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- 2
These Younger "churches vary widely in degree of independence and autonomy,
spiritual and economic maturity, and strength of indigenous leadershipD We have not
attempted to list the missionary agency or agencies with which each indigenous
church group has been associated] since such material can be found elsewhere and the
purpose of this study is to emphasize the emerging responsible church bodies in their
various stages of growth. Exact statistics of membership are always difficult to se
cure and when available may be interpreted in different ways. We have attempted to
give only round numbers, based upon the most recent data available in the Missionary
Research Library. "Membership" means adult baptized members and does not include
baptized children. "Corrununity" means members and their families and] also.\' cate
chumens or inquirers. We realize that the statistics are not fully reliable, but we
believe that they will furnish a fair picture of the Younger Church movement. Under
the heading, "Missionaries from the Younger Churches]" we have surrunarized such in
formation as we could secure regarding missionaries being sent out from younger
church bodies to other countries and peoples. This is a most significant new de
velopment.
Church bodies which are members of the World Council of Churches are marked #0
We hope that this List of Younger Churches will be of help to all who are study
ing the growth of world-wide Christianity. We would be glad to receive corrections
and suggestions for revision.
We wish to thank all who have helped in the preparation of this Study and those
who have read the manuscript in whole or in part D Mr. Kenyon Eo Moyer, Research
Assistant in the Missionary Research Library, has given valuable assistance in edi.t-·
ing and typing D
F. W. P.
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THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS AND THE GUIANAS
Bahamas (Bahama Islands)
(British West Indies)
POPULATION.
100,000; one-fifth white, four-fifth colored; English-speaking.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION.
Main religion of the twenty inhabited islands.
Christian Council of Nassau.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Church in the Province of West Indies.
members. Member of W.C.C.
Methodist Church.
Church of God.
Diocese of Nassauo
About 7,000
About 3,000 members.
Baptist Churches, independent Baptist unions.
Seventh Day Adventist churches.
Assemblies of God.
About 800 members.
About 400 members.
Other small church groups founded by interdenominational societies.
Cuba (Republic of Cuba)
POPULATION.
6 million; Spanish-speaking, English widely understood.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Membership small, but vital and growing; Protestant
community about 100,000.
'.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION.. (1) Concilio Cubano do iglesio evangelicas (Council of
Evangelical Churches). Six member church bodies: Methodist, Episcopal,
Presbyterian, Baptist, Friends, Salvation Army. Council is member of 1oM.C o
with one voting representative. (2) Evangelical Fellowship of Cuba (Associate
member of W.E.F.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Iglesia Episcopal (Episcopal Church).
Iglesia Metodista (Methodist Church). Cuba Annual Conference (formed 1923),
3 districts. About 10,000 members.
Iglesia Presbiteriana (Presbyterian Church).. Presbytery of Cuba (Synod of
New Jersey).
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Convenci6n Bautista de Cuba Oriental (Baptist Convention of East Cuba).
Baptist Churches of West Cuba.
Iglesia Los Amigos (Friends, Cuba Annual Meeting).
About 1,000 memberS
Seventh Day Adventist Church, East and West Cuba Conferences.
5,000 members",
Assemblies of God in Cuba.
About 4,000
Pentecostal Evangelical Church.
4
About
members~
Several thousand members and
adherents~
Other church groups, Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, indigenous churches
founded by West Indies Mission (2,000 members), etc.
Dominican Republic
POPULATION. 2~ million; majority mixed African and Spanish ancestry; official
language Spanish, English widely understood.
Community of about 30,000"
YOUNGER CHURCHES . .
Iglesia Evang~lica Dominicana (Evangelical Church of Dominican RepUblic).
About 2,000 members. A union of Presbyterian, Methodist and Evangelical
Brethren churches.
Seventh Day Adventist
Protestant Episcopal
churches~
Church~.
Free Methodist Church.
Assa~blies
of
God~
About 2,000 members"
Pentecostal churches.
Scattered churches founded by various interdenominational missionary societies.
The Guianas
British Guiana (British Colony)
POPULATION. 500,000; mixed population: Negroes (38 per cent), immigrants from
East Indies (42 per cent), Europeans, Indians; official language English.
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Dominant religion.
YOUNGER
Ministers' Association.
CHURCHES~
Church in the Province of the West Indies.
Congregational Union of British Guiana.
Methodist Church .
Diocese of Guiana (Anglican).
Evangelical Lutheran Church in British Guiana.
Europeans. Community of 7,000.
Presbyterian Church.
The Moravian Church.
About 600 members.
Seventh Day Adventist Churches.
Assemblies of God.
About 900
About 4,000
Formed in 1943.
Includes
member-a,
members~
Pentecostal groups, Pilgrim Holiness Churches, Salvation Army, Baptists,
Church of the Nazarene, and other small groups.
French Guiana and West Indies (Martinique, Guadeloupe)
POPULATION. French Guiana, 30,000. Martinique, 250,000. Guadeloupe, 250,000.
People: French ancestry, Negroes and Indians. Office language French, some
Indian dialects.
Slight trace.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Small number of Anglicans, belonging to Diocese of Guiana.
Netherlands Guiana (Surinam) and the Netherlands Antilles
(Quracao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Martin (Dutch port)
POPULATION. Netherlands Guiana, 225,000. Netherlands West Indies, 200,000.
Negroes, Europeans, East Indians and others. Official language is Dutch,
Spanish and English also spoken.
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INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION
g
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Moravian mission churches.
Reformed Church.
About 45,000; community of 140,000.
About 10,000 members (mostly
Churches in Diocese of Guiana (Anglican).
Dutch)~
See British Guiana.
Churches founded by Negro Societies from U.S.A.
Other small groups:
Salvation Army ..
Seventh Day Adventists, Baptists, Pilgrim Holiness
Haiti
- (Republic of Haiti)
POPULATION. 3 million, largely Negro.
English taught in schools.
Main languages French and Creole French o
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Roman Catholicism is the main religion, but Protestant
churches are active and growing. Protestant community, over 200,000.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Jacmel Baptist Church.
Baptist churches.
Church of
God~
Protestant Episcopal Church.
Methodist Church.
About 2,000
members~
Pentecostal and Uevangelical Jl churches.
Several thousand members.
Churches founded by various interdenominational missionary societies,
several thousand members.
Puerto Rico
POPULATION.
2~
(Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S.A.)
million, languages:
Spanish chiefly, and English.
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PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Still a minority religion but growing in importance
and influence. Protestant community of about 250 )000 ~
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Concilio Nacional Evang~lico de Puerto Rico
(Evangelical Council of Puerto Rico) includes Baptists, Methodists
Mennonites, Presbyterians, Disciples, United Evangelicals and Friends o
Member of the I.M.C. with one representative .
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
La Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal (Pent ecostal Church of God ) or Assemblies
of God).
About 13,000 members and growing r apidly ,
Iglesia Evangelica Unida de Puerto Rico (United Evangelical Church of
Puerto Rico, a union of Congregational-Christian and United Brethren
church bodies) . Membership about 53000 ,
Presbyterian Church, Presbytery of Puerto Rico (Synod of New York).
About 5,000 membersr
Baptist Convention.
Disciples of Christ Church.
Methodist Church.
Church has new constitution, more responsibility o
Protestant Episcopal Church .
About 10,000 members "
Seventh Day Adventists, Puerto Rico Conference .
About 4J OOO members o
Other small groups: Church of God, Mennonite Church, Pilgrim Holiness
Church, Pentacostal churches, Lutheran Church . Christian and Missionary
Alliance churches, Church of the Nazarene.
The West Indies (British)
A British Caribbean Federation will become a self-governing member of the
Commonwealth in 1958, (comprising Jan~ica, Trinidad, Tobago~ Barbados, Windward
Islands and Leeward Islands but not British Virgin Islands and Bahamas) .
Jamaica
(Including Turks, Caicos and
Cayman
Islands)
POPULATION. l~ million; three-fourths Negroes~ remainder are mulattoes y
Europeans, East Indians and Chinese; language - English ~
Dominant faith .
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on the island.
Jamaica Christian Council, includes most church bodies
Member of IoM.C. with one representative.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Diocese of Kingston (Jamaica), Church in the Province of West Indies
(Anglican). About 35,000 members, including Europeans.
Jamaican Baptist Union.
About 240 churches and 23,000 members.
The Presbyterian Church of
Jamaica~*
Congregational Union of Jamaica o*
About 4,000
The Methodist Church, Jamaica District.*
members~
members~
About 17,000
The Moravian Church, Provisional Elders! Conference.*
The Disciples of
Christ.~r
(*The latter five church bodies are considering union).
Assemblies of God in Jamaica. 35 churches and about 1,300 members.
Associated with 21 independent Pentecostal churches
p
The Church of God. About 5,000 members.
Missionary Board).
(20,000 reported under
Seventh Day Adventists, East and West Jamaica Conferences.
members.
Society of Friends, Yearly Meeting.
About
l~OOO
About 23,000
members.
Several other groups: Pentecostal, Open Bible Standard Churches, Pilgrim
Holiness, Brethren, etc. Few thousand members.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. Jamaican Home and Foreign Missionary Society
sends missionaries to French Guinea~
Other Islands
POPULATION. Barbados, 200,000~ Trinidad (including Tobago), 600 000 Windward
Islands (Grenada, Grenadines, Dominica, St. Vincent, St. Lucia), 300,000.
Leeward Islands (Antigua, Barbuda, Redonda, St. Christopher, Nevis, Anguilla,
Monserrat, Sombrero, British Virgin Islands), 110,000. People: European,
West Indian and Negro . Language: Engl.Lsh ,
0
Tobago..
Dominant religion ",
Federation of Evangelical Churches of Trinidad and
- 9
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Church in the Province of the West Indies (Anglican): Member of WoC.C.,
Diocese of Antigua" About 10,000 members ..
Diocese of Barbados . About 25,000 members.
Diocese of Windward Islands . About 11,000 members.
Diocese of Trinidad. About 18,000 members.
Diocese of Nassau (Bahamas) ..
The Moravian Church, Provisional Elders 7 Conference.
Methodist Church.
Pilgrim Holiness Church.
About 5,000 members•.
Seventh Day Adventist Churches.
Presbyterian Church in Trinidad .
Baptist Union of Trinidad and Tobago.
Other small groups: Church of God, Church of the Nazarene, African M.. E.
Church, Evangelical Alliance, Assemblies of God and scattered Pentecostal
groups.
MISSIONARIES FROM THE YOUNGER CHURCHES. Pongas Mission to French Guinea.
West Indian Mission to Gambia, West Africa.
LATIN AMERICA
(Mexico, Central America and South America)
Argentina (Republic of Argentina)
POPULATION. 19 million, mostly European stock; Spanish-speaking; Roman Catholic
Church under "National Patronage."
Protestant membership and community, about 100,000.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Confederacion de Iglesias Evang~licas del Rio de la
Plata (River Plate Confederation of Evangelical Churches - Argentina, Uruguay,
Paraguay), 18 member societies . The Confederation is a member of the I.M.C.
with one voting representative .. (2) Union Evangelica de la Argentina.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Iglesia Metodista Conferencia del Rio de la Plata (Methodist Annual Conference
of River Plate), now called Latin American Central Conference. Argentina
Annual Conference, 5 districts, about 6,000 members. Patagonia Provisional
Annual Conference o
Iglesia de los Discipulos de Cristo (Church of the Disciples of Christ in
Argentina) . About 500 members.
- 10
#Iglesia Evangtlica Luterana Unida (United Evangelical Lutheran Church .
About 4,000 members. Member of W.C.C ~
District of the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.
About 15,000
members~
Sinodo Evang~lico AlemAn del Rio de la Plata (German Evangelical La Plata
Synod - inc. Paraguay and Uruguay). Community of 100,000, mostly German
descent ...
Iglesia Congregacionalista de la Republica Argentina (Congregational Church
of Argentina). About 6,000 members.
~onvencion
Bautista del Rio de la Plata (Baptist Convention of River Plate)~
Seventh Day Adventist, Buenos Aires and Central Argentina Conferences.
Iglesia Evange'LLca Mennonita en la Argentina (Mennonite Church in Argentina).
About 700 members.
Union de las Asambleas de Dios (Union of Assemblies of God).
About 2,000
members~
Evangelical Union.
About 1,000 members...
Chiesa Evangelica Valdese (Waldensian Church).
Other small groups~ Conservative Baptists, Salvation Army, Church of the
Nazarene, Alliance churches, Brethren, Pentecostal Holiness churches, churches
founded by New Testament Missionary Union and various other societies
from the U.S. and Europe.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. Methodist Conference of River Plate has sent
missionaries to Indians of Bolivia.
Bolivia (Republic of Bolivia)
POPULATION. 3~ million, chiefly Ladinos and Indians, 20 per cent European descent;
Spanish language and Indian dialects. Roman Catholic is recognized religion.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Small membership and slow growth, with exception of
Seventh Day Adventists and Pentecostalists .
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Assemblies of God.
About 1,000 members".
