Ralph D. Winter
Encyclopedia
Ralph Dana Winter was an American
missiologist and Presbyterian missionary
who became well-known as the advocate for pioneer outreach among unreached people groups. He was the founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission
(USCWM), William Carey International University, and the International Society for Frontier Missiology.
His 1974 presentation at the Congress for World Evangelization
in Lausanne, Switzerland - an event organized by American evangelist
Billy Graham
- was a watershed moment for global mission.
It was during this presentation that Winter shifted global mission strategy from a focus on political boundaries to a focus on distinct people groups. Winter argued that instead of targeting countries, mission agencies needed to target the thousands of people groups worldwide, over half of which have not been reached with the gospel
message.
Billy Graham once wrote: “Ralph Winter has not only helped promote evangelism
among many mission boards around the world, but by his research, training and publishing he has accelerated world evangelization.”
In 2005, Winter was named by Time
magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. Dr. Ray Tallman, shortly after Winter's death, described him as "perhaps the most influential person in missions of the last 50 years and has influenced missions globally more than anyone I can think of."
at Columbia University
, B.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary
, and Ph.D.
at Cornell University
. He also studied at Fuller Theological Seminary
in Pasadena, Calif., where he would later teach.
At Princeton Seminary, Winter met future Campus Crusade for Christ
(CCC) founder Bill Bright
. The two Christian leaders maintained a close friendship throughout their lives until Bright’s death in 2003.
In 1951, Winter married his first wife, Roberta Helm, with whom he would later establish the USCWM in Pasadena. The couple, along with their four young daughters, served as Presbyterian missionaries to Guatemala
from 1956 to 1966.
It was in Guatemala where Winter developed and spearheaded the first Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program - the precursor for modern day theological distance education
programs and the multi-campus models used by schools and seminaries today.
The idea behind TEE was to make it easier for local church leaders to learn and be ordained as ministers without relocating them and their families for years to the capital city to attend seminary. These students could continue their ministry
while studying at extension campuses near their town
or village
. Then, once a month, they would go to the seminary in the capital city to study.
The Theological Education by Extension idea inspired a movement and soon similar programs were replicated around the world. Although many credit him for the TEE idea, Winter points to missionary James Emery
, who had served in Guatemala before him, for conceiving the idea upon which he built.
Donald McGavran
at Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of World Mission was so impressed by the TEE education system that he asked Winter to join the faculty with him and Alan Tippett
, a noted anthropologist. Winter was a professor
at Fuller from 1966 to 1976. During this time, Winter taught more than a thousand missionaries who he said helped him learn about the global mission fields.
It was also in these years that he founded the William Carey Library
, which publishes and distributes mission materials; co-founded the American Society of Missiology; launched what is now the Perspectives Study Program (first called the Summer Institute of International Studies); and presented the idea of the "hidden peoples," which later became synonymous with the phrase "unreached peoples," at the 1974 Lausanne Congress in Switzerland
.
barriers hindering the sharing of the Gospel with all peoples. In 1976, Winter left his secure, tenured position at Fuller Theological Seminary to focus on calling attention to the unreached peoples. In November 1976, the Winters founded the mission think tank
USCWM with no staff but their secretary and only $100 in cash.
From 1976 onward, Winter founded a number of organizations and groups, including William Carey International University (1977), the International Society for Frontier Missiology (1986), and the Institute for the Study of the Origins of Disease (1999).
In the last year of his life, Winter helped organize the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation
, which was held in May of 2010. Tokyo 2010 brought together around 1,000 mission leaders to discuss the unfinished task of reaching the world's remaining least-reached peoples.
magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America.
He was presented the 2008 Lifetime of Service Award at the North American Mission Leaders Conference.
and lymphoma
.
(founder of The Navigators
, a big influence on Winter in his youth)
“You do not evaluate a risk by the probability of success but by the worthiness of the goal” – Dr. Ralph D. Winter
“Nothing that does not occur daily will ever dominate your life” – Dr. Ralph D. Winter
"If it is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly" - Dr. Ralph D. Winter This is a slight variation of a quote from GK Chesterton "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."
