Annotated Bibliography of Sources Relating to Secrecy/"Security" in Missions Including: Tentmaking, Suffering, Martyrdom, Persecution, Missionary Integrity

This bibliography was, at least for my purposes, rather comprehensive as of 2001. I have not updated it much since then, nor do I intend to in the future. There are many broken links below as websites frequently change and move material. I'll leave the broken links as they are since they may at least provide a helpful clue to someone who is searching for these resources.

Zach's Essential Reading List on Security in Missions:
The Book of Acts in the Bible.
"A Theology of Martyrdom", by Josef Tson, article available free from the Romanian Missionary Society.
Let The Nations Be Glad!, Chapter 3: The Supremacy of God in Missions through Suffering, by John Piper.
The Last of The Giants, Epilogue: "Risky Safety", by George Otis Jr.
"Open Ministry Approach" by TEL-China.
"A Critique of `Security'" by Zach Harris.
"Addendum: Our Need Runs Deep" by Zach Harris.

EMQ=Evangelical Missions Quarterly (www.wheaton.edu/bgc/EMIS/emqpg.htm)
IB=International Bulletin (www.omsc.org)
IJFM=International Journal of Frontier Missions (915-775-8588; IJFM, 7665 Wenda Way, El Paso, Texas, 79915)
MF=Mission Frontiers (www.missionfrontiers.com)
RMS=Romanian Missionary Society (www.rmsonline.org)

NRT=Non-relevant theme. These are sources whose main theme does not fit under the topics of this bibliography. They are usually included because they contain a quote that is relevant.

Accad, Fouad Elias. Building Bridges, Navpress, 1997.
Quote: "The irony in all this is that following Christ should not - and need not - bring on persecution and blame from other Muslims." (pg 8)
Note: NRT. This book is dedicated to encouraging Christians to make use of helpful passages in the Quran in witness to Muslims. In the above quote, he goes on to talk about Muslim background "followers of Christ" not considering themselves "Christians", but rather true Muslims.

Accad, Lucien. "Stay or leave?" EMQ, January 1992, v28, n1, pg 54.
Notes: What should we do during war - the author concludes we should stay. The author remained in Lebanon during war.

AD2000 and Beyond. "Security: Field Visit Guidelines", posted January 29, 1999.
Notes: Common security precautions.

Allen, Roland. Missionary Methods, 6th edition.
Quote: "It is of the utmost importance that the external manifestation of our purpose should correspond with the inward intention and rightly express it."(pg 54)
Note: NRT. Allen, at the time, was referring to the idea of a mission station. If our intention is to proclaim the gospel, then we should look like we are proclaiming the gospel, not just building buildings. Although he belonged to another age, Allen's comment can be applied to the modern concept of tentmaking as well. Note that this is a step beyond Tebbe, Roemelle, and Morris' concept of "integrity". They would say that it is enough for the external manifestation to be a valid endeavor of work. I however, would concur with Allen that if our inward intention is gospel proclamation, then mission stations and "tentmaking" platforms do not rightly express it.

Anonymous. "Tentmaking: the road to people's hearts". EMQ, January 1992, v28, n1, pg 26.
Quote: "no one ever asked me that 'tough question about my identity and integrity', as James Tebbe describes it." (pg 27)

Arab World Ministries Web Page, http://www.gospelcom.net/awm/new/career/career.htm as of June 5, 2001.
Quote: "Since Muslims are forbidden by law to convert to Christianity, churches must be established with sensitivity and discernment. Believers are brought together and integrated into house churches where they meet in secret to worship and fellowship together."

Armstrong, John H. "Faithful Witness: The Relationship of Persecution to Our Faith, Part One". Viewpoint, January-February 2000, v4, n1.
Quotes: "As a historian I would suggest, quite simply, that the entire history of the Christian church is an account of how God brings power and blessing to His people by leading them into and through suffering." (pg 12)
"The apostles counseled the early church saying, `It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22)'. The contrast between this type of encouragement and that expected in our day is nothing short of startling." (pg 13)
Note: This article and the sequel primarily look at the prospect of persecution coming to America.

Armstrong, John H. "Faithful Witness: The Relationship of Persecution to Our Faith, Part Two". Viewpoint, March-April 2000, v4, n2.

