Unrealized Expectations by Ruth Ann Tipton

Unrealized Expectations by Ruth Ann Tipton

This book is a history of Christian Union Mission and World Gospel Mission's Work among the Nembi and Melpa People of Papua New Guinea. The author was a part of that mission for over 37 years. Near the end of her time there, the leaders of the now local and indigenous church asked her to write a history of the church. As she reviewed memories, minutes, and interviews, she realized that there were two histories: one what the missionaries thought they were doing and the other what the people thought the missionaries were up to. These perspectives were not the same, and so the author has endeavored to tell both sides of the story. In the process, the author has produced a sensitive and nuanced history of mission that stands out as an account of conversion, revitalization, and growth of Christianity in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea.