonstrated two key points that are discussed in more details in the recent WCIU Press publication titled:  International Development from an Integrative Perspective.

Since this August is the 250th anniversary of William Carey’s birth, the first issue of the William Carey International Development Journal will honor his life through the topics of the articles selected for publication.