Billheimer, Paul E. "Don't Waste Your Sorrows", 1977.
Quote: "Because tribulation is necessary for the decentralization of self and the development of deep dimensions of agape love, this love can be developed only in the school of suffering. It grows and develops only by exercise and testing. This may explain the relationship between sainthood and suffering by showing there is no sainthood without suffering. It may also show why the greatest saints are often the greatest sufferers. It is an attempt to answer the age-old question: 'Why do the righteous suffer?'"
Notes: I haven't read this book.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship, edition ?.
Quote: "`I shall have no right', Bonhoeffer wrote to [Reinhold] Niebuhr before leaving America, `to participate in the reconstuction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trial of this time with my people."(pg 13, in the Memoir by G. Leibholz)
"`Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth'... When reproached, they hold their peace; when treated with violence they endure it patiently; when men drive them from their presence, they yield their ground. They will not go to law to defend their rights, or make a scene when they suffer injustice, nor do they insist on their legal rights. They are determined to leave their rights to God alone - non cupidi vindictae, as the ancient Chruch paraphrased it. Their right is in the will of their lord - that and no more. They show by every word and gesture that they do not belong to this earth."(pg 99)
...And too many more great quotes than I can mention. Just read the book.

Borthwick, Paul. "Losing our heavenly vision". World Christian, December 1999, v12, n4, pg 38.
Notes: Tells about how someone suggested they title the theme of their missions conference "Come and Die for Jesus".

Bradshaw, Bruce. "Integrity and respect are keys to Muslims Witness". EMQ, October 1988, v24, n4, pg 358.
Notes: Author claims that Muslims need to see our Christianity in such forms as public fasting, prayer, worship, giving to the poor, hospitality, and honoring Abraham. I wonder how the author reconciles his view with Matthew 6. While he does have some good points, I find this a quite curious definition of "integrity".

Brother Andrew. God's Smuggler.
Quote: "Persecution is an enemy the Church has met and mastered many times. Indifference could prove to be a far more dangerous foe."(pg 206)
Notes: Andrew's stories are a powerful testimony to the sovereignty of God. God calls us to obey, and He provides the means. Andrew's life is a powerful case against the "strategic/effectiveness" arguement for security and against those who say, "It can't be done." Unfortunately, regarding persecution Andrew does not seem to realize that God has appointed suffering and martyrdom to accomplish His purposes. Thus Andrew seems to approve of the underground church model as a good way to avoid persecution.

Brother Andrew. Building in a Broken World.
Quote: "If I run for my life, then the devil would catch up with me. I can only have God's full protection if I stay in the center of his will. And after all, it would be a terrible example to those who risk their lives by staying and working in these `closed' countries if I ran for safety."(pg 63-64)
"My definition of courage, by the way, is not the absence of fear, but the pressing on in spite of it."(pg 62)

Brother Andrew. The Ethics of Smuggling, 1974.
Quotes: "You see, I don't believe that our Lord is willing for his Word and witness to be kept out of any country by guarded boundaries or government decrees. That would be contrary to both the spirit and the letter of his commission to us to make disciples of all nations. In fact, doesn't make better sense to concentrate efforts on those very spots that are most resistant to the gospel, most dominated by the devil's power?"
"This world is enemy-occupied territory, filled with souls to whom Christ holds the rightful claim. Under his explicit command, we go in by every possible means - partial truth, concealment of truth, interpretation, change and opposition, or any other form of strategy that will help us to get in there with the gospel." [Italics in original]
Note: Despite the above quote, in other sections Andrew clarifies that he does not accept lying as one possible strategy. According to his writings, it seems that his definition of lying would be to tell an untruth that cannot in any way be interpreted by the speaker as a truth.

Brother Andrew. The Calling.
Quote: "The door may seem closed, but it's only closed the way a supermarket door is closed. It stays shut when you remain at a distance, but as you deliberately move toward it, a magic eye above it sees you coming, and the door opens. God is waiting for us to walk forward in obedience so he can open the door for us to serve him."(pg 26-27)
"Much of our work in Open Doors is still underground. But we always have the goal of breaking open the field so we can proclaim. In any closed country or setting, we want to change the circumstances so that everyone can openly proclaim the lordship of Jesus.
To put it another way, freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, and we should press every government in the world to allow its citizens to exercise that right."(pg 212)
Note: I have incredible respect for Brother Andrew. The one point where I strongly disagree with his conclusions is in the last quote above. Yes, open proclamation is the goal. However, I see no reason that we should wait until freedom of religion is officially recognized by the local government. Jesus and the apostles publicly proclaimed the gospel in spite of the authorities commands to the contrary. Certainly, public proclamation without government approval will likely result in suffering, but this is exactly what Jesus and the early church experienced and it is exactly what He taught us to expect.
Quote: [Pastor Haik Hovsepian said,] "`Andrew, when they kill me, it will be for speaking, not for being silent.' When, not if."(pg 222)

Caleb Project Advonet Article. "Security: Letters to Friends in Muslim Areas", Spring, 1996, Vol 1, No 3, and "Security Concepts for Ministry in the 10/40 Window", Winter, 1996, Vol 1, No 2. Contact Caleb Project of Littleton, CO, to request articles.
Notes: Advice on common security practices.