"You can get a lot done if you don't care who gets the credit" - Dr. Ralph D. Winter
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
missiologist and Presbyterian missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
who became well-known as the advocate for pioneer outreach among unreached people groups. He was the founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission
U.S. Center for World Mission
The United States Center for World Mission is a place where mission agencies work together to strategize, research and promote ideas that will help to complete the unfinished task of reaching every people group with the Gospel. It has been described as a missions think tank or “missions...
(USCWM), William Carey International University, and the International Society for Frontier Missiology.
His 1974 presentation at the Congress for World Evangelization
Evangelization
Evangelization is that process in the Christian religion which seeks to spread the Gospel and the knowledge of the Gospel throughout the world. It can be defined as so:-The birth of Christian evangelization:...
in Lausanne, Switzerland - an event organized by American evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
- was a watershed moment for global mission.
It was during this presentation that Winter shifted global mission strategy from a focus on political boundaries to a focus on distinct people groups. Winter argued that instead of targeting countries, mission agencies needed to target the thousands of people groups worldwide, over half of which have not been reached with the gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
message.
Billy Graham once wrote: “Ralph Winter has not only helped promote evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
among many mission boards around the world, but by his research, training and publishing he has accelerated world evangelization.”
In 2005, Winter was named by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America. Dr. Ray Tallman, shortly after Winter's death, described him as "perhaps the most influential person in missions of the last 50 years and has influenced missions globally more than anyone I can think of."
Early adulthood and works
After studying for two and a half years at Caltech, Winter joined the U.S. Navy’s pilot training program. His service in the Navy helped pay for his education at Caltech, where he earned his B.S. degree. He then went on to earn his M.A.Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, B.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
, and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. He also studied at Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary
Fuller Theological Seminary is an accredited Christian educational institute with its main campus in Pasadena, California and several satellite campuses in the western United States...
in Pasadena, Calif., where he would later teach.
At Princeton Seminary, Winter met future Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ
Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian organization that promotes evangelism and discipleship in more than 190 countries...
(CCC) founder Bill Bright
Bill Bright
William R. "Bill" Bright was an American evangelist. The founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, he wrote The Four Spiritual Laws in 1952 and produced the Jesus Film in 1979.-Early life:...
. The two Christian leaders maintained a close friendship throughout their lives until Bright’s death in 2003.
In 1951, Winter married his first wife, Roberta Helm, with whom he would later establish the USCWM in Pasadena. The couple, along with their four young daughters, served as Presbyterian missionaries to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
from 1956 to 1966.
It was in Guatemala where Winter developed and spearheaded the first Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program - the precursor for modern day theological distance education
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
programs and the multi-campus models used by schools and seminaries today.
Christian ministry
In Christianity, ministry is an activity carried out by Christians to express or spread their faith. 2003's Encyclopedia of Christianity defines it as "carrying forth Christ's mission in the world", indicating that it is "conferred on each Christian in baptism." It is performed by all Christians...
while studying at extension campuses near their town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
or village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
. Then, once a month, they would go to the seminary in the capital city to study.
The Theological Education by Extension idea inspired a movement and soon similar programs were replicated around the world. Although many credit him for the TEE idea, Winter points to missionary James Emery
James Emery (missionary)
Dr. James Emery served as a missionary in Guatemala with the Presbyterian Church, and was co-founder of the Theological Education by Extension movement there, and then taught at Missionary Internship until his death in 1999.-Notes:...
, who had served in Guatemala before him, for conceiving the idea upon which he built.
Donald McGavran
Donald McGavran
Donald A. McGavran was the founding Dean and Professor of Mission, church growth, and South Asian studies at the School of World Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California...
at Fuller Theological Seminary’s School of World Mission was so impressed by the TEE education system that he asked Winter to join the faculty with him and Alan Tippett
Alan Tippett
-Life:Tippett was born in Australia and was a missionary to the Fiji Islands for more than 20 years. He earned his Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Oregon in 1964 and taught part time in the Institute of Church Growth, Fuller Theological Seminary....
, a noted anthropologist. Winter was a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at Fuller from 1966 to 1976. During this time, Winter taught more than a thousand missionaries who he said helped him learn about the global mission fields.
