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Paul Eshleman, former director of Jesus Film Project

UPDATE: I have just received a response from Mr Eshleman, which I have added at the end of this post.

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On Saturday 26 October, the penultimate day of the Lausanne III Congress in Cape Town, Paul Eshleman, former Director of Jesus Film Project and head of the Strategy Working Group of the Lausanne Movement, did a presentation on ‘Essential Elements of Global Evangelisation’ You may download it HERE). During his message, he shared with participants a list of so-called ‘unreached peoples groups’ (you may find the list HERE), which legitimately scandalised many of the ecumenical participants in this congress, particularly the Orthodox.

That is why I have decided to sent the message below to Mr. Paul Eshleman, which I did on Friday 26 November. Since then I have not received even a confirmation of reception, let alone and answer. I fact, to be fair, I doubt there will ever be a response. Because of this, and because of the potentially disastrous ecumenical consequences of this matter, I have decided to make public this message.

My hope is that this will take the conversation in the open, encourage the adequate apologies and motivate the necessary corrections on such sectarian practices that can only hamper the cause of the Gospel in our world today.

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Dear Mr. Eshleman,

I am one of the participants in the recent Lausanne III  Congress who were absolutely shocked at the reception of your list of so-called  Unreached Peoples Groups. You list in this document,  among the unreached peoples, at the positions mentione below, the following  groups:

768 – 123,500 Russian Orthodox in France

You call these and the rest of those  below, ’Traditional Christians’, as if ‘traditional’ is a swear word. I  understand the modernist presuposition behind this label, but I have to inform  you that this suggestion is highly offensive to all Christians – Catholics,  Orthodox or mainline Protestants – who have a deep respect for the life of the  Spirit of God in the historical Church of Jesus Christ – which is the Orthodox  definition of Tradition.

Maybe you wanted to say ‘nominal Christians’, but did  not find the right words. If that is what you meant, why do you only mention  Orthodox believers in your list. In what way are the nominal Orthodox worse than  nominal Catholics or, even more so, nominal Evangelicals (and you know there are  many of them everywhere, including in the US).

Do you have any idea that this ethnic/religious group -  Russian Orthodox in France – includes many devout Christians and that it  supports one of the most important Orthodox seminaries in the world, St. Sergius  Institute in Paris? It has also given a number of 20th century saints,  among whom St. Maria Skobtsova and St. Vladimir Ambartsumov, who have also been  declared ‘just among nations’ because of their support to Jews during the Nazi  occupation of France. If they are ‘unreached’ I wonder who are the ‘reached’  ones.

478 – 1,248,725 Arab Orthodox (and probably also  Maronite and other) Christians in Lebanon

Incredible! Have you ever been in Lebanon, to see the  vibrant spiritual life in some of the Orthodox and Maronite communities  there?

977 – 60,908 Ukrainean Orthodox Christians in  Romania

This includes virtually all Ukraineans in my country. I  wonder how could someone be so arrogant as to argue that there absolutely  no committed Christains among this group. Based on what?

I have no idea what criteria was used in putting this  list together, but I imagine that based on the fact there there are probably no  ethnic Evangelical churches of this group, the conclusion was that they are  ‘unreached’, since, it goes without saying, isn’t it, that, according to a  certain kind of outdated sectarian theology, only Evangelicals are true  Christians.

1086 – 100,000 Russian Orthodox Christians in  the United Christians (virtually all Russians in that  country)

1089 – 64,000 Ukrainean Orthodox in Great  Britain (virtually all Ukraineans in that  country)

Have you ever heard of the late Metr. Anthony Bloom,  former head of the Russian Orthodox Church in the US and one of the spiritual  masters of the 20th century, or your people only read Evangelical  literature?
Do you know that this group, together with other  Orthodox groups in the UK, support the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies  in Cambridge, UK, a college that has just launched in October an Orthodox  version of the Alpha Course?
Calling this group ‘unreached’ is highly offensive and a  real disgrace to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that you and I try to  represent.

Dear Sir,

I believe these people deserve an official apology from  you, on your web site and the immediate amendment of this horrendous  list.

PS I copy this message to two of my friends, Fr. Stelian  Tofana and Fr. Ioan Sauca, who have been invited at Lausanne III by Doug  Birdsall at my suggestion, and who have been utterly offended by the  ecumenical insensitivity manifested in this list. I also copy this message  to Doug Birdsall and Chris Wright, because they needs to be informed of  this also.

I hope wisdom will prevail and that justice and right  amends will be made, so that the cause of the Gospel would not suffer  uselessly.

Yours, in great disappointment and, I  think, legitimate anger,

Danut Manastireanu, PhD

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Here is the response I have received from Paul Eshleman on 7 December (it was also copied to the people who have received my letter(:

Dear Dr. Manastireanu,

I am writing to express my profound apologies for the errors that were made in the Unreached People Group list presented at Cape Town.  The last thing that anyone associated with the Lausanne Movement would want to do is to offend brothers and sisters in the family of Christ or to question the sincerity and devotion of anyone who follows our Lord.  And so, let me just ask for your forgiveness for this glaring error and the offense that it was to you and others at the Congress.

I have personally had the joy of worshipping in Orthodox churches in three or four cities in Russia, as well as Georgia and the United States.  I was also welcomed very warmly by the Orthodox leaders in Bucharest.  Therefore, I am especially sorry for the ecumenical insensitivity shown in the list presented.

In the criteria used in putting the list together, the definition of “unreached” was less than 2% Evangelical and less than 5% Christian Adherents (Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant).  By any measurement, I am sure that the Russians and Ukrainians in Great Britain and France would identify themselves as adherents to the Christian Faith.  The listing of the Maronite and Orthodox Christians in Lebanon was absolutely wrong.  So, these were mistakes that were made and I take responsibility for not noticing the errors prior to their printing and distribution.

As a first step, we have corrected the website so that these groups are no longer included.

As a second step, we want to send out a revised listing of the Unreached People Groups to those who made commitments to People Groups at the Lausanne Congress.  I have attached the corrected edition for you.

Finally, let me just say that I have great respect for the life of the Spirit of God in the historical Church of Jesus Christ.  I am deeply grateful to the Church who remained faithful to our Lord throughout the centuries — and especially in these last decades under Communism.

Thank you for being willing to share your concerns in the interest of Christian unity.  May God continue to richly bless your ministry for Him.

Warmly in Christ,

Paul

Paul Eshleman
Vice President

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I attach here the modified list that Paul Esg=hleman attached to his response to me, for those interested in it.

Public-UUPG List 2.12-02-10

Campus Crusade for Christ, Int’l

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