Carnes, Tony. "Working with the Communists". Christianity Today, October 7, 2002. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/011/4.56.html
Note: Article about two men who minister openly with the Three-Self church in China.

Cortes, Jonathan. "Critical Considerations of Deployment" In Working Your Way to the Nations, Jonathan Lewis editor, IVP, 1996.
Note: Addresses internal (conscience) and external (questions) pressure on undercover tentmakers. His general advice: form convictions before you go.

Corwin, Gary. "Wanted: Venture Stewards". EMQ, July 2000, v36, n3, pg 286.
Quote: "We usually limit tentmaking to getting theologically trained individuals into restricted-access countries."

Covell, Ralph. "Hedging our bets". EMQ, April 1994, v 30, n 2, pg 136.
Notes: Looks at the question, "What are the consequences of asking governments to save us when we face trouble and persecution?"

Curry, Dayna. Speech at Horizons International. June 7, 2002.
Notes: Ms. Curry was taken hostage by the Taliban just before September 11th, along with Heather Mercer (see "Dateline", below) for distributing Christian literature and showing the Jesus film in Afghanistan. When asked whether she would have acted differently now, knowing that distributing this literature put her in prison. She responded that she believes we need wisdom and need to be careful to some degree, but in the final analysis, she said, "I would err on the side of going for it."

Dateline, NBC. June 11, 2002. Segment about Heather Mercer and her mother.
Notes: See also "Dayna Curry" above. The story centers around Heather's mother's opposition to Heather's desire to return to Afghanistan. The topic of security is explicity addressed, as well as suffering for the gospel.

Elliot, Elisabeth. Through Gates of Splendor, 1957.
Notes: The story of the lives, ministry, and martyrdom of five American missionaries in Ecuador. This is possibly the most famous American martyrdom story of the century. If you are familiar with this story, be sure not to miss the 1996 follow-up article by Steve Saint.
Quote: Referring to the families of the martyred men in the days following their deaths: "The quiet trust of the mothers helped the children to know that this was not a tragedy. This was what God had planned." (pg 252)

English, Dave. "Missions for a New Millennium: Catching up with Paul", 1999, Global Opportunities Website - http://www.globalopps.org, Cited 13 Sep 2001.
Quote: "Missions is currently backing into tentmaking primarily to gain access to closed countries. Missionaries are using secular roles to obtain visas. The result is hybrid missionary-tentmakers with attendant ethical tensions. In many cases we could accurately describe this as "stealth missions" and missionaries' secular roles as "covers." Thankfully, the concept of "platform" is replacing "cover," though this still implies that the job is primarily a means to accomplish something else. This tension is easily resolved by genuinely going as a lay person."

Estabrooks, Paul. Secrets of Spiritual Success, 1996. Available from Open Doors.
Notes: I have not read this book, but I have heard several good quotes about persecution from it. Also from Open Doors: Their Blood Cries Out by Paul Marshall, Embrace the Cross, and Prison Power.

Evangelical Review of Theology. Persecution and Religious freedom. January 2000, v24, n1.
Notes: I have not read this issue.

Ferguson, Everett, editor. Recent Studies in Early Christianity. Garland Publishing Inc., 1999.
Note: I have not read this issue. It appears to contain several articles of interest.
Everett Ferguson, "Early Christian Martyrdom and Civil Disobedience."
Dennis Farkasfalvy, "Christological Content and Its Biblical Basis in the Letter of the Martyrs of Gaul."
Stuart G. Hall, "Women among the Early Martyrs."

1599 Geneva Bible.
Margin annotations on John 12:24: "The death of Christ is as it were a sowing, which seemed to be a dying to the corne [kernel], but indeed is the cause of a far greater harvest: and such as is the condition of the head, so shall it be of the members."
"A wheat corne [kernel] dieth when it is changed by vertue of the ground, and becommeth a roote of a fruitful blade."

Forney, Matthew. "Positioning Missionaries" in Time Asia, Saturday June 16, 2001.
Notes: Addresses secretive missionaries in China.

Foxe, John. The New Foxe's Book of Martyrs, rewritten and updated by Harold J. Chadwick, 1997 (original by John Foxe in 1563).
Quote: "Even with all the continual persecutions and violent deaths, the Lord added to the Church daily those who would be saved. The Church was now deeply rooted in the doctrine of the apostles and watered abundantly with the blood of saints. She was prepared for the cruel persecutions that were to come." (pg 10)

Geisler, Dave. ""Prayer is the key to OMF/REAP Adopt-A-People strategy success." Mission Frontiers, May-June 1998.
Quote: "[Dave] Dougherty points our that 80 percent of unreached people groups are in what is known as `creative access countries,' where mission work has to be done almost in secret because security concerns are very significant."
Note: NRT.

