Most Christians know very little about what has happened in the spread of Christianity since Pentecost.
The book of Acts in the New Testament tells a little about Peter’s witness and a little more about Paul’s. After that, what happened? We don’t know—until we come to our own time.
This book helps to fill in the gaps. The amazing spread of the Christian movement far beyond the boundaries of the Roman Empire in the first thousand years after Christ, the irrepressible movements of the Holy Spirit in Christian witness in every part of the globe in the second thousand years, culminating in the astonishing global spread of the faith in the past 300 years—this is our priceless spiritual heritage.
THE AUTHOR
Richard Showalter and his wife Jewel serve the global church, focusing on its frontier locations where the seeds of new fellowships are being planted for the first time. They have worked as church planters in the U.S. (1976-82) and the Middle East (1982-89; 2015+), mission educators/communicators (Rosedale Bible Institute: 1970-73; 1976-79; 1989-94), and mission administrators (Eastern Mennonite Missions: 1994-2011) prior to their current roles in mentoring, writing, resourcing, consulting, and grandparenting. Their current U.S. church relationships are primarily with the Conservative Mennonite Conference (Mechanicsburg Christian Fellowship, Mechanicsburg, Ohio). They also maintain ties with the West End Mennonite Fellowship, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Internationally, they are honorary members of the Meserete Kristos Church of Ethiopia where Jewel was baptized, and they are part of a small congregation in the Middle East. They volunteer with Rosedale Bible College, Rosedale Mennonite Missions, and Eastern Mennonite Missions. Richard is an adjunct faculty member of Bethany International University in Singapore and an overseer in the Conservative Mennonite Conference. He has studied at the University of Chicago, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Fuller School of Intercultural Studies, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Bethany International University. Richard and Jewel treasure the privilege of knowing and walking with God, being part of the body of Christ, and living and sharing the good news of the Kingdom. They are parents of three and grandparents of fourteen.