History of Perspectives

Milestones

1973
At the Urbana '73 student missions conference, 28% of those attending indicated that they were eager to commit their lives to missions. This was over a 300% increase from the 8% who signed the decision card at Urbana '70. Realizing that students would base their decisions to serve in missions on the information they had available, Dr. Ralph Winter, then a professor at the School of World Mission at Fuller Seminary, designed a course which would help fill in the information gaps which likely existed for these students.

1974
Held in Wheaton, IL in the summer following Urbana '73, the first course was called the Summer Institute of International Studies (SIIS). It gave an overview of missions from Biblical, Historical, Cultural, and Strategic perspectives. Over nine weeks, a series of guest professors came to each spend a week with the students, share meals with them, and also share their passion for God's global purposes.

1976
While the course preceded the formation of the U.S. Center for World Mission, as the USCWM was founded in 1976 in Pasadena CA, many among the small staff came from the SIIS alumni pools. After three more summer SIIS offerings, the course developed a semester-long format as well as the intensive month-long summer program.

1980
Realizing more students could be reached if classes were to be held in locations outside of the USCWM campus in Pasadena, the first extension class was held at Penn State University. Many alumni from this class went on to work with and form other mission organizations.

1981
The first Perspectives Reader text was published, and is now known to be the most widely-used missions text in all colleges and seminaries, in addition to Perspectives classes.

1983
As Perspectives grew, the need to equip future course coordinators became evident.  A training workshop to facilitate ongoing extension classes began.

1986
The name of the program is officially changed to the Perspectives Study Program.

Late 1980' to early 1990's
Perspectives begins to develop in other languages in other countries.  

1992
The 2nd (revised) Edition of the Perspectives Reader is published. 

1999
The 3rd Edition of the Reader is published. 

2000
The number of classes around the country per year exceeds 100 for the first time! 

2005
The National Offices for the Perspectives Study Program relocate from Pasadena, CA to Fayetteville, AR.   

2006
The 4th Edition Revision process begins, expecting to be complete by Spring 2008.

2007
Launch of the new Perspectives.org website, with more tools and resouces for students, instructors, task force members, coordinators, and alumni.

Today

• Over 70,000 people have taken Perspectives in North America
• Over 30,000 people in other countries have taken Perspectives
• There are over 200 classes with an average 7,000 or more people each year
• Perspectives is available in numerous languages and countries throughout the world, with new ones developing each year. 
• National Perspectives Conference in Dallas, Texas is planned for June of 2008!