Hannah, John [Editor]. Keys To The Nations, 2001. Contact Caleb Project of Littleton, CO, to request book.
Notes: This is a collection of "Articles to Inform, Guide, and Equip Advocates for the Unreached." It contains one chapter entitled "Security" which gives advice on maintaining security, especially in correspondence. The chapter on "E-Mail" address security as well. This is the best reference I have seen to get a feel for the security atmosphere in missions as it currently stands.

Hawthorne, Steven. "Acts of Obedience." Perspectives on The World Christian Movement (1999 edition):114-116. Ralph Winter and Steven Hawthorne, eds. William Carey Library, 1999.
Quote: "Reading Luke's use of the term `witness' reveals that almost every time someone acted as a witness, they did so in a public setting. Why was a public declaration in courts or in the streets so important? God wanted something more significant than a widespread awareness of Christ's resurrection. God was establishing an unshakable church" (pg 115).
Notes: Very good article. Very Biblical and very bold. In practice, however, Hawthorne is fully in favor of secrecy. I'm not sure the reason for the discrepancy.

Hefley, James and Marti. By their blood, 1979.
Notes: Stories of Christian martyrs in the 20th century from all over the world.

Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, printed 1997.
Quote: "And if we suffer reproach and loss for Christ, we are to reckon them a gift, and prize them accordingly." (Commenting on Phil 1:27-30)

Hill, Bradley N. "Toward a theology of evacuation". EMQ, July 2000, v 36, n 3, pg 334.
Notes: Author says that Paul fled Thessalonica for three reasons: 1) A viable church had been established, 2) The presence of Paul, Silas, and Timothy put the church in danger, 3) The believers asked the missionaries to leave.

Houssney, Georges. Roadblocks and Bridges. Reach Out 8 (No. 2 & 3, 1996):3-25. Available from Horizons International, PO Box 18478, Boulder, CO, 80308-1478, (303)-442-3333.
Quote: "Are we really making a difference for Christ? Some nationals in Muslim countries have told me, `We do not think so and so is a Christian because if he were a true believer he would tell us what you have told us'" (pg 14)
Notes: Georges Houssney, Josef Tson, and Tom Frakes are the only missions leaders who I have found who speak out in favor of boldness and against secrecy/underground and have experience to back them up. George Otis Jr. also writes very boldly against underground, but I am not sure about his experience. John Piper writes about the need for open, bold proclamation, but he believes that the underground model is also valid. All of the other missions leaders and authors I have found seem to take the current security paradigm for granted as necessary.

Humble, Kevin. "Persecution: Prelude to revival?" EMQ, April 2000, v36, n2, pg 206.

International Journal of Frontier Missions. Two editions dedicated to tentmaking. v14, n3, July-September 1997 and v15, n1, January-March 1998.

International Mission Board. "7 New Structures".
Quote: "Generally, as long as it does not become a public issue, the realm of religious conviction is regarded as private, and even aggressively anti-Christian governments tolerate it. Good, secure communications and platforms keep these decisions out of the public arena."

Klamser, Robert. "Missionary hostage! What will your agency do?" EMQ, January 1988, v24, n1, pg 30.
Notes: The author is cofounder of Contingency Preparation Consultants, now Crisis Consulting International. Several articles by the CPC team regarding preparation for crisis (taken hostage, terrorism, war) can be found in the missions literature (e.g. see Chester Quarles as well). The most beneficial point they have to offer, in my opinion, is that individuals and agencies should know in advance how they should deal with such situations. The overall tone of these articles is avoidance of suffering. It is my opinion that the authors from CPC have a philosophy of suffering more in line with American thinking than Biblical thinking. The fact that Jesus promised us suffering and martyrdom is not a concept I have seen in their papers.

Klamser, Robert. "When and how should we evacuate our people?" EMQ, January 1992, v28, n1, pg 48.

Learner, David L. "What color is Jesus? - or - How can we present Jesus to a New culture without bringing our own?" Mission Frontiers, July-October 1997.
Quote: "I have had to work in secret, and I have had to keep my identity well hidden. Anything less could have resulted in the loss of access to the people to whom God has sent me, and/or the death of those who accepted Christ as a result of my witness."
Note: In the above quote Learner expresses the two major justifications for security: to avoid missionary expulsion and to avoid persecution of the locals.

