Randy Clark: Supernatural Missions

Randy Clark, compiler, Supernatural Missions: The Impact of the Supernatural on World Missions (Mechanicsburg, PA: Apostolic Network of Global Awakening, 2012), 406 pages, ISBN 9781937467340.

Randy Clark is very well known in the Spirit-filled community, having been involved in supernatural ministry for over 20 years. He is both a contributor to and the compiler of Supernatural Missions. This book is a made up of fifteen chapters written by various authors. The contributors to this volume are: Randy Clark, Leif Hetland, Bill Jackson, Peter Prosser, Clifton Clarke, Rolland Baker, Heidi Baker, “D.J.,” Jonathan Bernis, Bob Ekblad, Lesley-Anne Leighton, Howard Foltz, and Donald Kantel. The book was written to fill a perceived need; there was not at the time a book that dealt with missions which incorporated power, presence, and presentation evangelism (page 1). This volume was compiled to answer the question, “How does the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit impact the way we understand and do missions?” (page 1).

The book addresses a wide range of topics related to the subject of missions. In chapters 1 and 2 Randy Clark and Leif Hetland share accounts which demonstrate that the power of the Holy Spirit causes the work of God to prosper exponentially. They do this by citing examples; personal testimonies as well as events from recent and earlier history are mentioned. The stories that are shared come from different places in the world. Bill Jackson wrote chapters 3 and 4. In his chapters he traces the biblical basis for missions from the Old Testament through the New Testament. In chapter 5 Peter Prosser picks up the story and writes about missions throughout church history. In chapter 6 Clifton Clarke narrows the focus down to the Pentecostal Movement. He seeks to give the reader an understanding of and appreciation for this movement and its importance to the life of the church. Chapter 7, which was written by Rolland Baker, speaks about the tremendous value of the gift of prophecy, especially as it relates to the power to impact missions. The next chapter was written by a person who is identified only as “D. J.” This is for security purposes because he is a missionary in the Arab Muslim world. He writes about the importance of supernatural gifts and ministries in reaching Muslims for Christ. In chapter 9, Jonathan Bernis, President of Jewish Voice Ministries International, writes about the importance of reaching the Jewish people with the gospel. This is followed by a chapter written by Randy Clark in which he writes about the value of the short-term missions trip, specifically those in which the participants rely on and operate in the power of the Holy Spirit. Heidi Baker wrote chapter 11. A major emphasis of the book is the power of the Spirit, however she tells us that the power of God is to be expressed with the love of God. Chapter 12 was written by Bob Ekblad. He writes about the need for ministry to address both the spiritual and physical needs of people. In the following chapter, Lesley-Anne Leighton writes about the value of using anthropological insights in missions work. Utilizing these helps to minimize frustration and can help the missionary be more effective in a foreign culture. Chapter 14 was written by Howard Foltz. In this chapter he writes about trends in missions, which includes things such as partnering, investing in leaders, and combining good deeds and good news. Chapter 15 was written by Don Kantel who works with Iris Ministries in Mozambique. He writes about Spirit-led transformational aid and shares some of his experiences at Iris Ministries.

Tags: clark, missions, randy, supernatural

Category: Ministry, Spring 2017