Bolivian Baptist Union.
About 1,000
members~
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Methodist church, Provisional Annual Conference .
Church of the Nazarene.
Society of Friends.
Holiness churcheso
About 500
About 1,000
About 1,000
About 500 members.
members~
members~
members ~
Churches among the Indian tribes founded by interdenominational missions.
Other groups:
scattered churches founded by various missionary societies.
Brazil (United States of Brazil)
POPULATION. 58 million, rapidly growing cities, moving frontier; multi-racial
people (white, Negroes, mulattoes and Asiatics); Portugese language~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. ~<[O and a half mi.Ll.Lon commuru.cant members and adherents,
practically four per cent of the population . Most rapid Protestant growth,
percentagewise, of any country in the world~
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. Confederacao Evangtlica do Brasil (Evangelical
Confederation of Brazil), organised in 1934 . Five member church bodies:
Christian Reformed, Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Independent
Presbyterian. Confederation is official member of 1 . C., with 2 voting
representatives on the Council.
0M
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Igreja Metodista do Brasil (Methodist Church of Brazil), formed in 1930.
Five annual conferences, 3 bishops~ about 45,000 members. Autonomous
church, affiliated with Methodist Church in U.S,A. Member of W.C.C.
#Igreja Evangtlica de Confissao Luterano (Evangelical Church of Lutheran Con
fession in Brazil) . Related to Federacao Sinodal (Federation of Lutheran
Synods). Community of 500,000. Member of W.C.C~
Igreja Evangelica Luterana (Evangelical Lutheran Church , District of the Lutheran
Church, Missouri Synod) Community of 84,000 .
Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil (Presbyterian Church of Brazil), formed in
1899. About 70,000 members.
Igreja Presbiteriana Independata do Brasil (Independent Presbyterian Church of
Brazil). Formed in 1903. About 22,000 members.
Igreja Crista Reformade do Brasil (Christian Reformed Church of Brazil).
Igreja Episcopal Brasileira (Episcopal Church of Brazil).
Convencao Batista Brasileira (BraZilian Baptist Convention). Formed in
1907. Over 400 self-supporting churches and about 125,000 members.
- 12
Igreja Evangelica Congregacional do Brasil (Congregational Church of
Brazil).
About 13,000 members,
Assembleias de Deus (Assemblies of God).
Igreja Holiness do Brasil (Holiness
members".
Ch~rch
of Brazil).
About 35,000
The Pentecostal Churches of Brazil, including the Assemblies of God and
other bodies, are reported to have over 300,000 members. The Pente
costal movement, largely indigenous, is stronger in Brazil than in
any other Latin American country.
Churches among Indian tribes founded by interdenominational missions.
Sierra Amazon Valley Association of Baptist Churches,
indigenous~
Other groups: Mennonites, Free Methodists, Evangelical and United Brethren,
Church of God, Salvation Army~
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Missior.aries have been sent to Angola.
British Honduras (British crown colony)
POPULATION.
About 80,000; multi-racial (British background); language - English.
influence.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION
About one-fourth of the population is under Protestant
p
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Church of the Province of the West Indies, Diocese of British Honduras.
About 2,000 members. (Also 2,000 members in Honduras, El Salvador
and Guatemala.
Methodist Church.
Assemblies of God.
About 800 members.
About 100 members.
Other small groups: Church of the Nazarene, Church of God, Salvation Army,
Pentecostal groups.
Ghile (Republic of Chile)
POPULATION.
6 million, largely Spanish-Indian mixture; Spanish language; Roman
- 13
Catholic is national church.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. 3/4 million evangelical Christian followers, about 12
per cent of the population, including an estimated 400,000 Pentecostal
adherents.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Concilio Evangelico de Chile.
Cooperation in Christian Work in Chile.
(2) Committee of
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Iglesia Evangelica Pentecostal (Pentecostal Evangelical Church),
completely indigenous. Largest group, with about 70,000 members and
several hundred thousand adherents.
Deutsche Evangelische Kirche in Chile (German Evangelical Church in Chile).
Community of 25,000~
Methodist Church, Chile Annual Conference
(4 districts and 2 missions).
Presbyterian Church (24 Churches in Presbytery of Chile, Synod of N.Y.).
Chilean Baptist Convention, formed in 1949..
Christian and Missionary Alliance churches.
About 2,000
Assemblies of God in Chile.
members~
Seventh Day Adventist, South Chile and North Chile Conferences.
6,000 members.
About
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod and other small groups.
Colombia (RepUblic of Colombia)
POPULATION. 13 million, mostly mixed ancestry, ten per cent Negro; Spanish
language.
Small, persecuted, but virile churches.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. Confederaci6n Evang~lica de Colombia.
Confederation of Colombia).
(Evangelical
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Iglesia Evang~lica Presbiteriana de Colombia.
Colombia). About 1,500 members•.
Baptist churches.
(Presbyterian Church of
- 14
Ewangelical churches (founded by Gospel Missionary Union and the Evangelical
Alliance Mission). About 1,000 members.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Colombia.
Seventh Day Adventist churches .
Community of 2,000.
Episcopal churches (in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama Diocese) •.
Few members.
Other small groups: Assemblies of God, Pentecostal churches, Lutheran mission
churches, Methodist churches, Mennonite churches, scattered churches
founded by various American and British missions.
Costa Rica (Republic of Costa Rica)
POPULATION.
One million, 80 per cent of pure European descent; Spanish language.
Small Protestant
minority~
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION ...
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Anglican churches.
Methodist Church, Costa Rica District of Central America Provisional
Annual Conference. About 1,000 members.
National Conference of the Assemblies of God.
Baptist churches.
About 400 members.
About 500 members.
Other small groups: Society of Friends, Lutheran churches, Pentecostal
churches, churches founded by Central American Mission. Latin America
Mission and other interdenominational missionary societies. About
2,000 members.
EcuAAor
(Repub.Li,c of Ecuador)
POPULATION. 3~ million, one-third pure Indian, one-sixth pure Spanish, others
Ladinos; Spanish language and tribal dialects. Roman Catholic dominant
religion but has no state support.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Protestant community very small, two or three thousand
believers. No strong indigenous church as yet.
- 15
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. National Evangelical Committee of Ecuador, co
ordinating efforts of eleven mission groups including United Andean Indean
Mission.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Small Christian groups founded by various interdenominational societies
Christian and Missionary Alliance, Gospel Missionary Union, etc.
Few hundred members.
Baptist groups.
Seventh Day Adventist churches ,
Other small groups:
About 750 members.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ecuador, Brethren.
El Salvador (Republic of El Salvador)
POPULATION. Two million, in the smallest and most densely populated of Central
American Republics; mixed-blood, Spanish-speaking people.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY
0
Several small but strong Prot estant church bodies.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
National Baptist
Convention~
Other Baptist Churches.
About 1,000
About
2~000
members~
members.
Church of the Province of West Indies, Diocese of British Honduras.
Several hundred Salvador members in this Diocese.
Assemblies of God.
Seventh
D~
6,000
members~
Adventist churches.
Society of Friends.
1,400 members.
About 300 members.
Other church groups (including those founded by Central American Mission)
Guatemala (Republic of Guatemala)
POPULATION. 3 million, the majority pure Indian, the remainder mixed Indian
and Spanish blood.
- 16
Small, slowly growing Christian membership, about
30,000~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Iglesia Evang~lica en Guatemala (Evangelical Church in Guatemala),
indigenous. About 9,000 members.
Presbyterian Church of Guatemala (Presbyterian Synod, 5 presbyteries).
About 5,000 members .
Society of Friends.
Primitive Methodist churches.
Assemblies of God.
About 400 members.
Baptist churches.
About 1,500 members
p
Church of the Province of the West Indies.
Few hundred Guatemala members.
Diocese of British Honduras.
Other small groups ~ Brethren, Church of God, Church of the Nazarene,
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod.
Honduras (Republic of Honduras)
POPULATION.
Spanish.
Ii
million
j
mixture of Spaniard, Indian and Negro.
Language
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY . Small, active church groups, some with hi story from
the 19th century, some very new Few thousand members.
p
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
~hurch
of the West Indies, Diocese of Honduras (Anglican).
members"
Society of Friends.
Reformed Church, Presbytery of Honduras.
Moravian Church .
Assemblies of God.
Few hundred
About 500 members.
About 750 members.
About 700 members.
Evangelical churches, founded by Central American Mission.
members.
About 1,200
- 17
Baptist churches.
About 200
Scattered groups:
Mennonite, Lutheran, Pentecostal, etc.
members~
Mexico (Federative Republic)
POPULATION. 27 million, majority mixed Spanish-Indian ancestry, 30 per cent
pure Indian; Spanish-speaking.
strong Roman Catholic
About 150,000 church members, in a secular state with
history~
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. Concilio Nacional Evangelico de Mexico (Evangelical
Council of Mexico)., Member church bodies: Congregational, Nazarene,
Disciples, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, Friends, Salvation Army,
Assemblies of God. COlillcil is member of I.M.C. with one voting representative~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Iglesia Metodista de M~xico (Methodist Church of Mexico). Formed in 1930,
autonomous. Central Annual Conference, (J districts) and Frontier Annual
Conference, 3 districts. About 20,000 members. Member of W.C~C.
Iglesia Nacional Presbiteri.ana de M8'xico (Presbyterian Church of Mexico).
General Assembly formed in 1947. About 80,,000 members..
La Iglesia Presbiteriana Asociada Reformada (Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church)
Iglesia Christiana Nacional de las Assembleas de Dios (Assemblies of God)}.
Fully indigenous under Mexican leadership. About 25,000 members of
congregations ..
Junta General de las Iglesias Congregacionales (Union of Congregational
Churches. About 1,000 memberso Feeling way to cooperation with Disciples
of Christ and Associate Reformed Presbyterians.
Las Iglesias Cristianas (Disciples).
About 1,000 members..
Iglesia Episcopal Mexicana (Mexican Episcopal Church).
Iglesia Evangelica Luterana de Mkxico (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Mexico)
Iglesia Del Nazarene (Church of the
Nazarene)~
Convencion Nacional Bautista de Mtxico (Baptist Convention of Mexico).
About 6,000
members~
Iglesia de los Peregrinos (Pilgrim Holiness Church).
About 4,000 members o
- 18
Iglesia Evang~lica de "Los Amigos" de M~.xico (Friends).
Independent and Pentecostal churches.
Scattered churches among Indian
About 600 members.
tribes~
Nicaragua (Republic of Nicaragua)
POPULATION. If;; million; mixture of Spanish and Indian peoples; most densely
populated of Central American republics; Spanish language~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Moravians are largest body; with other groups, total
Protestant community is about 30,000.
YOUNGER CHURCHES ..
Moravian Church.
About 10,000 members
Convenci6n Nacional Bautista de Nicaragua (National Baptist Convention) .o
Other Baptist churches.
About 300 members.
Assemblies of God.
Other church groups (including those founded by Central American Missions).
About 800 members.
Episcopal Church.
Panama (RepUblic of Panama) and Panama Canal Zone
POPULATION. 900,000; mostly Negro, Ladino, and European descent; Spanish
speaking.
Minority religion; Protestant community about 50,000.
- 19
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Episcopal Church.
Methodist Church, District of Central America, Provisional Annual
Conference. About 500 members.
Seventh Day Adventist churches ,
Baptist churches .
Church of the Foursquare Gospel .
Pentecostal churches .
Other church groups:
Lutherans, etc o
Paraguay (Republic of Paraguay)
POPULATION. l~ million; overwhelmingly Mestizos, forming homogeneous stock;
languages Spanish and Guarani, ancient Indian tongue; Roman Catholic church
is established religion of the state.
slowly growing.
Tolerated by Roman Catholics; small community but
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION . Confederaci6n de Iglesias Evang~licas del Rio de La
Plata (Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay) . The Confederation is member of the I.M.C.
with one voting representative~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Convenci6n Bautista del Rio de la Plata (Baptist Convention of the Ri~r
Plate) . 500 members.
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synodo About 200
Mennonite Brethren churches (Indian
members~
tribes)~
Seventh Day Adventist churches o 500 members.
Small groups of Pentecostal churches, Assemblies of God, Evangelicals,
Brethren, Disciples, Free Methodists o
Churches founded by interdenominational societies, New Testament Missionary
Union, South American Missionary Society, etc~
- 20
Peru (Republic of Peru)
POPULATION. 8 million, largely Indian; Spanish language and Indian dialects
(Quochua and Aymara); Roman Catholic religion protected by state.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. About 10,000 members and a much larger Protestant
community, chiefly Pentecostal .
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Concilio Nacional Evang~lico del Petu (National
Evangelical Council). (2) Alianza Evangelica del Peru (Evangelical Alliance
of Peru) .
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Iglesia Evang~lica Peruana (Peruvian Evangelical Church).
members, many thousand more adherents ~
Methodist Church, Peru Provisional Annual Conference.
Assemblies of God,
About 5,000
members~
members~
About 1,000
Community of 1,000
0
members~
Pilgrim Holiness Church.