Livingstone, Greg. Planting Churches in Muslim Cities. Baker Books, 1993.
Quote: "There is no biblical justification for a covert operation, and it is possibly the greatest hindrance to progress in church planting among Muslims"(pg 34)
Notes: Livingstone, former international director of Frontiers, is not totally against covert operations, he just thinks that secrecy can be taken too far. He believes that a certain degree of secrecy in restricted countries is necessary.

Long, Justin D. "The Future of Martyrdom." 1996. Contact Caleb Project of Littleton, CO, to request article.
Notes: Looks at possible future scenarios for martyrdom to increase as missionary efforts increase.

Love, Rick. Muslims, Magic, and the Kingdom of God. William Carey Library, 2000.
Quote: Secure e-mail, pseudonyms, and code terms are three of the most practical tactics most teams employ."(pg 208)
Note: NRT. This is an excellent book, which I highly recommend, although most of it does not deal with the topics of this bibliography. The relevance of it here is because pg 207-208 discuss security. As international director of Frontiers, Rick Love's statements on security are reflective of contact with a large number of missionaries to Muslims. Incidentally, he is also just an incredibly nice guy.

Martin, Milton. "Persecution Outlines." In The Triumphant Church, compilation by The Voice of the Martyrs, 1999.

Massey, Joshua. "Planting the Church Underground in Muslim Contexts." IJFM, v13:3, July-September 1996.

McCarthy, Teri. "A call to arms: 'Forming a Christian worldview of teaching English as a second language". EMQ, July 2000, v 36, n 3, pg 310.
Quote: "teaching English overseas must not be a mere excuse to live in a foreign country so that we can do the real work of evangelism." (pg 311) "We must ask ourselves if that is moral. Is that the Christlike way to live and teach in a foreign land?" (pg 312)

Mini-consultation on Tentmaking in North Africa and the Middle East, 1998. Contact Angela Pursey, PO Box 7177, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Notes: I have not read these proceedings.

Moody, May/June 2000. Cover title: "Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake."

Morris, Robert D. "Shrewd Yet Innocent: Thoughts on Tentmaker Integrity." IJFM, v15:1, January-March 1998.

Moshay, G.J.O. Who is this Allah?, Fireliners International, Ibadan, Nigeria, 1990.
Notes: NRT. Examines the character and identity of the Allah of Islam.
Quote: "We are not afraid. We win by losing; we conquer by dying. Augustine, describing the experience of the early Christians, said: "The martyrs were bound, jailed, scourged, racked, burned, rent, butchered... and they multiplied." Hallelu Yah! This writer has worked in Nigeria and he can say that this, exactly, is what is happening in that land. More Muslims have been converted to Christianity in ten years of serious persecution than in all the past decades of dialogue put together. This is marvelous in our eyes." (pg 46)

Name Withheld. "Letter to the Editor: Tentmakers Pitfalls". EMQ, July 1993, v29, n3, pg 230.
Notes: Gives "saving face" as a motivation for being a [secretive] tentmaker.

Niles, Nathan [Pseudonym]. "Professional tentmakers open doors for ministry". EMQ, July 2000, v 36, n3, pg 302.
Notes: Says that a secular job should be an opportunity for ministry. Promotes career excellence. Author has been a tentmaker in North Africa over 25 years; teaches English with Arab World Ministries.

Otis Jr., George. The Last of the Giants. Chosen Books, 1991.
Quote: "Can the Muslim community take seriously the claims of a church in hiding?" (pg 261)
Notes: The introduction and epilogue of this book are of greatest relevance to the theory of security. In particular the epilogue-"Risky Safety" is the only reference I have found that gives a full blown challenge against the idea of underground church and secrecy in missions.

Parshall, Phil. "Missionaries: safe or expendable?" EMQ, April 1994, v 30, n 2, pg 162.
Notes: Questions whether missionaries should flee a country when persecution or war breaks out. Author thinks fleeing can often be very harmful.

Piper, John. Let the Nations Be Glad! Baker Books, 1993.
Notes: Chapter 3, "The Supremacy of God in Missions Through Suffering" is particularly relevant to this bibliography, although the entire book is excellent.
Quote: "You cannot show the preciousness of a person by being happy with his gifts. Ingratitude will certainly prove that the giver is not loved. But gratitude for gifts does not prove that the giver is precious. What proves that the giver is precious is the glad-hearted readiness to leave all his gifts to be with him. This is why suffering is so central in the mission of the church. The goal of our mission is that people from all the nations worship the true God. But worship means cherishing the preciousness of God above all else, including life itself."(pg 105)
"From the youngest to the oldest, Christ is calling his church to a radical, wartime engagement in world missions. He is making it plain that it will not happen without pain. But let there be no Christian self-pity, no talk of ultimate self-denial. It is simply amazing how consistent are the testimonies of missionaries who have suffered for the gospel. Virtually all of them bear witness of the abundant joy and overriding compensations. Those who have suffered most speak in the most lavish terms of the supreme blessing and joy of giving their lives away for others.... And both Hudson Taylor and David Livingston, after loves of extraordinary hardship and loss said, `I never made a sacrifice.'"(pg 111-112)

Piper, John. Desiring God. Multnomah books, 1996 [10th Aniversary Expanded Edition].
Notes: Chapter 10, "Suffering", presents the Biblical command to rejoice in suffering better than any other reference I have found.

