1973

 At the Urbana ‘73 student missions conference, nearly 30% of attendees signed commitment cards to live out their lives and their faith for the cause of world missions. Realizing that students would need reliable information about the missions task ahead and the tools to get there, Dr. Ralph Winter, then a professor at the School of World Mission at Fuller Seminary, designed a course that would fill in the gaps.

1974

The first “Perspectives” course was held in Wheaton, IL and 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

Dr. Winter founded the US Center for World Mission in Pasadena CA. The “Perspectives” course would now be offered on the campus of the USCWM.

1980

Realizing more students could be reached if classes were to be held in locations off-campus and outside of Pasadena, the first extension class was held at Pennsylvania State University. Many alumni from this class went on to form new mission organizations, and to work in existing ones.

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.

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.

2000

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

2008

The 4th Edition of the Perspectives Reader is published

2009 

• Over 80,000 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