The History of:

Literacy & Evangelism

International

1800 S. Jackson Ave.Tulsa, OK. 74107(918) 585-3826www.LiteracyEvangelism.org

Dr. Robert F. Rice1921-2002

Dr. Frank Laubach 1884-1970

Frank Laubach was a missionary to a Muslim tribe in the Philippines

Literacy Campaign on Lanao:

“Teach or Die”70,000 people learn to read/write“Each One Teach One”Primers in 300 languages & 100 countries“The Apostle of literacy”

Laubach said to Ghandi in India:

“The greatest single blessing that ever came to the world was the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. If Christ had not been written and if we had not been able to read the Gospels, we would know very little about him.”

Bob Rice meets Laubach in 1945 Inspired by the man and his message A vision was born…

“ I saw the importance of adult literacy and at the same time an evangelistic potential in literacy missions.”

Literacy As a Means of Evangelism on the Foreign Mission Field – Princeton Seminary Thesis

“Only the everlasting gospel which is for every nation and kindred and tongue and people can redeem literacy. Then will literacy evangelism be like a sharp sword and a polished shaft in the hand of the Lord. It will not only be a channel for introducing the good news of Christ, but a primary means for enabling the good news to take firm root and bear fruit in ever widening dimensions.”

Mission to Korea: 1950-1965

Rural evangelismBible Institute Ministry to 700

“street children”Literature Literacy

Alice & boys in Japan

Where’s the current LEI director?

Dr. Sam Moffatt,

“In the early days of the Korean Church, wise missionaries and pastors said, ‘all you need to be saved is to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. If you want to become a full member of his church in Korea, you’re going to have to learn to read. You’re not going to be equipped Christians until you read the Word of God for yourselves. Then and only then are you equipped to tell others… what God’s Word is saying to them.’”

Birth of Literacy & Evangelism

Oral Roberts University Laubach co-teaches Rice invited to join LLBob instead begins

“L & E”

Laubach’s Endorsement

“The L&E program is closer to the heart of God than any other…because (it can) win souls to Christ.”

F. Laubach

Influence of the Summer Institute of Linguistics:

Education & research arm of Wycliffe Bible TranslatorsReduce oral languages to writing & translate the BibleSIL training Norman,OKDr. Sarah Gudschinsky (pictured here)

Literacy & Literacy Workers: “That person is fully literate who in a language that he

speaks, can read and understand anything that he would have understood if it had been spoken to him; and who can write anything he can say, so it can be read.”

Sarah Gudschinsky

“Literacy workers are needed wherever translation is being done. After all, what’s the use of giving people the Bible if they can’t read it? It would be like putting in a water system for people dying of thirst but not providing any faucets.”

“In Other Words” Wycliffe Bible Translators

LEI Approach to Primer Construction

Consistent lesson format – LaubachSyllable boxes – GudschinskyBible-content – Rice

Bible reference in every lessonName of Jesus introduced in Lesson 12Simple stories about Him in each lesson26 simplified passages of Scripture

Isaiah 55:8-11 “ My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.    Just as the heavens are higher than the earth,     my thoughts and my ways are higher than

yours. Rain and snow fall from the sky. But they don't

return  without watering the earth that produces seeds to plant and grain to eat. That's how it is with my words. They don't return to me without doing everything I send them to do." (CEV)

   

Literacy Needs Today:Conclusions drawn from Laubach, ABS & SIL

90% world has entire Bible in Mother Tongue95% world has the New Testament in MT98% world has some Scripture in MT

Yet 45-55% of the world is unable to read the Word of God!These people are totally or functionally illiterate.This is a “blind spot” in mission’s today.

Literacy Evangelism begins

Founded 1967½ bedroom of the Rice home in TulsaPrimer done in the Indonesian languageBob traveled 3-6 months a year overseasOver 40 round-the-world trips

Expansion & growth:

An office was built in 1980 and the Tutor Place dormitory in 1987.

Rev. John Taylor

Appointed Executive Director in 1994Raised in IndiaServed in Nepal for 7 years then as Director for 10 years

Rev. Sid Rice – Executive Director

Worked in corporate world for 20 yearsGraduate of Fuller SeminaryAppointed by the Board in February 2006Married to ChristaSons: Phillip, Daniel & David

Goals of Literacy & Evangelism:

Teach Christians to read so they can be daily readers of the Bible.

A Pastor in Tambo, Ecuador said,“Some people here want to read more than they want to eat or drink.” Literacy is a problem in the U.S. Africa, India, China have larger opportunities

Where illiteracy reigns, the church is impoverished

Written on a blackboard of a Christian school in Harrison, Arkansas, “the devil doesn’t want people to read, because God wrote a book.”

John Wesley said, “it cannot be that people should grow in grace unless they give themselves to reading (the Bible).”

Morris Watkins said,”there is no record of the church in any land, being strong spiritually where the leadership was illiterate or where laymen were not encouraged to read the Bible.”

Allen & Joan Lovekin serving in Kinshasa, Zaire

“Its wonderful. Ten new classes on the coast, 40 new teaching centers in northern Zaire, 100 teaching sites in Kinshasa…. Illiterate people are learning to read their own language from a Bible-based primer. They are having their faith deepened and their minds opened to health, farming and nutrition…”

Goals continued:Teach non-Christians to read and witness to them of the Living Word through the Written Word.

Laubach’s motto , “Each One Teach One and Win One to Christ.”“literacy mission… is a potent opportunity for evangelism.” Christianity Today MagazineIndia Bible Literature “In every land, in every language, it is the same; where the Bible is read… the life is changed… people are transformed.” Amy Carmichael

International Literacy Training Institutes (ILTI)

Held in Tulsa and Belo Horizonte, Brazil annually5 week Institute in US Module 1 is an introduction of LEI ministryModule 2 is indepth training for overseas workers2007 we had 24 people from 12 different countries3 wk. Regional ILTI’s

LEI Missionaries40+ people serving with LEI working around the globe. Application process, graduate ILTI, finish orientation and 2 year internship Faith missionAffiliates

English Language Ministry

Church-based ESL programsPassport to the World of EnglishRev. Don EdicImportant tool for missions

Our 2020 Word Vision :

Bible-content material for each strategic language

At least some Bible translationAt least 1,000,000 speakers

Church-based ministry for each strategic people group

Indigenous church or church planting effortHigh rate of illiteracy or high demand for English

Opportunity to join us in shaping LEI’s history…

Use over 200+ Bible-content primers Lead TTW’s & Institutes Use Bible-content ESL curriculumDevelop a primer for every strategic language & A church-based literacy ministry for each people group

The history of LEI continues to be written in…

India, Nepal, MyanmarBrazil, Peru, GuatemalaGhana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast Mongolia, Kazakhstan, ChinaMexico, United StatesKorea, Philippines, Laos....

“Would that this one book were in every language, in every land, before the eyes and in the ears and hearts of all men.”

Martin Luther