Piper, John. "The Inner Essence of Worship". Sermon given at Bethlehem Baptist Church, November 16, 1997.
Notes: Every sermon I have heard by John Piper is excellent, but this is my favorite. This is the best treatment of Paul's statment - "To live is Christ, to die is gain" - that I have heard. Some excellent tape series by Piper relevant to this bibliography include: The Righteous are as Bold as a Lion, Called to Suffer & Rejoice, Doing Missions When Dying Is Gain (given at Wheaton College), and A Plea for God-Centeredness in the Church. The tapes of all these sermons are available from Desiring God Ministries.

Piper, John. "Nothing to lose" in World Magazine. July 7/13, 2002, v17, n26. Available on the Web if you do the free registration at http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/07-07-02/closing_1.asp
Quotes: "By removing eternal risk, Christ calls his people to continual temporal risk. For the followers of Jesus the final risk is gone...
When the threat of death becomes a door to paradise, the final barrier to temporal risk is broken. When a Christian says from the heart, "To live is Christ and to die is gain," he is free to love no matter what. Some forms of radical Islam may entice martyr-murderers with similar dreams, but Christian hope is the power to love, not kill. Christian hope produces life-givers, not life-takers."

Piper, John. Called to Rejoice in Suffering, Sermon given at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, August 16, 1992.
Quote: "We talk so much about closed countries today that we have almost totally lost God's perspective on missions- as though he ever meant it to be easy and safe. There are no closed countries to those who assume that persecution, imprisonment and death are the likely results of spreading the gospel. And Jesus said plainly that they are likely results. "They will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death; and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake" (Matthew 24:9). "If they persecuted me they will persecute you" (John 15:20)."

Pobee, John S. "Persecution and Martyrdom in the Theology of Paul" Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1985.
Notes: I have not read this.

Popp, Rusty. "Missionary Safety--An Occasional Oxymoron?", Knowledge Base, December 18, 2000.
Quote: "I hear it preached in one church after another that we are to turn our lives over to Christ. Then, at the first hint that He might lead us into danger, we run the other way. In such cases, have we really given up control to God? The first defense of this response is always �God gave us brains, we ought to use them.� This is a fair and right defense. Running towards danger without reason is not sacrificial, it�s stupid. However, what if God leads us towards danger? Is that possible? I believe so. The Bible is full of people who were led by God into situations that put their personal safety in great jeopardy. Jonah, Daniel, David, Paul, and Jesus to name only a few. Some God protected, others He did not. Except for Jesus, they did not know in advance whether or not their lives would be spared, but they decided to trust God either way."

Price, David J. "The Tentmaker's Mandate." IJFM, v14:3, July-September 1997.

Quarles, Chester L. "On your guard - meeting the threat of terrorism". EMQ, July 1987, v23, n3.
Quote: "Although terrorism is a factor in society today, missionaries can take precautions to keep from being victimized."

Quarles, Chester. "Kidnapped! A `successful hostage' will emerge alive". EMQ, October 1987, v23, n4.

Ramstad, Mans [Pseudonym]; interview with EMQ. "Making tents or building churches?" EMQ, October 1996, v 32, n 4, pg 416.
Notes: He encourages tentmakers not to lose sight of evangelism and church planting.

Ramstad, Mans. "Evangelism from the book of Acts". EMQ, April 2000, v 36, n 2, pg 200.
Notes: NRT. This article is mostly dedicated to listing six different techniques of evangelism: 1) Persuade them to be saved, 2) Merely explain how to be saved, 3) Explain Christian faith, 4) Speak to their specific needs, 5) Correct misunderstandings, 6) Explain Christianity to defend one's behavior and prepare for future plans.
Quote: "There seems to be no precedent in Acts for being a clandestine Christian, and nothing in the current climate in China calls for it, either. By being clear and bold, we defend our behavior, help local officials better understand the truth about the Christian church, and perhaps win an audience for the gospel." (pg 204)

Randle, Stephen L. "Ministry, profits, and the schizophrenic tentmaker". EMQ, July 2000, v 36, n 3, pg 292.
Notes: Examines the ethics of profitmaking, in particular as a tentmaking missionary.