About 1,000
About 5,000 members, large community.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Peru.
About 10,000
About 1,000 member s ,
Other groups~ Baptist churches, evangelical churches founded by various
interdenominational missions .
Independent Presbyterian churches.
Uruguay (Republic of Uruguay)
POPULATION. 2~ million; predominantly Spanish descent, increasing Italian
immigration; Spanish-speaking; majority of inhabitants are Roman Catholic, but
church and state are separate .
religious freedom.
Growing Protestant congregations under state policy of
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Confederaci6n de Iglesias del Rio de La Plata
(Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay). The Confederation is member of the I.M.C. with
one voting representative. (2) Federaci6n Uruguay de Iglesias Evangelicos
(Uruguay National Council of Churches, newly organized). Affiliated with River
Plate. (3) Associacitn Mutualista Evangelica del Uruguay.
- 21
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Convencitn Evangelica Bautista del Uruguay (Baptist Convention of Uruguay).
Iglesia Metodista Conferencia del Rio de La Plata (Methodist Conference of the
River Plate), Uruguay Provisional Annual Confer-ence ; About 2,000 members.
Chiesa Evangelica Valdese (Waldensian Church).
2,000 members.
Small groups of Lutherans, Assemblies of God, Brethren, Pentecostals, and
others.
Venezuela (Republic of Venezuela)
POPULATION. 5 million; majority Ladinos, 300,000 pure Indians; Spanish language;
Roman Catholicism is prevailing religion, but religious freedom.
Small, vigorous Christian community of about 15,000.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
"Evangelical" churches.
Presbyterian Church in Venezuela.
members.
Assemblies of God.
(Presbytery of Venez:uela)
About 1,000
About 4,000 members",
Baptist and Brethren churches.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Venezuela.
Community of, 2,000.
Scattered churches founded by interdenominational and other missionary
societies.
- 22
AFRICA
(South of the Sahara)
Angola (Portugese West Africa)
POPULATION~
4~
million; mostly Bantu-Negro stock; official language Portugese ,
along with Afri~an dialects .
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Minority faith but given freedom by Roman Catholic
government. Protestant community about 150,000~
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. Alianca Evange'lica de Angola (Angola Evangelical Missions
Conference), with full-time secretary.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Angola Annual Conference of Africa Central Conference (Methodist) . 2 major
districts. About 30,000 members.
Church of Christ in Angola (United Church).
Baptist churches ,
About 5,000
members~
Church groups founded by interdenominational and other missionary societies
from Britain and Europe.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. The Church of Christ in Angola sent a
missionary to work among the fisherman on San Tome', island off coast of
West Africa.
British West Africa
Gambia
POPULATION.
300, 000; Negroid tribes; Madingo language; mostly followers of Islam.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITYo
INTER-CHURCH
Small group of Methodists .
COOPERATION~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Methodist Church (British background), part of the Methodist Church of West
Africa . About 1,000 members.
Anglican churches, Diocese of Gambia and the Rio Pangas, Church of the
Province of West Africa.
- 23
Togoland
(Trust Territory, has voted for integration with Ghana)
POPULATION.
450,000; Sudan Negroes; tribal language.
One church body with Presbyterian form of polity.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION."
YO UNGER CHURCHES.
Ewe Presbyterian Church (Scotch background) .
About 13,000 memberso
(See also Nigeria, Cameroons, Sierre Leone, Togoland)
British South Africa
Basutoland (British Sout h Africa, calony)
POPULATION. Half million Basutos, a Bantu tribe, in this little reservation for
natives and British protectorate surrounded by the Union of South Africa.
Language: one of the Bantu languages~
Anglican and Evangelical churches, largely self-supporting.
Christian Council of South Africa.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Church of the Province of South Africa. Corrnnunity of about 50,000 -
figures included under Union of South Africa
c
Evangelical Church of Basutoland . Many thousand members.
and almost self-supporting body.
Self-governing
Other small church groups.
MISSIONARll:S FROM THE YOUNGER CHURCHES. Basuto missionaries sent to work among
Basutos employed in South African mines c
Swaziland
(Protectorate in British South Africa, northeast of Union of
POPULATION. 225,000.
language.
S~
A.)
The Swazis are a Bantu tribe, akin to the Zulus; Bantu
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. History of nearly eighty years with record of strong
faith and devoted witness. The Protestant community is small but vigorous c
- 24
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Church groups: Evangelical Alliance, Methodists, Church of the Nazarene,
churches founded by international missions.
Bechuanaland
(Protectorate in British South Africa)
POPULATION. 300,000 Bechuana tribe people of Bantu stock, with their own chiefs,
widely scattered over the country.
PROTESTANT Clffi.ISTIANITY. Bechuanaland is site of early missionary labors of
Moffatt and Livingstone. Here too John Mackenzie served. Due to conversion
of King Khama at end of 19th century many of the tribe became Christians.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Congregational churches, Reformed churches, Evangelical Lutheran churches,
and other groups. Included in statistics for Union of South Africa.
Cameroun (French trusteeship)
POPULATION. 3 million, Bantu-speaking and Sudan Negroes; also Pigmy people.
Islam prevails in the north.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITYo
IN'IER-CHURCH COOPERATION.
Equitoriale.
History of over a centur,y; large and active church bodies.
Federation Evang~lique du Cameroun et de l' Afrique
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Cameroon Presbyterian Church, 8 presbyteries o Now autonomous.
75,000 members.
Reformed Evangelical Church.
Lutheran Churches.
(French background)
About
2,500 members.
Churches founded by interdenominational missions.
- 25
British Cameroons (British West Africa, trusteeship territory)
POPULATION. l~ million Bantu and Sudan Negroes; tribal languages.
influential ..
strong Church.
Islam
Checquered history in the past century; nOW fairly
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION o
YOUNGER CHURCHES .
Evangelical Church. (English Baptist and Basel Mission background).
Lutheran Free churches.
Baptist churches.
About 2,000 member-a;
Congo Belge (Belgian Congo)
POPULATION. 12 million; three ethnical groups and fifty or more tribes, with
many languages; white population, 80,000. Official language, French; four
main native languages.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Rapidly growing alongside Roman Catholicism.
community is nearly one million.
Protestant
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION o Conseil Protestant du Congo (Congo Protestant Council,
formed in 1902). Constitution revised in 1955; object lito unify and develop
the work of Protestant Evangelical missions in the conventional basin of the
Congo; to foster the Church of Christ in the Congo; and to relate the Protestant
Christian Community effectively to the authorities and to Christian bodies in
other Lands , It 28 member missions, 6 consultative, one associated, total 35;
not members - 8 missions o Rev. Ro B. de Carle Thompson,Secretaryo Beginning
in 1957 one African delegate "from the church of each mission" has been admit t ed
as a councillor, with voting power. General term for the native church:
L'Eglise du Christ au Congo (Church of Christ in the Congo)o Congo Protestant
~ouncil has two voting representatives in the I.MoC.
YOUNGER CHURCHES. Very few church groups have as yet a separate organization
apart from their founding missions.
Methodist Church, Central Congo and Southern Congo Annual Conferences
(11 districts). Full and preparatory members, about 30,000
0
Larger church groups, with denominational background: Baptist, about 8Q,000
members; Presbyterian, about 80,000 members; Disciples of Christ, about
80,000 members; Christian and Missionary Alliance, about 25,000 members;
Seventh Day Adventist, about 20,000 members; Covenant, about 25, 000
members; Conservative Baptist, about 14,000 memberso
- 26
Other groups: Assemblies of God, Free Methodi.sts, Friends, Mennonites,
Independent Baptists, Interdenominational, Independent.
Ethiopia (Empire of Ethiopia)
and
Eritrea (autonomous unit under Ethiopian crown)
Ethiopia, 15 million; one-third Ethiopian, or Amharan, main stock
POPULATION
one-third
of people belong to Coptic Churc h community; official
Hamitic;
language Amhiric and English. Eritrea, one million; principal religion Islam;
official language Tigrinya.
0
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. In spite of evangelistic, educational and medical work
for a century, the Protestant community is still relatively small; members
are drawn from both the non-Christian population and the older Coptic Church o
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Lnter~mission Council of Ethiopia .
tative body of native churches, separate from the Council.
(2) A consul
YOUNGER CHURCHES .
The Evangelical Churches of Ethiopia (among Galla, Wallame, Gudela and
Kambatta tribes). Several hundred congregations, many thousand members.
Evangelical Christian Church of Eritrea.
Lutheran Church of Ethiopia (Mekane-Jesus group and Sidomo Church).
Lutheran Church of Eritrea. About 5,000 members . An Evangelical Lutheran
Church of Ethiopia and Eritrea is being planned.
Bethel group of evangelical churches (Presbyterian background).
3,000 members...
Small groups ~
About
About 500 members.
Mermonites, Baptists, Anglicans ..
"
French Eguitorial Africa (Afrique Equitoriale
Francaise)
POPULATION. 4~ million, great majority Negroes, speaking Bandu and Sudanese
dialects. Official language French.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Taking root, in spite of Roman Catholic strength and
growing Muslim influence o
INTER~CHURCH COOPERATIONJ.
Equitoriale ..
Federation Evangelique du Cameroun et de 1 'Afrique
- 27
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Lutheran Church (various groups).
Evangelical Reformed Church (French background).
Brethren Church.
About 10,000 members;
Baptist churches, loosely organized.
About 500 members.
Other churches founded by interdenominational missionary societies; a few
Lutheran churches~
French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Francaise)
(Mauritania, Senegal (Dakar), French Guinea, Upper ~olta, French Sudan,
Miger, Ivory Coast, Dahomey, Togo trusteeship)
POPULATION o 17 million, many African tribes, with native languages.
language French. Moslem influence strong.
Official
Fairly strong in some of the colonies
F~d~ration des Missions Protestante en A.OoF.
YO UNGER CHURCHES.
Evangelical Reformed Church (French background) .
Methodist Church.
About 10jlOOO members.
Assemblies of God.
About 5j1000 members.
Baptist churches, Conservative Baptist churchesjl churches founded by various
interdenominational missionary societies. Few thousand members.
Ghana (Former Gold Coast)
(Since 1957 =-rr;e member of British Commonwealth)
POPULATION. 4 million. Fifty Sudan Negro tribesjl Hausa settlements on main routes.
Languages - Dagomba, Twi, Ga; English spoken by some.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. History of over a century, resulting in strong
Protestant community of 300,000.
- 2S
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. Christian Council of Gold Coast (Ghana)
From the beginning representation of both missions and churches. The secretary
is a national, the Rev. P. M. Dagadu. Council is applying for I.M.C. member
ship ...
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast (Ghana),
of W.C.C.
Ewe Presbyterian Church.
About 40,000 menbers.
Member
(See British Togoland)
The Methodist Church of the Gold Coast (Ghana), part of the Methodist Church
of West Africa. About 60,000 members.
Baptist churches.
Assemblies of God.
Mennonite churches - spont aneous new development.
Kenya (Kenya colony and protectorate; British East Africa)
POPULATION. 6 million; Bantu, Hamitic and Sudan Negro stock. Tribal languages.
Many European settlers and also Arabian and Indian immigrants. Increasingly
multi-racial society. Islam and semi·-religious secret societies strong ..
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Protestant community of 300,000; Anglicans, Friends,
Presbyterians and Pentecostalists being the largest groups~
IN'fER-CHURCH
COOPERATION ~
Kenya Ghristian Council ..
YOUNGER CHURCHES .
Anglican Church, Diocese of Mombasa.
Annual Meeting, Society of Friends.
Presbyterian Church of East Africa.
for W.C.C. membership
Pentecostal and Holiness churches.
Methodist Church.
Church of God.
Has applied
About 10,000 members .
Churches founded by various interdenominational missions .
members.
About 10,000
- 29
Liberia (Republic of Liberia,
Constituted in 1847)
POPULATION. 2 million. Forty African tribes and small group of descendants of
American freed slaves. Tribal languages; English is official language~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Protestant influence strong since founding of the
Republic. Protestant community of 50,000.
Liberia Committee on Reference and
Counsel~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Methodist Church, 4 districts.
Episcopal Church .
Assemblies of God.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Liberia.
About 700 members.
About 500 members.
Other church groups: Baptist churches, Pentecostal churches, churches
founded by interdenominational missions.
Madagascar (French overseas territory)
(Also Reunion and Comoro Islands)
POPULATION. Nearly 5 million; Malagasy people, different tribes; Malay-Polynesian
type of language with dialects. Comoro Islands, 130,000; Malagasy, Arab and
Negro stock. Mostly Muslims~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Checquered history since 1818, but now quite strong and
vital; more than half a million Protestant Christians on the island; churches
rapidly approaching autonomy.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. Qomit~ Intermissionaire de Madagascar (Madagascar
Inter-missionary Committee). (The Pr ot e st ant Church of Madagascar is a general
term used for the Protestant movement on the island .)
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Malagasy Lutheran Church (Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy), General Synod
(organized 1950, constitution adopted 1956), 6 synods. About 200,000
members.
