Life and Impact of Ralph Winter
May 21, 2009 – 8:51 pm
Ralph Winter, one of the most influential missions leaders of the past century, went home to be with the Lord yesterday. He was an active 84 years old. As Christianity Today Australia reports:
Winter, who founded USCWM [U.S. Center for World Mission] and William Carey International University, is widely regarded as one of the key factors behind the major shift of perspective in the mission movement – a shift from going to countries and individuals to penetrating “unreached peoples,” or those who have been bypassed.
Many tributes to Winter have been released recently. Here are a few:
John Piper’s Personal Tribute to the Late Ralph Winter
Austin Stone Community Church: A Tribute to Dr. Ralph Winter
Below is a concise summary, in Dr. Winter’s words, of his revolutionary focus on people groups, rather than merely on countries/individuals:
Regardless of one’s perspective of Dr. Winter’s missions philosophy - good, bad, indifferent - missions as we know it today has been indelibly affected by his speaking, writings, and example. We would do well to emulate his love for God and desire to stir the cause for gospel ministry around the world.