Reapsome, Jim. "What's holding up world evangelization?" EMQ, January 1989, v25, n1, pg 18.
Quote: "We have no illusions that the world's hostility to Christ, the gospel, the church, and world evangelization will ever change." (pg 24)

Reapsome, Jim. "From the catbird's seat: Partnering in suffering". EMQ, January 1997, v33, n1, pg 6.
Notes: This is a reminder that, Biblically, suffering is to be expected, and suffering is a privilege.

Richard, H. L. "Is extraction evangelism still the way to go?" EMQ, April 1994, v 30, n 2, pg 170.
Quote: "Certainly there will be opposition, and occasionally ther may even be expulsion, but everything possible must be done to minimize and eliminate these things." (pg 171)
Notes: Contrast the above quote from the author with Matthew 10:17-39.

Roemmele, Michael. "Cloak-and-dagger tentmakers need not apply". EMQ, April 1993, v 29, n 2, pg 164.
Notes: The author's main point seems to be the because of the "Protestant work ethic" we can genuinely identify ourselves with our tentmaking work and not see it as a "cover". He states that a tentmaker "also needs to know how to describe himself openly as a Christian (perhaps as a "follower of God") without feeling awkward about being one in his present position." In my opinion, the author is still advocating secrecy, and a secular work pretense that does not genuinely express our primary motivation is being in the country. Despite the article's title, I still consider his stance "cloak-and-dagger", but with a justification for it to appease guilty feelings of lack of integrity.

Saint, Steve. "Did They Have to Die?" Christianity Today, September 16, 1996, available on the World Wide Web at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/6ta/6ta020.html
Notes: Steve Saint is the son of Nate Saint, one of the American missionaries martyred in Ecuador as told in Through Gates of Splendor. After these deaths, many in the tribe became Christians, including the killers. Only decades later did they tell Mr. Saint the story of what happened on that day from their perspective.
Quote: "As they described their recollections, it occurred to me how incredibly unlikely it was that the Palm Beach killing took place at all; it is an anomaly that I cannot explain outside of divine intervention."

Siemens, Ruth E. "Why Did Paul Make Tents?", 1996, Global Opportunities Website - http://www.globalopps.org, Cited 13 Sep 2001. Also on the GO website "Must Christians always tell the truth?", no author given.
Notes: Gives three motivations for Paul's work in the "secular" realm: credibility, identification, modeling. This author does not like the use of tentmaking work as a false "cover" for the "real work" of ministry, but thinks that work and ministry should be integrated. She teaches a low-key evangelistic approach and affirms secret churches.

Smith, Jay. "Courage in our convictions". EMQ, January 1998, v34, n1, pg 28.
Notes: Encourages open debate with Muslims in the West. The author has experience with this in the UK. The article is followed by two rebuttals, one by Phil Parshall and one by Anonymous.

Tebbe, James A. "For tentmakers: a matter of integrity" EMQ, January 1989, v25, n1, pg 48.
Quote: "Wise answers help us to avoid compromising our mission and to maintain our integrity. Therefore, it's imperative to think ahead about what you will say. For example, I asked a colleague how he would answer the question about belonging to an organization. He responded: 'I would say Yes and begin to list all the organizations I belong to: Rotary Club, Lions Club, educational or medical associations, churches, and so on." (pg 50)
Notes: The type of "integrity" promoted by Tebbe and others, like Roemmele, and Morris, is in my opinion not true integrity at all, but merely a justified form of deception. Their form of integrity does not get to the heart of honesty, but rather presents a technical truth that is "safe" for the speaker. If they believe this type of deception is Biblically justified, and they desire to teach it, I ask only that they would not call it integrity.

Training Evangelistic Leadership (TEL) China. "Open Ministry Approach", Winter 2000. Available on WWW [cited July 22, 2006] at http://tel-china.org/about/open.php.
Notes: This article is also in Chinese, http://tel-china.org/about/open.php?zh. No author stated in the article, but I believe it was written by Tom Frakes. (See the article by Tony Carnes in Christianity Today about Tom Frakes.)
Quote: "We also need to be careful we don't rationalize and come to the conclusion that being wise means being safe. The Israelites did that and as a result they did not enter the Promise Land due to fear. Their lesson teaches us that the safest place to be is in the center of His will no matter what the circumstances look like. I also believe a fruitful ministry cannot be secretive, it is like a `City on a Hill' which cannot be hidden (Mat 5:14)."