Malagasy Episcopal Church, with resident Bishop.
~ongregational
Church. Membership about 50,000; one thousand churches.
- 30
Reformed Church (French background).
Society of Friends.
About 40,000 members; 200 churches.
Small membership.
Mauritius and Seychelles Islands
(British possessions, east of Madagascar)
POPULATION. Mauritius, 500,000; multi-racial; languages English, French and
Indo-Aryan . Seychelles, 37,000; people mostly African descent, few hundred
English",
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Only a few hundred Protestant Christians among the
non-western population; Roman Catholicism dominates. Church of England,
Diocese of Mauritius.
Mozambigue (Mo
1ambique,
Portugese East Africa)
POPULATION. 6~ million; large majority are Bantu tribes people; languages, Bantu
and Portugese.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Although the government is nominally Christian, Islam is
influence is growing and serious restrictions have been placed on the Protes
tant faith. However, there is a Protestant community of about 50,000.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Christian Council of Mozambique (Methodist, Congre
gational, British and Swiss mission).
(2) Cooperative
Committee for Mission Work in Portugese East Africa.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Methodist Church, Southeast Africa Annual Conference (formed in 1954), 5
districts. About 5,000 members.
Anglican Church, Diocese of Zanzibar.
About 15,000
members~
Church of Christ in Mozambi.que.. About 1,000 members.
Evangeli.cal church bodies (British and Swiss background).
members.
About 20,000
- 31
Nigeria (Federation of Nigeria; British West Africa)
POPULATION. 31 million, large number of Negro tribes with much intermarriage.
Language: Sudan dialects, Arabic, English.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. One of the strongest Protestant communities in Africa,
nearing one million in total number of members and adherents.
Chri stian Council of Nigeria.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Anglican Church, Church of the Province of West Africa, Diocese of Lagos
on the Niger. About 100,000 members. Member of W.C.C.
Methodist Church of East Nigeria and West Nigeria, Methodist Church of
West Africa. About 40,000 members.
Presbyterian Church of Biafra.
Evangelical churches of the Qua Thoe (River) Mission; largely self-supporting.
Assemblies of God.
Baptist Churches.
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Nigeria.
Community of 28,000.
Lutheran Church of Christ in the Sudan, and other Lutheran groups.
10,000 members..
Apostolic Churches.
About
Churches founded by interdenominational missions and Brethren churches,
forming a Federation. About 15,000 members.
Other small groups: Christian Reformed, Disciples, Salvation Army, Reformed
churches. Few thousand members.
Nyasaland (Nyasaland Protectorate)
(British South Africa, Central African Federation)
POPULATION. 2! million, Bantu tribes and Swahili people; tribal dialects, English
spoken by few.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Protestant community is about ene-tenth of the popula
tion. Largest church body is Presbyterian.
Christian Council of Nyasaland.
- 32
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Church of Central Africa (Presbyterian) .
Anglican Church, Diocese of Nyasaland, and other Dioceses.
members. (See also Rhodesia).
About 20,000
Evangelical church bodies (British and international background).
Assemblies of God.
Baptist churches.
Few thousand members.
Other small groups of churches.
Portugese West Africa
(Portugese Guinea, Azores, Cape Verde Islands, Madeira (Funchal) Islands)
POPULATION. Over one million. Portugese Guinea, Sudan Negroes of several tribes
and languages. The islands, people mostly of European stock; language
Portugese or Creole.
Protestant community is very small.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Scattered indigenous churches.
Presbyterian Church of the Azores.
Church of the Nazarene on Cape Verde.
Presbyterian and Methodist churches on Madeira Islands.
Rhodesia
(British South Africa; Central Africa Federation)
Southern Rhodesia
POPULATION. About 2 million. Chiefly Bantu stock, three main divisions.
50,000 Europeans, few thousand Asiatics. Bantu dialects and English
About
- 33
language.
Society increasingly
multi-racial~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Protestant community a century old is strong and grow
ing) nearly one~tenth of the population .
COOPERATION. Christian Conference of Southern Rhodesia. A consul
tative body of the emerging native churches has been consolidated with this .
INTER~CHURCH
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Church of the Province of Central Africa (Anglican), Diocese of Rhodesia .
About 25,000 members . Member of WoC.C .
Methodist Church, Rhodesia Annual Conference, Southern Rhodesia 7 districts ,
Methodist Church (British backgrolmd).
Church of Central Africa in Rhodesia (Presbyterian and Congregational).
Reformed churches.
Baptist churches .
Churches of Christ (Disciples).
African Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Community of
8,000~
Churches founded by international missions and other missionary societies .
Northern Rhodesia
POPULATION. 2 million . More than seventy Bantu tribes, six leading languages
and many dialects; few Europeans . Growing industrial centers.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Relatively brief history, yet the Protestant community
numbers over 50,000, and continues ~o expand .
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Christian Council of Northern Rhodesia .
United Missions in the Copper Belt.
(2) The
YOUNGER CHURCHES .
Reformed Churches .
About 15,000 member s.
Church of Central Africa in Rhodesia (Presbyterian and Congregational).
About 5,000 membersc
#Angli.can Church, Diocese of Northern Rhodesia.
Member of WoC.C.
About 8,000 members o
- 34
Methodist churches.
Baptist churches.
2,000 members.
Churches founded by Brethren ani other British missionary societies •.
Few thousand members~
Ruanda-Urundi
(Territory under Belgian trusteeship, adjoining Belgian Congo)
POPULATION. 4 million, majority are tribes of Bantu race; the ruling class is
of Hamitic origin. Bantu and Sudan languages. Territory is densely populated~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. The greater number of Protestants in this territory
have been Anglicans; a remarkable spiritual revival has been experienced
recently in this church body. The Seventh Day Adventists are growing fast.
Alliance of Protestant Missions in Ruanda-Urundi.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Anglican Church.
About 20,000 members, in hundreds of congregations •.
28,000 members reported.
Other small groups; Friends, Baptists, churches founded by inter
denominational societies.
Sierra Leone (British West Africa colony)
POPULATION. 2 million. Many races and tribes; various Sudan dialects;
European languages spoken by some.
History of a century and a half; early indigenous
movements. Protestant community today of about 50,000.
e-
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. United Christian Council of Sierra Leone, formed in
1924. Member of I.M.C . with one voting delegate on the Council.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
The Sierra Leone Church (Anglican), Diocese of Sierra Leone.
11,000 members.
About
- 35
West African Methodist Church.
The Evangelical United Brethren Church, Annual Conference (recently
organized). About 3,000 members.
Assemblies of God.
Church of God.
About 500 members ..
About 800 members.
Other sma Ll. groups: United Brethren churches, Pentacostal churches,
churches founded by international missions ..
Somalilands
Italian Somaliland (Italian trusteeship territory under U. N.)
POPULATION. About one and a quarter million; the largest of the three Somali
lands. African people; Somali language; mostly shepherds.
PROTESTANT Clffi.ISTIANITY.
Young and weak in this dominantly Moslem country.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Evangelical, Lutheran and Mennonite churches.
Few hundr-ed members.
British Somaliland (Somaliland Protectorate)
POPULATION. Half million; mostly nomadic; Somali language; Muslims of the
Shafi'i sect.
PROTESTANT Clffi.ISTIANITY.
Closed to Chr-Lst aan missions because of Muslim power.
French Somaliland (French Territory of the Somali Coast)
POPULATION. About 65,000; smallest of Somalilands.
Hamitic language.
No Protestant churches.
Somali and Danikel people;
- 36
South-West Africa
(Mandated territory under Union of South Africa)
POPULATION e 400,000 made up largely of African tribes. Hottentots and Bushmen;
ten per cent Europeans. Tribal dialects of Bantu group. White population,
50,000.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Missionar,y work for 150 years had resulted in an active
Protestant community of 150,000~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Church of the Province of South Africa, Diocese of Damara.Land ,
5,000 members..
Evangelisch-Lutherische Synode Sudwest-Afrikas (Evangelical Lutheran Synod
of South-West Africa), formed in 1926, new constitution in 1956 e
50,,000 members..
Congregational Church (Finnish mi.sai.onary background},
Methodist Church of South Africa.
Spanish West Africa
(Spanish Guinea; COhtinental Guinea, Fernando Po, Canary Archipelago)
POPULATION. Continental Guinea, population 200,000; African tribes; predominant
language Bantu. Canary Islands, population 700,000; mixture of Spanish and
Guancho; common language Spanish.
is dominant.
Community of two or three thousand.
Roman Catholicism
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Small number of Methodist, Presbyterian, Seventh Day Adventist, and
indigenous evangelical churches. Few thousand members.
Tanganyika (British East Africa)
(Trusteeship under Great Britain and U. N.)
POPULATION. 7! million, mostly native Africans, tribes of Bantu orlgln; also
some Indians, Arabs, and Europeans. Languages: Swahili, Arabic; Indian
languages and English spoken by small number e
- 37
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. After a century of inspiring missionary history there
is a vigorous and growing Protestant community of about 300,000.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. Christian Council of Tanganyika, representing both
missions and the African churches.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Anglican Church. (1) Central Tanganyika Diocese, over 500 organized con
gregations, 20,000 members. African Assistant Bishop. (2) Diocese of
Zanzibar, Masasi, S.S. Tanganyika. 80,000 member-s,
Lutheran Church of Tanganyika, objective of present Federation of Lutheran
Churches in Tanganyika; Lutheran Church of Northern Tanganyika, Lutheran
Church of Central Tanganyika, Evangelical Church of Buhaya (Bukoba),
and four other Lutheran groups. Total membership about 100~000.
Moravian Church.
Mennonite Churches.
Assemblies of God.
About 8,000
members~
About 1,500 members ..
Ugand( (The Uganda Protectorate)
British East Africa)
POPULATION. 5 million, majority native Africans, Baganda and Pigmy tribes;
40,000 Asians, and few thousand Europeans. Chiefly Bantu languages.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Through the work of many outstanding missionaries, a
remarkably large and increasingly indigenous Anglican Church has developed.
It is the largest church body in Uganda, but other groups are growingly
active.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
The Anglican Church of Uganda, Diocese of
Uganda~
members.
About 2,000
About 100,000
members~
Several thousand
members~
- 38
Union of South Africa
(Dominion within British Commonwealth)
POPULATION. 13 million. Bantus, representing many different tribes, 9 million.
Europeans (including native-born whites), 2! million. Cape-coloreds, mixed
stock, about one mi.Ll.Lon , Asiatics, Muslims and Hindus, few hundred thousand.
Languages: English, Afrikaans (Cape Dutch), Bantu Dialects. Rapid moderni
zation and insutrialization of the country; social tensions created by
aparthoid policy of the Gover-nmerrt ,
PROTESTANT _ CHRISTIANITY... Here Robert Moffatt and David Livingstone began
their missiona~ work. The Dutch Reformed churches have a history of about
two centuries and are the largest Protestant community, about l! million.
Other churches among the white peoples are the Church of England, Presbyterian,
German Lutheran churches, etc. Many Protestant churches have been established
among the Bantus, by a great variety of missionary societies, and one-third
of the non-European population is said to be nominally Christian. The several
hundred "Bantu sects" are a mixture of Ghristianity, animism, and pagan super
stitions. The 1950 Government census gave the Protestant population as
4! million ..
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Christian Council of South Africa, formed 1936.
Member of I.M.C. with two voting representatives. (2) Federal Council of the
Dutch Reformed Churches in South Africa.
YOUNGER CHURCHES (among non-Europeans)
#Church of the Province of South Africa (Anglican).
12 bishops. Member of the W.C.C.
~he
About 200,000 members,
United Church of South Africa (C.ongregational, Union of South Africa) ..
formed in 1956. About 70,000 members. Member of the W.C ..Co
#Metmdist Church of South Africa.
About 250, 000 members.
#Bantu Presbyterian Church of South Africa.
Member of the W.C.C.
Presbyterian Church of South Africa.
Member of W.. C.. C..
About 30,000 membersc-
United Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa, being organized in
1957. About 250,000 members; community of 500,000, in many synods
with various mission backgrounds.
Reformed Churches (Dutch) - among non-whites.
Baptist church organizations (African United National Baptist Church and
native churches of Baptist Union of South Africa, et c, ) About
20,000 members.
Assemblies of God.
25,000 members.
Other Pentecostal and Holiness churches.
- 39
Reformed Churches (French background)
Other church groups: Brethren, Alliance churches, Churches of Christ
(Disciples), Salvation Army, churches founded by international missionary
societies, Moravian Church, Society of Friends, Methodist churches (not
in Methodist Church of SaA.), etc. Several thousand members.
Native separatist churches (sects).
About one million members.
(Note: Some of the above figures include Basutoland, Swaziland and
Bechuanal.and , )
NEAR EAST I MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
(Arabic and Islamic World)
Afghanistan
POPULATION. 12 million, Afghans and other nationalities; 2 million are nomadic
tribesmen. Language: Pukhtuh or Pushtu, and some Persian. Religion: an
intolerant form of Islam which forbids the entrance of missionaries of other
faiths.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Islam completely replaced the earlier Nestorian
Christian faith of the area. There are a few Protestant Christian groups
today on the borders of Afghanistan but none in the country itself.
