a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

Pentecostal leaders who were interviewed, all claimed the Spirit’s guidance in
their missionary calling. For example, the present vice-president of FFCI, K.V.
Abraham, had a series of spiritual revelations, including prophecy and vision,
regarding his calling as a missionary. 116 Most of these leaders did not have any
formal theological education before they began their missionary work in
Rajasthan, but considered Spirit anointing as a requirement for missionary
preparation. However, a few realized the importance of theological education and
pursued higher education after entering into the ministry. 117 Wagner argues that,
for Pentecostals, church growth is the outcome of ‘the work of the Spirit of
God’. 118 According to Cherian, Holy Spirit baptism and the subsequent
manifestations of spiritual gifts are unique features of the growth of Pentecostal
churches in Udaipur. 119
Without exception all Pentecostal Bible schools have a missionary vision. This
mission emphasis of Pentecostals is obvious even in the curriculum of Pentecostal
Bible schools in Rajasthan, where missiology is an integral part of theological
education. At the same time, the place of missiology in theological education is
significant for Christians in India in general. Siga Arles, a leading missiologist in
India, emphatically states, ‘mission should be the dominant theme of all
theological education in that all subject areas are to be taught from a missional
116 Varkey, Ormayude Theerangaliloode, 46-48.
117 Three Pentecostal leaders admitted this fact.
118 Wagner, Look Out, 30.
119 For more details, see Cherian, ‘Pentecostal Revival,’ 38-40.
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