Tson, Josef. "A Theology of Martyrdom." RMS, undated.
Note: This short article is a summary of Tson's conclusion to his book. For those without the time to read the book, this is an excellent alternative. Also from the Romanian Missionary Society the free article "Thank You for the Beating" and several audio tapes by Tson of relevance to this bibliography including: Jesus' Cross and our Crosses, Persecution and Christlikeness, and The Gospel's Advance through Costly Witness.

Ton [Tson], Josef. Suffering, Martyrdom, and Rewards in Heaven.
Notes: This is the essential reading on martyrdom. Tson covers the topic in: the Old Testament, the Intertestamental Literature, The New Testament,and Church History in the first few centuries.

Unknown Author. "Strength in the Face of Adversity: An Interview with Elizabeth Elliot." Mission Frontiers, August 1999.
Quote: "While hesitant to generalize too broadly, Elliot sees in the younger generation an aversion not so much to the grand cause of martyrdom but to the mundane discipline of yielding to Christ's lordship in the small things."

Unknown Author. "What is True Spirituality?" Mission Frontiers, March-April 1999.
Notes: About the death of Graham Staines in India.
Quote: "His associate, recently returned from a trip to northern India, recognized that `people were more open than I've seen in the last 35 years. So the Graham Staines issue has actually opened the hearts and minds of people more than any other single thing I've known. So it's not the time to crawl into our caves, it's time to get out onto the mountain top with diplomacy and cultural sensitivity but to keep on proclaiming the Gospel. This is the best time ever.'"

Walker, Ken. "China's Leaders Critical of 'Clandestine' Missions", in Christianity Today, January 12, 1998. Available on WWW [cited June 15, 2001] at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/8t1/8t1064.html.

Winter, Ralph. "Four Men, Three Eras, Two Transitions" Perspectives On The World Christian Movement.
Quote: "The gruesome statistics of almost inevitable sickness and death that haunted, yet did not daunt, the decades of truly valiant missionaries who went out after 1790 in virtually a suicidal stream cannot be matched by any other era or by any other cause. Very few missionaries to Africa in the first 60 years of the First Era survived more than two years. As I have reflected on this measure of devotion I have been humbled to tears, for I wonder - if I or my people today could or would match that record. Can you imagine our Urbana students today going out into missionary work if they knew that for decade after decade 19 out of 20 of those before them had died almost on arrival on the field?"

Wood, Rick. "A Pastor with a Passion for the Worship of God by all Peoples." (Interview with John Piper) Mission Frontiers, January-February 1998.
Quote: "I am mobilizing martyrs these days".

Wurmbrand, Richard. "Prepare for the Underground Church - Now." In The Triumphant Church, compilation by The Voice of the Martyrs, 1999.
Notes: Wurmbrand deserves respect for his steadfast witness for Christ in the face of torture and suffering. However, this does not imply his opinions on the appropriateness of the underground church are correct. Josef Tson was a contemporary of Wurmbrand in Romania. Tson also suffered threats and torture under the communists, yet Tson refused to go underground and continues to maintain that underground church is not the Biblical way.

Wurmbrand, Richard. Tortured for Christ, 1967.
Notes: See also his other books: If that were Christ would you give Him your blanket?, In God's Underground, and Between Hammer & Sickle by Richard's son Michael. These all contain amazing stories of God's perseverance given to Christians under persecution, especially imprisonment and torture in Communist countries. Although I do not agree with Wurmbrand's views on underground church, I cannot help but admire him and highly recommend his books.
Quote: "It was a deal; we preached and they beat us. We were happy preaching. They were happy beating us, so everyone was happy." (pg 43)
"Often, when tortured, we felt the torture, but it seemed as something distant and far removed from the spirit which was lost in the glory of Christ and His presence with us." (pg 45)
"These multitudes must either be forgotten or reached with underground methods of evangelism. There is no other choice."(pg 95)

Additional Links
Regarding the Persecuted Church - http://www.mislinks.org/practical/persecuted.htm

Regarding Tentmaking - An Annotated Bibliography of Business and Missions Resources at http://www.scruples.org/bizetmiz/web/articles/bmbiblio.htm. Good bibliography, unfortunately many of the links are no longer valid.

Regarding Contextualization - http://www.wheaton.edu/missions/Courses/532/biblio/mideast.htm. Also on contextualization:

IJFM, January-March/Spring 2000, v 17, n1. Entire issue titled "Muslim Contextualization".

IJFM, v 12, n3. Entire issue titled "Contextualization".

Massey, Joshua. "His ways are not our ways". EMQ, April 1999, v 35, n 2, pg 188.
Notes: Author advocates honoring C4 and C5. He is an experienced missionary to Muslims in Asia.