Arabian Peninsula
Saudi Arabia (Sovereign kingdom)
POPULATION. 5~ million, sparsely scattered.
Moslem in faith and customs.
Arabian people and language.
Strongly
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. The story of Protestant missions in this area is full of
heroic devotion and sacrifice and much self-denying Christian service has been
carried on. However, the fruits in a Protestant community have been very meager.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
No indigenous churches as yet. The Church of Christ in Arabia is still a
dream. Converts in the Reformed, Anglican, Lutheran and other congrega
tions number a few hundr-ed;
- 40
Kingdom of the Yemen (Independent Kingdom), Muscat and Oman
(Independent Sultanate), Aden (British Protectorate~Bahrein
Islands, Kuwait, etc . (British Protectorate).
POPULATION. Yemen, 5 million " Muscat and Oman, half mi.Lli.on,
Bahrein Islands and Kuwait, etc. 120,000.,.
Aden, 200,000 ",
Few hundred Protestant Christians.
Cyprus (British crown colony)
POPULATION . Half million Cypriotes; four-fifths have Greek ancestry, one-fifth
Turkish ancestry. Languages: Greek, Turkish and English. Main religions,
Greek Orthodox and Islam.
~
(Republic of Egypt, proclaimed in 1953)
POPULATION. 23 million. People mostly Coptic and Arabic. Languages: Arabic and
Bishari (modern derivative of ancient Egyptian). Islam is prevailing
religion; less than ten per cent of the people are Coptic Christians.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. More than a century of Protestant missions has borne
fruit in a Christian community of over a hundred thousand (not counting the
Christians of the ancient Coptic Church), The largest group is Presbyterian.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Egypt Inter-mission Council.
(2) Represented in the Near East Christian Council which is member of the
I,M .Co (with 3 voting representatives)~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Evangelical Church in Egypt (United Presbyterian Synod of the Nile), six
presbyteries. Autonomous body. Membership of 30,000 and community of
60 JOOO . Has applied for membership in W.C.C.
Anglican Church of Egypt, Diocese of Upper Nile .
Self-governing and independent Church.
Assemblies of God.
Pentecostal and Holiness churches.
Churches founded by interdenominational and other missionary societies.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES., Evangelical Church, Synod of the Nile, has
sent an Egyptian missionary to the Sudan.
- 41
Greece (Kingdom of Hellas)
8 million.
Orthodox Church.
Language, modern
POPULATION~
Greek~
Official religion, Greek
A few thousand Protestant evangelical Christians.
Through the Near East Christi.an Counci.L,
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Greek Evangelical Church.
About 1500 members.
National Episcopal Church in Greece.
About 200
members~
Iran
(Kingdom of Iran, formerly Persia)
POPULATION. 20 million, ancient Persian stock~ There are also 100,000 Armeni.ans
and Nestorians. Languages: Persian, Kurdish, Arabic, Turkish. Islam
(Shia branch) is the official religion.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Henry Martyn pioneered here and many able and conse~
crated missionaries have witnessed and served for a century and a half, but
no great harvest is yet seen. The Protestant community nwnbers less than t8n
thousand, and is not financially strong~
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Church Council of Iran. (2) Through Near East
Christian Council, member of I.M.C. with 3 representatives.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Synod of the Evangelical Churches of North Iran (Presbyterian)"
members. Member of W.C.C.
National Episcopal Church in Iran.
Assemblies of God.
Small Groups.
About 3,000
About 500 members.
About 600 members.
Seventh Day Adventist churches, about 200 members; and others.
Iraq
(Limited monarchy, sovereign state)
POPULATION. 5 million, Arabs of Semitic
Islam is the dominant religion.
origin~
Languages: Arabic and Kurdish.
- 42
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Some remnants of the ancient Eastern churches may be
found. Protestantism began more than a century ago and yet, on account of old
traditions and Moslem opposition the Christian community established numbered
only a few thousand believers. Today the Government attitude to the Church
is friendly and the outlook is more hopeful~
In a conference stage.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
United Church in Iraq (Presbyterian, Reformed, Evangelical).
members.
National Episcopal Church in
Christian Council.
Iraq~
About 500
Membership small; related to Near East
Other small groups: Assemblies of God, Seventh Day Adventists,
Lutherans~
Israel
POPULATION. One and three-fourths million, mostly Jews; minority of Arab refugees.
Languages: Hebrew, English.
The Protestant Christian community is not more than
10,;000"
Israel Regional Council.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
National Episcopal Church in Israel.
Near East Christian Council.
Arab Evangelical Episcopal Church.
Baptist churches.
Few hundred
Associated with
members~
3,500 members.
Other small groups: Assemblies of God, Lutheran congregations, Seventh Day
Adventist churches, Pentecostal churches and congregations begun by
interdenominational missionary societies.
Various Hebrew Christian congregations.
body"
Few thousand members, no national
Jordan
(Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; constitutional monarchy)
POPULATION. One and three-fourths million, including several hundred thousand
Arab refugees from west of the Jordan River. People, Arabian stock, Moslems.
Official language, Arabic.
- 43
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY e
Small community of a few thousand.
United Christian Council of Southwest Asia.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
National Episcopal Church in Jordan.
Evangelical Lutheran congregations; Church constitution in preparation.
Other church groups: Society of Friends, Church of the Nazarene, Seventh
Day Adventist churches, Assemblies of God, Pentecostalists.
About 1,000 members •.
Lebanon
(Independent Republic, since 1941)
POPULATION. l! million, of whom 30 per cent live in Beirut. People of Syrian
stock with some European admisture. Languages: Arabic (official), Turkish,
Aramaic and French e
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Moslem, Christian Maronite, and Greek Orthodox influ
ences are strong, yet Protestant education and evangelism have enjoyed freedom.
A vigorous Protestant community of considerable size has developed e
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION e (1) Headquarters of the Near East Christian Council.
(2) United Christian Council of Southwest Asia.
YOUNGER CHURCHES e .
Evangelical church (Synod) of SYria and Lebanon (Presbyterian).
members in both countries. Member of N.E.C.C.
~ongregational
Churches.
About 3,000 members in Lebanon and
About 6,000
Syria~
About 3,000 members in Lebanon and Syria.
Other church groups: Reformed, Society of Friends, Assemblies of God,
Disciples of Christ, Baptist, Church of God. Few hundred members.
North Africa
Morocco
(Monarchy of Morocco; former French and Spanish protectorate; independent
kingdom since 1956)
-44
POPULATION. Former French Morocco, 9 million. People: Arabs, Aboriginal Berbers,
Moors, Jews, Negroes, Europeans. Languages: Arabic, Berber, French .
Former Spanish Morocco, one million and a quarter. Languages: Arabic, Berber,
Spanish.
PROTESTANTISM. Very small Protestant gr oups in this dominantly Moslem area, al
though some earnest missionary work is carried on. Roman Catholicism dominates
among the European population~
Algeria
(French overseas territory)
POPULATION. 9 million, including a million Europeans. People are Arabs and
Berbers, a mixture of many tribes. Languages: Arabic, Berber and French.
Islam is the dominant religion.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Missionary work has been done for eighty years but a
very small Protestant community has resulted: Methodist and Seventh Day
Adventist churches, some congregations established by interdenominational
missions.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Methodist Church, North Africa Provisional Annual Conference.
members.
Few hundred
Tunisia
(Sovereign state within the Frenc h Union, since 1950)
POPULATION . 3 and three-fourths million, 90 per cent Bedouins, Arabs and Berber
tribespeople; ten per cent are Europeans. Dominant religion, Islam.<
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Exceedingly small; congregations begun by Methodist
and interdenominational missions and Seventh Day Adventists include a few
hundred members.
Libya
(Independent federal kingdom since 1951)
POPULATION. 1,200,000, scattered over the country. Agricultural and nomadic
people of Arabic stock, and Italians. Languages: Arabic, Sudan tribes,
Italian. Islam prevails.
Slight
trace~
- 45
Spanish Possessions
POPULATION. Rio de Oro (Spanish Sahara). 40,000, nomadic and fishing people;
language Arabic, Moslem f'ad.t.h; Ifni, 40,000 Muslims. Canary Islands. Half
million, misture of Spanish and Guancho; principal language Spanish.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Almost no missionary work and the barest trace of a
Protestant community.
Sudan
(The Republic of the Sudan, proclaimed in 1956; formerly Anglo
Egyptian Sudan)
POPULATION. 9 million, mostly SUdanese, some Africans in the South. Islam is
the prevailing religion. Languages, Arabic and Sudanese dialects.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Due to Moslem strength, Protestant advance has been slow.
However, there are some active congregations. The Anglican Church is the
largest Protestant group; the Presbyterian Church is vigorous.
INTER.-·CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Inter-mission Council for the Northern Sudan;
(2) Christian Council for South Sudan. (3) North Sudan Christian Council.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
National Episcopal Church in the Sudan.
Evangelical Church, Sudan Presbytery and Presbytery of the Upper Nile.
Churches founded by interdenominational missionary societies.
hundred members.
Few
Syria (Illdependent RepUblic)
POPUIATION. 4 million. People of SYrian stock with some European admixture.
Languages: Arabic, Turkish, Aramaic, French. The great majority are MOslems.
The half million Christians include Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics,
Armenian and Syrian Orthodox believers.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. There is a Protestant community of over ten thousand.
For statistics see also Lebanon.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
See Lebanon.
See Lebanon.
~>
46
Turkey (Republic of Turkey)
POPULATION. 21 million, of whom l~ million are in European Turkey. Present
inhabitants are descendants of Mongolian race. Language, Turkic. Religion,
Islam~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. A long history of educational, medical and other
Christian social service, but the community of Protestant believers numbers
only a few thousand. Severe restrictions on Christian evangelism persist.
Through Near East Christian Council.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
National Episcopal Church in Turkey.
Congregational Churches.
Member of N.E.C.C .
Other small groups: Seventh Day Adventist churches, Armenian church groups "
ASIA
(From India and Pakistan, eastward to Indonesia)
Bhut£n
(semi-independent kingdom, related to India)
POPULATION. 600,000; Mongolian origin; Sino-Tibetan language.
of Tibetan Buddhism.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. No Protestant Christians in Bhutan.
closed to missionary work.
Religion, a form
The country is
Burma (The Union of Burma)
(Independent Republic since 1947)
19 million. Four-fifths are native Burmese, one-fifth are tribes~
people - Karens, Chins, and Kachins, together with a smaller number of immi
grants from India and China. Language: Burmese, tribal dialects and Chinese.
Main religion, Buddhism.
POPULATION~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Strongest among the tribespeople, especially the Karens
who are ten per cent Christian and furnish 90 per cent of the Protestant com
munity of Burma. The Karen Baptist Church is one of the strongest and most
missionary-minded of the indigenous churches of Asia. The number of converts
from Burmese Buddhism has been much smaller. Total Protestant community,
about 400,000~
- 47
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION . Burma Christian Council representing Anglicans~
Methodists, Baptists, and various interdenominational organizations. Member
of I oM.Co with one voting representativeo
YOUNGER CHURCHES go
Burma Baptist Convention . About 200, 000 members: Burma Baptist Churches
Union, Falam B. Association, Haka B. Association, Indian B. Association,
Kachin ¥uss ion, Mon B. Christian Churches Union, Fwo Karen B. Conference,
Sgaw Karen B. Convention, Shweli Valley Shan B. Mission, Tiddim Bo Asso
ciation. Has applied for WoC.C o membership.
#Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon; Diocese of
12,000 members. Church of IPBC is member of W.CoC o
Rangoon~
About
Methodist Church, Burma Annual Conference, 6 districts of Upper Burma and
Lower Burma, in the Southern Asia Central Conference. About 5,000
members.
Assemblies of God.
About 8,000
members~
About 2, 000
members~
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. A Christian fellowship t eam of five went from
Burma to Thailand
Missionaries have gone from the Karen Baptist churches to
Thailand .
0
Ceylon
(Dominion within the British Commonwealth)
POPULATION. 8 million; Sinhalese~ Malays, Tamils and a few thousand aboriginal
Veddas . Languages: Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Ceylonese (Sinhalese modern Indian
dialect) and Tamil. Buddhist stronghold; some Hinduism in North Ceylon.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Smaller than Roman Catholicism; Protestant community
of about 100~000. Has spiritual life and missi.onary vigour, but is not grow
ing rapidly.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. ~l) National Christian Council of Ceylon, member of
I oM .Co with one voting representative . ( 2) Evangelical Fellowship of Ceylon
(Member of W.E.F •.)
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Diocese of Colombo, Church of India~ Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (Anglican).
About 20,000 members. (Church of IPBC is member of W..CoC.)
#Diocese of Jaffna (Church of South India).. About 5,000 member-a;
Church of South India is member of W•.C.C.
