Mission from the Margins to the Margins: Two Case Studies from Latin America

Abstract

The shift of Christianity to the South means that missionary initiative moves to countries and regions that are marginal from the viewpoint of economic development and cultural hegemony. Consequently, there is a search for new models of mission “from the margins” that will be closer to the models of New Testament times and the pre-Constantinian church. This article explores two case studies of Protestant mission that emerged from the margins of North American society at the beginning of this century. The stories of Pentecostal and Seventh-Day Adventist missionaries, who started their work among marginalized sectors in remote areas of Brazil and Perú, provide suggestive examples of methodology and approach.