Editing Transformational Christianity (section)

== History ==
The concept of transformation was initiated as a result of claims regarding an apparent series of citywide [[revival meeting|revivals]] which took place in several South American locations in the 1980s and 1990s. Starting in the mid-1970s and into the 1980s, the focuses of a loose network of evangelical pastors in South America converged to form what is termed strategic [[spiritual warfare]]. These pastors included Argentinian Baptist Eduardo Lorenzo (a revivalist who studied spiritual warfare to defeat local demons), [[Youth With A Mission|Youth With a Mission]]'s John Dawson (who wrote about demonic control of geographic regions), [[New Apostolic Reformation]] (NAR) evangelist [[Ed Silvoso]] (who used prayer to defeat a supposed warlock in an area lacking evangelical churches), and evangelist Carlos Annacondia (who focused on missions work and exorcism). Believing that [[Territorial spirit|territorial spirits]] – demons controlling specific areas – were hindering mission efforts, the concept of [[spiritual mapping]] to plot out these areas and their problems, particularly social ills, took form. Removing malign influences was seen to open the way for spiritual revival and societal transformation. These spiritual mapping and spiritual warfare techniques caught the interest of NAR leader [[C. Peter Wagner]]. Such revival was believed to be happening in South America in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Wagner and Silvoso were key promoters of the revival and spiritual warfare methodology leading up to it and helped spread the concepts more widely in evangelicalism.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Holvast |first=René |title=Spiritual Mapping: The Turbulent Career of a Contested American Missionary Paradigm, 1989–2005 |date=2008 |access-date=March 9, 2025 |publisher=[[Utrecht University]] |url=https://dspace.library.uu.nl/bitstream/handle/1874/29340/holvast.pdf |isbn=978-90-393-4829-1 |pages=40–44, 59–61, 68, 83–85, 217}}</ref>

The claims were widely promoted in videos produced by [[George Otis, Jr.]] (coiner of the terms ''spiritual mapping'' and the ''[[10/40 window]]'') under the titles ''Transformations'' (2000) and ''Transformations II'' (2002). The films claim drug arrests (see [[Cali Cartel]]) were connected to revival in the Colombian city as well as purported reports of giant vegetables grown in Guatemala, community transformation in the Canadian Arctic, Ugandan revival and dramatic increases in church attendance. [[Jack Dennison]] also wrote a book, ''City Reaching.'' This provided further impetus within the fundamentalist Christian world to Otis' teaching in both city reaching and marketplace ministry techniques. Silvoso popularized the latter approach in his book ''Anointed for Business'', which introduced the term ''Marketplace Transformation''. This combined with the concept of ''community transformation'' to develop a more general focus on transformation. {{As of|2025|January}}, the videos are still being sold from Otis' Sentinel Group website store.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Documentaries |url=https://www.sentinelgroup.org/documentaries |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Sentinel Group}}</ref>

The term ''Transformationalism'' was apparently first used in conjunction with groups such as [[Pray the Bay]] in early 2004, reflecting a more general view of transformation as a key (if not defining) attribute of the Christian life. This coincided with a possibly unrelated increase in the use of the term 'transformation' by a wide range of different churches and organizations during 2004.

Transformation conferences in 2005 ([[Indonesia]]) and 2007 (Seoul, [[Korea]]) focused on five "streams": saturation [[church planting]]; [[Christian revival|revival]]; reaching cities; [[marketplace ministry]] and [[economic development]] for the poor. The goal was, among other things, to develop a transformational covenant, to provide further definition to this movement.

The claims made by Otis in the ''Transformations'' videos have been unable to be verified when investigated by neutral researchers, journalists and his critics.<ref>1999: Informed Intercession. Ventura, California: Renew Books</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Otis and Transformations – The Deception Continues |url=https://www.bibleguidance.co.za/Engarticles/Otisteachings.htm |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.bibleguidance.co.za}}</ref> The ''Transformations'' videos circulated widely through Pentecostal, charismatic and similar spirit-filled Christian churches all over the world. Copies of the videos (and later DVDs) and other associated books and commercial merchandise generated huge personal and corporate profits for various Christian leaders and religious organizations through on-selling in churches.{{Cn|date=March 2025}} The videos had a significant impact in the conservative Australian city of [[Toowoomba]], where large numbers of fundamentalist and Pentecostal Christians became convinced of the power of strategic level spiritual warfare to bring about a revival and transformation there.{{Cn|date=March 2025}} Claims were made, sometimes through so-called prophecies, that this action would lead to Toowoomba becoming a hub for the anticipated great Australian revival, as well as the achievement of reduced sinfulness, a lower crime rate, general prosperity among the population, greatly increased church attendance, the installation of men and women of God into government and a reduced commitment to cults.