#Methodist Church in Ceylon..
Member of WgoCgoC.
About 15,000 members, autonomous church.
- 48
Ceylon Baptist Council.
Reformed Church in Ceylon, Presbyterian Church in Kandy, Presbyterian Church
in Colombo. About 2,000 members.
Salvation Army.
About 2,000 members w
Seventh Day Adventist churches, Ceylon Union.
Assemblies of God.
Small groups:
About 600 members ..
About 500 members.
Lutheran churches, churches founded by interdenominational
missions~
United Church. Negotiations are proceeding, looking toward the organiza
tion of a new united Church of Lanka (Ceylon) which would probably in
clude the Colombo Diocese, Church of IPBC; Jaffna Diocese of Church of
South India; Baptist Council; Methodist Church; Reformed and Presbyterian
churches.
China
(The People's Republic of China, proclaimed in 1949)
POPULATION. 600 million, according to the census of the new Communist regime.
Language, Chinese; Kuo-yu or the "National Language" is official; however,
there are also many local dialects . The languages of Tibet and MOngolia are
quite different from Chinese. The main religions have been Buddhism, Taoism
and Confucianism (in its religious aspects) and folk religion. There are
20 million Muslims.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. A history of 150 years, since Robert Morrison went as
a missionary from England in 1807. Through many vicissitudes the Protestant
Church has steadily grown, with membership in both rural and urban areas,
and among all cl.aaaes of the peop le. In 1950 there was a Protestant commu
nicant membership of about 900 7000 and a vital community of l~ million.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. The National Christian Council was organized in 1922.
Since the Communist victory this Council has continued, without any mission
ary participation. But more powerful has been the Christian Three-Self
Patriotic Movement (formerly Church Reform Movement) with representation
from all church groups. It is definitely not a Church but a federation
under pro-Communist leadership of existing denominations and indigenous
Christian groups. N.C.C. was formerly member of I.M.C.; present relationship
uncertain.
YOUNGER CHURCHES (Now completely independent). The church membership figures
given are those of 1950. In spite of new accessions reported on the main
land the total membership is certainly not larger now than in 1950 and
is probably smaller.
#Church of Chri st in China. Membership about 177,000, in 16 synods.
Member of W.C.C. A united church of Presbyterian, Congregational,
Reformed, Evangelical, Baptist and other churches.
- 49
#Episcopal Church of China (Sheng Kung Hui.}, 13 dioceses, each with a
Chinese bishop. About 77,000 members. Member ofW.C .C.
#China Baptist C01IDcil .
#North China Congregational Union.
Lutheran Church of China.
Member of W.C.C ..
The Methodist Church (Wei Li Kung Hui.);
About 103,000 member.
Chinese Methodist Church (Hs1ID Tao Kung Hui.} ,
China Assemblies of God.
Member of W.C.C.
Nei Ti Hui (Churches f'ound.ed by the China Inland Mission).
85,000 members..
About
Chinese Presbyterian Church of Christ.
True Jesus Church (indigenous church).
China Baptist Convention..
The Disciples of Christ in China.
Reformed Church, Tsung Chen Synod.
Chinese Independent Church.
Christian and
Missiona~J
China Mennonite Church.
About 22JlOOO members.
About 12,000
members~
Alliance churches.
Other church groups: Chinese independent churches, Spiritual Food churches,
Jesus Family churches (104), China Advent Christian churches, Salvation
Army, Society of Friends, Pentecostal churches, Christian Meeting Places
(former "Little Flocku ) , Apostolic Faith Churches, other indigenous
groups , About 50,000 members.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. Many Chinese evang eli.st s from the mainland
are working among Chinese populations of Indonesia and Pacific Islands. The
Chinese Foreign Missiona~ Union is one such organization.
Hong Kong (British Crown Colony)
3 million, mostly Chinese, including more than one million refugees
from the mainland. Languages: Chinese, English.
POPULATION~
The Protestant population is estimated at 100,000 ..
.. 50
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATIDN.
Hong Kong Christian Council o
YOUNGER CHURC HES.
Anglican Church, Diocese of Hong Kong and Macao, Chinese congregationsry
Church of Christ in China, Hong Kong District Association ,
United Hong Kong Christian Baptist Chinese
Association~
Joint Committee of Swatow Baptist Churches in Hong Kong .
Chinese Tsung Tsin Churches of Hong Kong District (Evangelical Hakka
churches).
Hong Kong Lutheran Church .
Assemblies of God J South China District.
Other local Chinese churches: Methodi st, Lutheran, Evangelical and Re
formed) Christian and Missionary Alliance, interdenominational.
India
(Sovereign democratic republic, member of the Commonwealth since 1950)
POPULATION " About 360 million: Aryans or Hindus proper, Dravidians $ abor-i.gf.na.L
tribespeople, and some of Indo-Chinese stock. Fourteen regional languages and
large number of dialects; Hindi is used by nearly half of the population and
has been made the official language. The Bible is translated into 22 languages.
English is spoken by the educated class o Ninety per cent of the people live
in rural areas but urbanization and industrialization are Incr-easing , Main
religions: Hinduism (85 per cent) and Islam.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY.. Christianity first came to India in the early centuries
of the Christian era, and today some of these ancient churches are part of the
Protestant ecumenical movement. As a result of Protestant missions for two
centuries, the largest and most diverse Protestant church upon the Asia cont.I>
nent is now found in India, with 25,000 congregations and places of worship
and a Protestant Christian community of four to five million.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION$ (1) National Christian Council of India, of churches,
representing 12 national church bodies} 19 regional councils, and 47 missions
(out of a total of 59 church bodies and 68 assisting missions listed in the
CHRISTIAN HANDBOOK OF INDIA) . The N.C.C. is a member of the IoM.C . with four
voting representatives. (2) Evangelical Fellowship of India" Member of W.E oF o
YOUNGER CHURCHES, (The nine ancient Armenian and Syrian churches with community of
75,000, are not included in the list of "younger churches .")
#Indian dioceses in The Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon (Anglican),
10 bishops and one metropolitan. About 100}000 members" The CIPBC is a
member of the W.CoC o
.- 51 -,
#Church of South India (Union of Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Congrega
tional and Reformed churches).. First united church of Episcopal and non~
Episcopal churches, inaugurated in 1947 . 14 dioceses, 7 Indian bishops,
1,200 ordained ministers. About 350,000 members, community of one
million. Member of W.C .C~
#United Church of North~lIndia (Presbyterian, Congregational, Reformed,
Moravian). Negotiations for larger union with Anglican, Methodist, and
Baptist churches are proceeding well with hope of consummation in 1960.
Present membership about 150,000 in 7 ~ods. Member of W.C.C o
#Federation of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in India. About 500,000 members;
community of one million. Member of W.C.C . The Federation includes most
of the Lutheran church bodies in India: (1) Andhra Evangelical Lutheran
Church; community of 250,000. (2) Gossner E.L.C. in Chotanagpur and
Assam; community of 200,000. (3) The Tamil E.L.C., community of 50,000.
(4) Ebeneser E.L•.C., community of 33,000. (5) Jeypore E.L.C., connnunity
of 35,000~ (6) The South Andhra Lutheran Church; community of 15,000.
(7) E.L.C. in Madhya Pradesh; community of 5,000. (8) The Arcot L.C. com
munity of 12,000. (10) East Jaypore E.L.C ., about 1,000 members. (11)
India E.L.C . (12) Sirhadi L.C. (13) The Evangelical L.C~ - Missouri
SJ710d will be forw~lly organized L~ 1958; community of 27,000.
The Methodist Church of India, Annual ~onferences of Bombay and Gujarat;
Delhi and North India; Hyderabad, Madya Pradesh and South India; Bengal
and Lucknow; Indus River and Sind Baluchistan. Part of Central Conference
of Southern Asia, which is related to the Methodist General Conference.
Baptist Churches. Baptist Union of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon. Con
stituents are as follows: (1) Convention of the Baptist Churches of the
Northern Circas; member of N.C~C.. About 40,000 members. (2) Convention
of the Telugu Baptist Churches. About 130,000 members. (3) Baptist Union
of North India. About 2,500 members. (4) Tripura State Baptist Christian
Union. About 3,000 members. (5) Utical Baptist Central Church Council~
About 10,000 members. (6) Assam Baptist Associations . About 100,000
members. (7) Bengal and East Bengal Baptist Unions. About 15,000 members.
(8) Bengal-Qrissa Baptist Yearly Meeting. About 3,000 members~ (9) Garo
Baptist Union. (10) Mymensingh Garo Baptist Union. (11) Goalpara, North
Goalpara, and Boro Baptist Unions. (12) Other Baptist unions, councils,
conventions, etc~
Methodist Church, North India Provincial Synod.
Wesleyan Methodist Church, India
Conference~
About
4~000
Few hundred
members~
Mennonite Evangelical Church in India.
About 5,000 members.,
Telugu Mennonite Brethren Convention.,
About 15,000 members..,
Church of the Brethren.,
Disciples of Christ.
members.
About 4,000
members~
Presbyterian churches (not in union church bodies)
United Basel Mission Church in India.
- 52
Church of God in India, in West India, in Assamo About 8,000 members o
Society of Friends, Mid-India Yearly Meeting .
About 200 members.
Friends Service Council .
Churches of Christ. Representative Council of the Churches of Christ
(3 conferences). Conference of the Churches of Christ in West India 0
Assemblies of God , North India Assemblies of God.
South India Assemblies of God. 3,500 memberso
1,000 members.
Seventh Day Adventists churches, Northwestern India Union, South India
Union . About 9,000 members~
Other small church groups: Pentecostals, independent evangelical churches ,
churches founded by interdenominational missions.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER. CHURCHES. Church of South India has missionary work in
Papua encl. sent one couple to New Guinea in 1953. The Church of Sout.h India
missionary to Papua died in 1955. The Church of South India is sending two
Indian Christian couples to work i~ cooperation with the Church of Christ in
Thailand. Federation of Evangelical Lutheran churches in India plans to send
a missionary couple to work with Lutheran Church of Tanganyika; is considerL~g
sending a bi-lingual pastor for work among Tamil and Telegu Lutherans in Ran
goon, and is inviting a Batak Christian to be a fraternal work in India.
Lutheran churches of India have sent a medical missionary and theological
professor to work with the Batak Church on Sumatra. Church of Nor-th India
sent one couple to East Africa in 1953, and has appoL~ted a missionary couple
for service in Kenya (1956) . Diocese of Central. Travancore (CIPBC) ha s
appointed ordained missionary to work among Indians of 'I'angany.ika , and a re
cent theological graduate to work among Maylayese people in the Diocese of
Singapore. The YMCA of India has contributed Mr. Co I . Itty to the YMCA in
Djakarta, Indonesia .
Portugese India
(Colonies of Goa Nova, Damao, Diu)
POPULATION ~
One million.
0
Roman Catholic churches are powerfuL
Few Pr-ot.est.ant.s,
Indo-China
(Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia; self-governing states within French Union)
POPULATION. 29 million, of which 10 million live in Central and South Viet Nam ,
13 million in North Viet Nam (Vietminh, Communist), 4 million in Cambodia and
.0
- 53
2 million in Laos~ The predominant race is Tai or Annamite, the rest of the
population embraces a variety of races. The religious faith of the majority
is a mixture of Chinese religions. The language is Annamese 9 which shows
Chinese and Tibetan influence; and Cambodian.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Under French rule the Roman Catholic Church converted
about two million. Protestantism entered much later and has a community of
twenty to thirty thousand, largely the result of Christian and Ydssionary
Alliance effort. In spite of civil war, revival movements have been reported.
ship.
No Christian Council and little ecumenical relation
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Evangelical Church of Vietnam, organized in 1927 by churches resulting
from Christian and Missionary Alliance work. About 13 9000 members (in
non-Communist areas). Subsequently separate administrations have been
set up for churches in Cambodia, Laos, and the Viet Nam tribespeople.
Small church groups J'ounded by Seventh Day Adventists, Reformed Church,
and interdenominational missionary societies.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. Evangelical church of Vietnam sends mission
aries (9 couples) to Cambodian tribes people who live in Thailand~
Indonesia
(Republic of Indonesia)
Proclaimed in 1950
POPULATION. 80 million; the largest islands are Java, 50 million; Sumatra, 12
million; western Borneo (Kalimantan), 4 million; Celebes (Sulawesi) 6 million;
Nusa Tenggara (Lesser Sunda Islands) 4 million, including Bali, Sumba, Sumbawa
and Indonesian Timor; and Western New Guinea (Irian), one million . Other im
portant islands: Madura, Molucca Islands, Nias . The Indonesian people are
Malay-Polynesian in origin and speak many languages; official language is
Bahasa Indonesia, based on Malay. Dutch and English are the main foreign
languages. A large Chinese population of l~ million resides on the islands~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. The Moslems of Indonesia are more tolerant of Christi
anity than in other parts of the Islamic world. Protestantism has made
striking progress in this island area as a result first of German and Dutch
missions and later of Australasian and American societies. Strong indigenous
churches have developed. Near ten per cent of the people of Sumatra are con
sidered Christian; the Protestant community on all the islands is 2~ million
or about three per cent of the total population.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) National Council of Churches in Indonesia; 30
member church bodies. The Council has three voting representatives on the
I.M.C. (2) National Council of Chinese Churches.
