Charles D. Neff
Encyclopedia
Charles Daniel Neff was a missionary who had a great impact on the mission and theology of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ
). He also founded the humanitarian agency Outreach International
and the Community One Resources Development Inc. also known as CORD.
As an Apostle, a leadership position in the RLDS Church, from 1958 to 1984, he was responsible for helping start the church in Japan
, South Korea
, the Philippines
, India
, Nigeria
, Liberia
and Kenya
.
His missionary work in these countries challenged him to rethink the church's theology — opening it to the voices of other cultures — and confronted him with the horrific realities of massive poverty.
, Missouri
, USA
in 1922, Neff grew up in a poor but not destitute rural family during the Great Depression
. He was the first in his family to attend college, starting at Ottawa University
in Ottawa, Kansas
, eventually finishing with a BS in Economics
from Central Missouri State Teachers College.
He served as an officer in the United States Navy
during World War II
in the Pacific theater from 1943 to 1945. He saw heavy combat at the battles of Tarawa
, Guam
, the Philippines
and Okinawa. When the war ended, he was sent to Japan
as part of the occupation force and was in Hiroshima
three weeks after the atomic bomb was dropped.
"There were hideous sights, like people whose flesh had been torn from bone and muscle so it hung down just like bundles of rags," said Neff. This made an indelible mark on his heart, and he vowed to commit his life and work to helping the suffering.
He first encountered the Community of Christ
(at that time, called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) through Frances Dillon, who he later married. They had four children: Robert, Nancy, Susan and John.
Neff particularly emphasized the importance of:
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
). He also founded the humanitarian agency Outreach International
Outreach International
Outreach International is an international non-governmental organization based in Independence, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1979, the organization's purpose is to help the poor overcome the effects of poverty and develop the capacity to create a new future for themselves and their...
and the Community One Resources Development Inc. also known as CORD.
As an Apostle, a leadership position in the RLDS Church, from 1958 to 1984, he was responsible for helping start the church in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
His missionary work in these countries challenged him to rethink the church's theology — opening it to the voices of other cultures — and confronted him with the horrific realities of massive poverty.
Early life and family
Born in HardinHardin, Missouri
Hardin is a city in Ray County, Missouri, United States. The population was 569 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hardin is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1922, Neff grew up in a poor but not destitute rural family during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He was the first in his family to attend college, starting at Ottawa University
Ottawa University
Ottawa University is a private, non-profit, faith-based liberal arts college located in Ottawa, Kansas. It was founded in 1865 and is affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA...
in Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa, Kansas
Ottawa is a city situated along the Marais des Cygnes River in the central part of Franklin County, located in east-central Kansas, 50 miles southwest of Kansas City, Mo., in the central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,649. It is the county seat and most populous...
, eventually finishing with a BS in Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from Central Missouri State Teachers College.
He served as an officer in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the Pacific theater from 1943 to 1945. He saw heavy combat at the battles of Tarawa
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa, code named Operation Galvanic, was a battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II, largely fought from November 20 to November 23, 1943. It was the first American offensive in the critical central Pacific region....
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and Okinawa. When the war ended, he was sent to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
as part of the occupation force and was in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
three weeks after the atomic bomb was dropped.
"There were hideous sights, like people whose flesh had been torn from bone and muscle so it hung down just like bundles of rags," said Neff. This made an indelible mark on his heart, and he vowed to commit his life and work to helping the suffering.
He first encountered the Community of Christ
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
(at that time, called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) through Frances Dillon, who he later married. They had four children: Robert, Nancy, Susan and John.
Philosophy and theology
Neff believed that the entire gospel, and church doctrine, could be boiled down into two essential and non-negotiable principles "the reality of a personal God and the worth of humans." He felt it was the church's mission to incarnate these principles through social development, religious witness and political activism.Neff particularly emphasized the importance of:
- Community. He felt the church should help people "understand that they are fundamentally not individuals but a collective social being that finds fulfilment and satisfaction in interaction with all persons within that society."
- Indigenization and Cultural Sensitivity. Neff believed that "Once the gospel is brought to a nation the interpretation, expression, application, and communication of it should reflect a local, contemporary, and national color...." He objected to the term 'missions abroad' as "though they are a kind of 'white man's burden.'" Neff argued mission ought to be a "two-way street" with all cultures able to "be both senders and receivers" of missionaries.
- Liberation for the Poor and Dispossessed. Drawing on liberation theologyLiberation theologyLiberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
, Neff believed God ultimately favored the poor and oppressed, and worked for their liberation. He thus believed the church must also do so. He said, "When I think of the mission of the Church, I am frequently compelled to recall the face of the poorest and most helpless person I have ever seen and ask myself if the program we are undertaking will be of any use to that person. Will it restore him the dignity that every man should enjoy? Will it set him free? Will it heal his broken heart?" - Human Equality. In the late 1970s and through the 1980s, he worked hard to advocate for women's rightsWomen's rightsWomen's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...
within the church. He even suggested that the system of priesthood itself should be abolished because he felt it was an inherently hierarchical system. - Anti-Militarism. As a result of his experiences in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and having observed the results of conflicts in NigeriaNigeriaNigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, he became quite distrustful of the use of military force. In an address to some 5000 people at the Community of Christ World Conference in 1982 he declared, "The fashioning of nuclear weapons and threatening to use them is a sin...." He helped found the Kansas City Interfaith Peace Alliance and was involved in the campaign against US-sponsored counterinsurgencies in Central America.
See also
- Community of ChristCommunity of ChristThe Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
- Outreach InternationalOutreach InternationalOutreach International is an international non-governmental organization based in Independence, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1979, the organization's purpose is to help the poor overcome the effects of poverty and develop the capacity to create a new future for themselves and their...
- John Whitmer Historical AssociationJohn Whitmer Historical AssociationThe John Whitmer Historical Association "is an independent scholarly society composed of individuals of various religious faiths who share a lively interest in ......
Further reading
- Matthew Bolton. (2005) Apostle of the Poor: The Life and Work of Missionary and Humanitarian Charles D. Neff. Independence, MO, John Whitmer Books. Published by the John Whitmer Historical AssociationJohn Whitmer Historical AssociationThe John Whitmer Historical Association "is an independent scholarly society composed of individuals of various religious faiths who share a lively interest in ......
. ISBN 0-8309-1225-8 http://www.jwha.info/publications/johnWhitmerBooks.asp - Matthew Bolton. (29 October 2005) "Neff's Christian Outreach Took Him around the World." The Examiner. http://examiner.net/stories/102905/mat_102905018.shtml