It was also in these years that he founded the William Carey Library
William Carey Library
William Carey Library is a book publishing company based in Pasadena, California. It was one of the first companies to publish mission resources exclusively. William Carey Library is part of the U.S. Center for World Mission and was named after William Carey, known as the "father of modern...
, which publishes and distributes mission materials; co-founded the American Society of Missiology; launched what is now the Perspectives Study Program (first called the Summer Institute of International Studies); and presented the idea of the "hidden peoples," which later became synonymous with the phrase "unreached peoples," at the 1974 Lausanne Congress in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Later life and works
After the 1974 Lausanne Congress, Winter and his wife Roberta felt there needed to be a place to tackle cultural and linguisticLanguage
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
barriers hindering the sharing of the Gospel with all peoples. In 1976, Winter left his secure, tenured position at Fuller Theological Seminary to focus on calling attention to the unreached peoples. In November 1976, the Winters founded the mission think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
USCWM with no staff but their secretary and only $100 in cash.
In the last year of his life, Winter helped organize the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation
Tokyo 2010
The first of four global consultations celebrating the centennial of Edinburgh 1910, the Tokyo 2010 Global Mission Consultation brought together around 1,000 Christian mission leaders from 140 countries in May 2010. Another 1,000 attendees came to Tokyo 2010 as observers...
, which was held in May of 2010. Tokyo 2010 brought together around 1,000 mission leaders to discuss the unfinished task of reaching the world's remaining least-reached peoples.
Recognition
In 2005, Winter was named by TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America.
He was presented the 2008 Lifetime of Service Award at the North American Mission Leaders Conference.
Death
Winter died on May 20, 2009, at the age of 84 from multiple myelomaMultiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma , also known as plasma cell myeloma or Kahler's disease , is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell normally responsible for the production of antibodies...
and lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
.
Family
Winter’s first wife, Roberta, died of multiple myeloma in 2001, just six weeks shy of their 50th anniversary. He remarried on July 6, 2002, to Barbara Scotchmer, a long-time family friend. In total, Winter had four daughters (Elizabeth, Rebecca, Linda and Patricia) with Roberta. All four of his daughters are involved in mission activities. At the time of his death, Winter had 14 grandchildren, two great-granddaughters and one great-grandson. He had two brothers, David K. Winter, president of Westmont College for many years, and Paul Winter, structural engineer. His parents were Hazel Clare (Patterson) Winter and Hugo H. Winter, also known as "Mr. Freeway" for his role in the early development of the freeway system in Los Angeles County.http://www.perspectives.org/site/c.eqLLI0OFKrF/b.5200347/k.4346/Dr_Ralph_Winter_is_with_the_Lord.htmMottos in life
"Never do anything others can do or will do, when there are things to be done that others can't do or won't" – Dawson TrotmanDawson Trotman
Dawson Trotman was an evangelist, crusader and founder of The Navigators.Trotman founded The Navigators in 1933 and through this worldwide Christian organization supported various Christian ideals: maintaining the basic disciplines of the Christ-centered Spirit-filled life, abiding in the Word of...
(founder of The Navigators
The Navigators (organization)
The Navigators is a worldwide Christian para-church organization headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Its main purpose is the discipling of Christians with a particular emphasis on enabling them to share their faith with others....
, a big influence on Winter in his youth)
“You do not evaluate a risk by the probability of success but by the worthiness of the goal” – Dr. Ralph D. Winter
“Nothing that does not occur daily will ever dominate your life” – Dr. Ralph D. Winter
"If it is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly" - Dr. Ralph D. Winter This is a slight variation of a quote from GK Chesterton "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."
"You can get a lot done if you don't care who gets the credit" - Dr. Ralph D. Winter
Further reading
- Winter, Roberta H. (2003) I Will Do a New Thing: The U.S. Center for World Mission – And Beyond. Pasadena, California, USA: William Carey Library, 1987.
External links
- U.S. Center for World Mission Official website of the U.S. Center for World Mission
- Perspectives Perspectives on the World Christian Movement website
- The Christian Post Dr. Ralph D. Winter page on The Christian Post
- Vimeo.com - Ralph D. Winter Memorial Service contains videos of the Memorial Service held on 28 June 2009 in Pasadena, CA. Segment 1/5 contains a video tribute and biography.
- Biography