- 54 ._.
YOUNGER CHURCHES . Most of the larger church bodies have regional r ather than
denominational names; the background is largely the Reformed faith and
polity. The figures given below, furnished by the National Council of
Churches, unless otherwise noted refer to the evangelical church community
(communicants, children of Christian families and catachumens ) ~
#Batak Protestant Christian Church, Sumatra. (Huria Christen Batak
Protestant) . Autonomous since 1930 . Member of W.C,C. Community of
650,000~
#Christian Evangelical Church of Minahassa, Northeast Celebes.
in 1935. Member of W.C ,C. Community of 350,000~
#Protestant Church of the Moluccas (Church of Ambon) .
Member of W.C.C. Community of 350,000
Formed in
Formed in 19350
0
#Evangelical Protestant Church of Timor. Became autonomous in 1947 0
Synod and 3 Klasis. Member of W.C.C. Community of 250,000 ,
#Protestant Church in Indonesia. (Bef'or-e 1945, Protestant Church of Nethe r-
lands East Indies) < General Assembly of four branches: Protestant
ChuTch of Western Indonesia. Corr~unity of 200,000; and Evangelical
Churches of Timor, Minahassa and Protestant Church of the Moluccas
which are listed above as independent church bodie s. Member of W C, C~
0
#Toradja (Hillspeople) Church of Central Celebes; larger union formed in
1949. Member of W.C.C . Community of 50,000~
#Christian Church in East Java (Synod of East Javan Church), autonomous
since 1931 0 Member of W.C.C. Community of 50,000 membersv
#Javanese Christian Churches in Central Java, autonomous since 1931 ,
Member of W.C.C . Community of 30 ,000~
#Evangelical Church of Kalimantan (Western Borneo), formed in 19350
Member of W,C.C. Community of 30,000, mostly Dyak Christians ~
Christian Church in Nias.
Evangelical Church of Sanghi-Talaud (northeast of Celebes).
of 120,000~
Community
Other Celebes Churches. Church of Mid-Celebes, community of 80,000 .
Church of West Celebes, community of 2,000 . Church of Southeast
Celebes, community of 3 , 500 . Headquarters of latter two are in
Makassar and Kendari o
Other Sumatra Churches. Karo Batak Church, community of 13,000
Methodist Church, Sumatra (Central Conference of Southeastern Asia}
Provisional Annual Conference, with 4 districts), community of 15 ,000
0
0
Other Java Churches. Church of West Java (Pasundan), community of 7,000~
Church of Mid-Java (Chinese), community of 3,000. Church of West Java
(Chinese), community of 6,500. Church of East Java (Chinese), community
of 3,500. Mennonite Church of North Central Java, community of 5, OOO ~
Other Islands .
Evangelical Church of Halmahera, community of
3~ 5 00o
- 55
Toradja Church of Mamasa, community of 30,000. Evangelical Church of
Bolang-Mongondouw, community of 17,0000 Church of Bali, Protestant,
community of 2,000. Church of Sumba, community of 6,500~
Reformed Churches (Gereformeede Kerken) in Indonesia (several islands).
Community of 8,000~
All the above Church bodies are affiliated with the Indonesian Council of
Churches
Unaffiliated groups include:
0
Churches of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, in Borneo and Celebes o
About 5,000 memberso Member of W.E.F .
Chinese Foreign Missionary Union o
Assemblies of God .
Member of W.E.F.
Pentecostal congregations .
Other Church groups: Baptist churches, Sclvation Army, churches founded by
interdenominational missions, unaffiliated Chinese churches, independent
congregregations on various islands. The total membership of groups not
affiliated with the National Council of Churches is estimated at 100,OOO~
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. Methodist Church of Sumatra has sent mission
aries to Sarawak (North Borneo). Batak Church Christians are preaching on
neighboring islands. The Church of Ambon and the Church of Minahassa send
missionaries to neighboring islands. The Protestant Church of the Moluccas
has sent missionaries to Irian. The Christian Evangelical Church of Minahassa
has supported missionaries in Lawak, Manggai, Timor. Churches of Java have
sent several missionaries to other islands~
Japan (Nippon)
(Constitutional Monarchy)
88 million, and growing rapidly; high density of population.
Language, Japanese . Religions: Buddhism, Shintoism.
POPULATIDN~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Protestant Christianity, almost a century old in Japan,
has experienced many ups and downs. Today the Protestant membership, largely
urban and middle class, numbers about 300,000. A little over one half of these
are in the Church of Christ in Japan (Kyodan), but there are also many other
denominations and indigenous church groups. The Protestant movement in
Japan, though small, is fortunate to have an unusually large number of well
qualified national leaders.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATIDN. (1) National Christian Council, organized in 1923,
representing nearly 3,000 churches and over 200,000 members. Member of I .M.G..
with two voting representatives~ (2) Japan Association of Evangelicals.
Member of W.E.F. (3) Evangelical Missionary Association of Japan.
- 56
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Church of Christ in Japan (Nippon Kirisuto Kyodan). This church body, based
on smaller unions before World War II, was organized in 1941 by 34 Protes
tant denominations. A number of these withdrew after the War) leaving
15 different church groups which are now united in the "Kyodan; " These
were formerly Methodist, Congregationalist, Disciples; Presbyterian and
Reformed (in part) Churches and a few Baptist and Holiness congregations o
A Constitution and Statement of Faith were adopted in 1955 . About 17 0 ~000
members in 1,400 congregations. Member of W.C.C.
#Japan Episcopal Church (Nippon Seiko Kwai)~ Autonomous Church, 10 dioce ses~
3 bishops, one presiding bishop. About 39,000 members. Member of W.C .C.
Convention of Baptist Churches in Japan (Nippon Baputosuto Renmei) .
About 10,000 members~
Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church (Nippon Fukuin Ruuteri Kyokai) .
8,000 members.
Seventh Day Adventist
Assemblies of God .
churches~
About 4,000
About
members~
Church of Jesus Spirito. About 12,000
members~
Japan Christian Reformed Church (Nippon Kirisuto Kaikaku-ha
Kyokai) ~
Presbyterian Church (Nihon Kirisuto Kyokai, or Shin-nikki) . Presbyterian
congregations which left the Kyodan in 1951~ About 3,000 members.
Japan Nazarene Church .
About 1,500 membersu
General Associations of Korean Christians in Japan.
Japan Salvation Armlf.
Other denominations and indigenous church groups: Friends of Jesus, Inde
pendent evangelical churches, Immanual churches, Christian Brotherhood
churches, Free Methodist churches, Christ1s churches, Society of Friends,
Pentecostal and Holiness churches, Holy Jesus Society churches, Mennonite
churches, Alliance churches, independent Lutheran churches, Disc i ple s
churches, churches founded by interdenominational missions. Mar~~
thousand members.
Non-church Movement (Mu-kyo-kai Un-do). Founded by Kanzo Uchimura (1860
1930)~ Several thousand Christian converts and several ten thousand Bibl e
students.
- 57
Korea
(Republic of Korea, established 1948)
POPULATION. 30 million. Of these 22 million live in the Republic of Korea
(South Korea) and 8 million nopth of the 38th parallel (Korea People's
Republic, Communist). The Korean Language, belonging to the Ural-Altaic
group, has some affinities with the Chinese language. Undep Japanese
colonial rule the Japanese language was taught to all citizens o Buddhism
has been the main religion of the people~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY . Protestant Christianity in Korea, with a history of
only eighty years, has excited all Christendom by its rapid growth. In
spite of political misfortunes, Korea is today one of the strongest Christian
countries of all Asia. Scores of thousands of Christians have moved from
Nopth to South Korea in the past few years. Little is known about the Church
in the Communist part of the country. In South Korea the future of Christi
anity is promising in spite of some unhappy theological dissensions within
the Church . Protestant community, about one million, including families
and inquireps.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) National Christian Council~ reorganized with a
new constitution in 1951, includes representatives of Presbyterian, Methodist,
Holiness, and Seventh Day Adventist church bodies, five missionary societies, and
eight other Christian organizations. Member of the I .M.C ~ with two voting
representatives . (2) National Association of Evangelicals~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
#Presbyterian Church of Korea.
About
150~000
#The Methodist Church of Korea; 7 districts.
About 50 ~000 members. Member of W.C .C.
Episcopal Church of Korea j with bishop .
Holiness Church of Korea.
members.
Member of W.C.C .
Organized 1930.
Autonomous.
About 10jOOO members.
Presbyterian Church of the Republic of Kopea (a new body which separated
from the Presbyterian Church of Korea in 1954). About 20,000 members.
Presbyterian Fundamentalist congregations (Associated with International
Council of Christian Churches). About 30~OOO members.
Baptist Convention.
About
s.ooo
member-s,
About 6 j OOO members.
Other church groups; Assemblies of God, about 2j500 members. Church of God~
about 1,000 members. Church of the Nazarene, about 1,000 membeps. Sal
vation Army, Brotherly Love Church, Church of Jesus, national mission
churches.
MISSIONARIES FROM THE YOUNCE/. CHURCHES. Presbyterian Church of Korea sent (1956)
Rev. and Mrs. Chang Yung Choi as their first missi.onaries to Thailand. Formerly,
missionaries were sent to Shantung Province, China.
- 58
Malaya and Singapore
(Federation of Malaya, 1948, and British Crown Colony of
Singapore; will achieve independent status in 1958)
POPULATION
Population of the Federation (former nine States of the Malay Penin·
sula and Straits Settlements of ¥~lacca and Penang), together with Singapore,
is 6 million . The people are Malays, 2! million; Chinese, nearly 3 million;
Tamils from India; and a few aborigines. In Singapore 80 per cent of the
population is Chinese. Malay, Chinese and Indian languages; English is taught
in the schools. Islam is the predominant religion .
0
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Protestant Christianity exists almost entirely among the
Chinese population of Malaya and Singapore; very few Malays are Christians.
The Protestant community numbers about 50 pOOO.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Malayan Christian Council, ~nth representatives of
Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Mar Thoma Syrian Churches, and
Seventh Day Adventist groups; also interdenominational organizations. Member of
the I.M.C. with one voting representative. (2) Singapore Evangelical Fellowship~
Member of W.E.F.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Methodist Church. Malaya and Malaysia Annual Conferences.
members.
Anglican Church, Diocese of Singapore.
About 12,000
Presbyterian Church; Chinese Christian Church of Malaya (former Synod of
Malaya). About 4,000 members.
Lutheran Church of Malaya (Tamil).
Assemblies of God.
About 500 members.
Other small groups: Brethren churches, Baptist churches, churches founded
by China Inland Mission Overseas Fellowship (especially in the IINew
Villages,1I churches founded by interdenominational missions.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. The Methodist Church has sent mdssionaries
to Sarawak (North Borneo) to work among the Dyak people.
Nepal (Constitutional monarchy)
POPULATION. 8 million. Hill clans of Mongolian-Hindu stock; dominant tribe is
the Ghurkas . Languages: Nepali and Newari (Sino-Tibetan and Indo-Aryan
families). Ancient Hinduism and Lamaistic Buddhism are prevailing religions.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY is very new in Nepal and no churches as yet exist .
Missionary work, largely medical, was begun in 1954 through the United Medical
- 59
Mission to NepaL
The Mar Thoma Syrian Church of India sends evangelists.
Pakistan
(Islamic Republic, federation of two units - West Pakistan and East
Pakistan, parts of Bengal and Assam)
POPULATION o ' 78 million; East Paki st.an 43 million, West Pakistan, 35 million",
Largest Muslim state in the world, but religious freedom is guaranteed in the
new Constitution. The people are Aryans; the language is Punjabi, a mixture of
Indic and Iranic. Urdu is also spoken, and English by the educated class c PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. A century of missions has resulted in a Protestant com
munity of a quarter of a million, largely a mass movement Church o The strong
est indigenous churches are in the Punjab.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. All-Pakistan Christian Council. Member of the I.M.C .
with two voting representatives. The Council includes six church bodies and
ten missionary societies in (a) East Pakistan Christian Council, and (b)
West Pakistan Christian Council.
YOUNGER CHURCIlliS.
Presbyterian Synod of the Punjab, 6 presbyteries in West Pakistan.
20,000 memberse-
About
Methodist Church, Pakistan annual conferences in the Central Conference of
Southern Asia. About 25,000 members.
Pakistan Dioceses in the Church of India, Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon,
(Anglican). (Lahore Archdeaconry Council). About 10,000 members.
Presbyterian Synod (Montgomery Synod of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian
Church). About 5,000 members.
·Sirhadi Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Pakistani Lutheran Church.
Baptist chur ches ,
About 500 members.
Community of 1,000.
Seventh Day Adventist churches, West Pakistan Union, about 1,000 members.
Other church groups~ Assemblies of God, 500 members. Church of God, Society
of Friends, Salvation Army, Pentecostals, churches of interdenominational
missions.
Presbyterian and Baptist Churches are included in Indian church bodies.
-- 60 _.
Philippine Islands
(Republic of the Philippines, proclaimed in 1946
POPULATION" 19~ million, with variety of tribal and language groups on the eleven
main islands and hundreds of smaller inhabited islands, The Filipinos consti
tute about nine-tenths of the total; the other tenth are Negritos (original
inhabitants), Igorots (mountain tribes people) and Moroso The Chinese form the
largest foreign groupo Language: Spanish and scores of native languages and
dialects o English widely understood@ Under Spanish rule Roman Catholicism be
came the principal religion
0
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Although Protestant missionaries did not arrive until
1899 the eleven major islands and many of the smaller islands now have Protes
tant churches, with a total Protestant community of about 600,OOO~
INTER-CHURCH CooPERATION o Philippine Federation of Christian Churches) which
includes United Church of Christ, Methodist Churches, Disciples Churches J Baptist
Churches, and some indigenous groups. The Federation is a member of I.MoC . with
two voting rperesentatives~
YOUNGER
csusc HES.
#United Church of Christ in the Philippines . Union of Presbyterian, Congrega
tional, Evangelical United Brethren, Methodist (in part) and Disciples (in
part) churches. About 100,000 members. Member of WoC.C .
Methodist Church, Central Conference of Southeastern Asia. Philippine Annual
Conference, Northern Philippines and Northwest Philippines Annual Confer·
ences, Mindanao Provisional Annual Conference. About 85,000 memberso
Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches.
Episcopal Church o About 12,000 memberso
About 41,000 members reported,
Churches of Christ (Disciples) of the Philippines o About 15,000.
(Other churches of this body are within the United Church of Christ) ~
Christian and Missionary Alliance churches ,
Other Baptist churches ,
Lutheran Church-·-Missouri Synod.
Few hundred members ;
Other church groups: Assemblies of God, Pentecostal and Holiness churches,
Church of the Nazarene, Church of God, Reformed Church, churches founded
by interdenominational missionso Few thousand members.
Non-Protestant and non-Roman Churches
Philippine Independent Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente, also called
Aglipayan Church) This Church is composed of priests and members who
broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in 1902. The American
Protestant Episcopal Church ordains its new bishops; otherv,ise it is not
related to the Protestant movement. Membership about l~ million
Q
- 61
Iglesia ni Kristo (Church of Christ).
Membership, about 100,000.
Founded by Felix Manalo in
1949.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. The United Church of Christ in the Philippines
supports seven missionaries: four in Thailand, two in Indonesia, one in Hawaii~
The Methodist Church supports a woman missionary in Okinawa and another in
Nigeria; this Church has organized its O,fl1 mission board. The United Church
and Methodist Church together sponsor two nurses and one music teacher in
Indonesia. Miss Leonara Flores has already served one missionary term in Nigeria.
The United Church has sent a missionary nurse to Thailand and a woman missionary
to Nigeria. Altogether thirteen missionaries from Filipino Churches serve in
other countries.
Ryukyus (Loochoo Islands)
(United Nations and U.S.A. Trusteeship)
POPULATION. Half million, ethnical~ related to the aboriginal Japanese.
Languages: Okinawan and Japanese. Religion: Buddhist and folk religion~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Most Protestant Christianity work has been on the main
island of Okinawa; in this century Japanese church groups have assumed some
responsibility for evangelizing their fellow-countrymen in the archipelago cYOUNGER CHURCHES.
The Church of Christ of Okinawa (Okinawa-jin Kirisuto Kyokai) . United Church
formed during World War II, including Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians,
Salvation Army. Membership, about 2,000.
12.ay
Small groups - Episcopalians, Baptists, Church of Christ, Seventh/Adventists .
Taiwan (Formosa)
(Headquarters of the exiled Chinese National Government)
POPULATION. 8 million, including over one million refugees from the China main
land. The hill aborigines, probably of Malayan origin, number about 150,000~
PRDTESTANTISM. Before World War II only Presbyterian churches, the result of
Canadian and English Presqyterian missions, existed on the island. Now the in
flux of refugees from the mainland and the entrance of over fifty new denomi
national missions have brought about an exceedingly diverse Christian community,
numbering about 150,000. The Roman Catholic community is reported as 50,000~
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. (1) Taiwan Missionary Fellowship. (2) Evangelical
Fellowship of Taiwan . Member of W.E.F. (3) Cooperation in connection with
Tunghai Christian University and other educational efforts.
- 62
YOUNGER CHURCHES u
#Presbyterian Church of Taiwan. The former two Synods of North and South
Taiwan were united, February 1957, into one General Assembly. Membership,
about 24,000 in the Taiwanese churches; about 13,000 in the mountain
aboriginal churches. Total, 27,000
Member of W.C.C.
0
Little Flock churches, about 30,000 members. True Jesus churches (Pente
costal type), about 15,000 members. These are indigenous Chinese groups
which have come from the mainland.
Baptist churches.
Taiwan Lutheran Church.
Methodist churches, 600 members.
Free Methodist churches, 150 members.
Other church groups: Episcopal churches, Society of Friends, Lutheran-
Missouri Synod, Independent Kuoyu (National Language) churches, Pentecostal
and Holiness churches, independent evangelical congregations. Several
thousand members.
Thailand
(Formerly Siam, constitutional monarchy)
POPULATION. 19 million~ The people are a mixture of races: original Thais who
come from China, one million Laos, and several million of Chinese ancestry.
Languages: Thai (Sino-Tibetan language), Annamese, Chinese o Buddhism has a
powerful hold upon the people. Islam is growing in influence .
PROTESTANTISM. In spite of a century and more of earnest missionary effort,
chiefly Presbyterian, the Protestant community is relatively small, between
twenty and thirty thousand.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION. National Christian Council of Thailand; member of LMoC.
with one voting representative. There has been a strong trend toward church
union.
YOUIDER CHURCHES.
#Church of Christ
Government as
tist (Karen),
bers. Member
in Thailand, formally organized in 1934, recognized by the
an indigenous body. This now embraces Presbyterian, Bap
and Disciples of Christ congregations. About 17,000 mem
of W.C.C.
Karen Baptist Convention in Thailand, 3 associations, affiliated with Church
of Christ in Thailand. Few thousand members.
Other small church groups: Churches of Christ, Christian and Missionary
Alliance churches, Pentecostal churches, Baptist churches, Brethren churches,
churches founded by interdenominational missions. About 2,000 members.
- 63
PACIFIC ISLANDS
(Not including Japan, Taiwan,
Philippine Islands and Indonesia)
Bismarck Archipelago
(Australian Territory: New Britain, New Ireland, Lavongai, Admiralty
Islands and many smaller islands)
POPULATION. 140,000 indigenous population.
Religion, animism.
missionary effort.
People are Melanesian and Papuan.
A good beginning has been made in eighty years of
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Methodist Church.
Anglican Church.
Few hundred members...
Lutheran Church.
British Borneo
(British Protectorate, including North Borneo, Sarawak, Labuan Island)
POPULATION. One million. Po'Iynesd.an peoples and 250,000 Chinese. Languages:
Malay-PolYnesian and Chinese~ Religions, primitive tribal religion and Islam.
Strong Anglican and Methodist churches have developed.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Anglican Chur-ch, Diocese of Borneo (Lebuan and Sarawak}, About 10,000 members.
Methodist Church, Sarawak Provisional Annual Conference, 3 districts; Central
Conference of Southeastern Asia. About 15,000 members.
Seventh
D~
Adventist churches.
Other church groups, about 3,000 members.
Cook Islands and Nieu (Savage Island)
(New Zealand Territory)
POPULATION.
28,000, Malay-PolYnesian race.
- 64
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY, Brought by Christians from other islands and by mission
aries v Largely Congregational.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Congregational churches.
About 6,000 tlembers.
Self-governing since 1945..
About 400 members.
Fiji Islands (British Crown Colony)
POPULATION of the 106 inhabited islands totals about 350,000. The natives are
mixed Melanesian and Polynesian stock a Over 160,000 are immigrant families
from India (Hindus and Koslems)~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY was brought by Christians from other islands and by
missionaries. Today the native population is largely Christian. Among the
Indian irrndgrants only a small proportion are as yet Christian~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
The Methodist Church in Fiji. (Methodist Church of Australia)
About 30,000 communicant members; community of 100,000~
Other church groups: Assemblies of God, Seventh Day Adventists.
hundred members.
Few
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. More than three hundred Fijian missionaries
have gone to the aborigines of North Australia, New Guinea and the Solomons.
French Oceania
(French settlements: Society Islands, Tahiti, etc.)
POPULA.TION.
60,000; Malay-Polynesian race.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Early Protestant missions bore fruit but French control
and the growing strength of the Roman Catholic Church has severely limited
Prote stant growth and influence in thi s century.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Reformed Church (French background).
About 4,000 members v
- 65
Gilbert and E,llice Islands Colony (British)
POPULATION.
35,000;
Malay~Polynesian
stock.
Most of the islanders have become Christians.
YOUNGER CHURCHES o
Cong~egational
Church .
About 7,000 commilllicant members.
Seventh Day Advent ist chur che s ,
About 100 members.
New Gu.li1ea
Weste:rTl New G1L~.ea '( I r i an ) .
See Indones.La ,
NOrth~asLQL~ ~e'~~uiri~a (Trust Territory of United Nations,
manda.ted to Australia) and Papua (Australian territory)
POPULATION.
1,300,000; Papuan tribes and language.
Tribal religion.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Northeast New Guinea now has the largest and fastest
growing Protestant chu~ch body in the South Pacific. Papua is forty per cent
a Christia.n community"
INTER,-GHURCH COOPERATION"
Protestant Missionary Council is being planned ..
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Evangelical Lutheran Chu~ch of New Guirlea, organized January 13, 1956, with
its own constitution. 165 ~ OOO baptized members, increase from 63,000
in 1945 .
Methodist Chur-ch,
About 15,C100 member-s,
Congregational ChUTeD.
Mennonite Church.
Seventh Day Adventist churches,
Churches founded. by interdenominational missions.
New Caledonia and Dependencies
(Loyalty Islands etc., French overseas territory)
POPULATION.. 65,000, including 22 :-0nO Europeans. Native people and language,
Malay-Polynesian" ROIDa.Tl Cathol:::"cism dominates",
PROTESTANT CHR.ISTIANITY.
Introduced in the first half of the 19th century, but
- 66
hindered by strong Roman Catholic influence.
Small Protestant community.
YO UNGER CHURCHES.
Reformed Church (French background)~ About 5,000 members~
New Hebrides
(~~ndominium jointly administered by France and Great Britain)
POPULATION. 60,000; Melanesian stock. Malay-Polynesian language, several dialects.
Tribal religion and animism; increasingly Christian population~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Missionaries of heroic stature, such as John Go Paton,
labored here, and their converts have become mission-minded. As a result nearly
half the population now belongs to the Protestant Christian communityo
INTER-CHURCH
COOPERATION~
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Anglican Church, Diocese of Melanesia.
Churches of Christ.
Seventh
D~
Autonomous.
Zealand~
Adventist churches.
Other church groups.
Church of the Province of New
About
1~000
members.
Samoa Islands
(New Zealand Territory of Western Samoa; American Samoa)
POPULATION.
110,000; fair-skinned
POlYnesians~
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. The Samoans were evangelized by Christians from other
islands and by missionaries; they themselves have become most mission-minded
toward other islands of the Pacific. The churches have long been self
supporting and are vital in the life of the islands.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Samoan Congregational Church.
- 67
Methodist Church of Samoa.
Anglican Church.
Other church groups: Seventh Day Adventist churches, Assemblies of God.
MISSIONARIES FROM YOUNGER CHURCHES. For decades native Christian teachers from
islands of the eastern Pacific have gone to islands of the western Pacific and
to Papua, Gilbert-Ellice Islands, etc.
Solomon Islands
(Partly British protectorate, partly Australian territory of New Guinea)
POPULATION.
150,000.
Malay-Polynesian people.
Tribal religion and animism.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. Against severe opposition of the native islanders and
by way of many difficulties a Protestant connnunity of 40,000 has been planted
and nurtured. Some villages are entirely Christian.
INTER-CHURCH COOPERATION ..
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Anglican Church, Diocese of Melanesia.
Methodist Church.
Church of the Province of New Zealand.
Seventh Day Adventist churches, about 3,000 members. Churches founded by
interdenominational missions, about 5,000 members.
Tonga, or Friendly Islands
(Monarchy under British Protectorate)
POPULATION.
55,000; Polynesian stock.
PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY. About half the inhabitants are now Christian, the fruit of
missionary work and revivals. Methodist churches predominate.
YOUNGER CHURCHES.
Methodist Churches: Wesleyan Church (Methodist Church of Australasia).
Church of Tonga.
Community of 8,000.
Free Church of Tonga.

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