Restrictions
This collection may only be used in the Archives Reading Room.
Biography
Full name: Randolph Lee Capp
Birth date: October 3, 1953
Birth place: Waukegan, Illinois (raised in Zion, Illinois)
Family:Denominational affiliation: Christian Catholic Church in Zion, Illinois
Conversion: Accepted Christ in August 1975 through the influences of a Bill Gothard Institute of Basic Youth Conflicts seminar and Inter-Varsity staff worker Neil Rendall
Education:Scope and Content
The collection consists primarily of audio recordings, most of which are two oral history interviews. Also included are newsletters, photographs, and a brochure describing CEOSS (Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services), which together describe or illustrate Capp's ministry.
T1 - side 1 (40 minutes) Speaking during a lunchtime lecture, "The Barbed Wire Is On Our Side: Incorporating Muslim Converts into the Local Church," Capp briefly describes an experience in his chalk-drawing ministry in Egypt, and makes observations about the Egyptian church, the Islamic environment in which the Egyptian church lives and barriers the Islamic culture erects around the church, barriers which the church erects as protection, Coptic roots of Egyptian Evangelicals, racial issues, barriers caused by adopting American Evangelical's methods and attitudes, the Muslim convert's likely exclusion from marriage, the diminished potential for the institutional church to facilitate evangelism and revival. Closed to researcher use without donor permission until December 31, 2001.
Randy Capp was interviewed by Paul Ericksen on January 28 and February 4, 1991, at the Archives of the Billy Graham Center. The time period covered by the interviews is 1953-1991. The "side 1" and "side 2" of this description reflects a cassette copy and not the original, which is on reels.
T2 (64 minutes). History and religious atmosphere of Zion, Illinois; liberal influence in the church, experiences at Northern Illinois University (ignoring religion throughout college, fraternity involvement), conversion through Inter-Varsity Bible study and Bill Gothard seminar, returning to his fraternity as a Christian (leading a Bible study), work after college, Holy Spirit's work in calling him in 1977 to work as a graphic designer for an Arabic magazine in Cairo being started by John Ferwerda (while simultaneously beginning to date future wife Nancy), raising support, Middle East Media and its magazine Huwa wa Hiya (translated His and Hers, known in the US as Magalla), minimal application process and absence of orientation for Capp in joining Middle East Media, first impressions of Egypt and living conditions there, difficult production schedule left no time for language or culture study, leaving Egypt after four years because of burnout and conflict with his supervisor, call to return to Egypt, conflict with his supervisor and later resolution, graphic design in Arabic and using Egyptian critics to evaluate design, training an Egyptian artist to replace him
T3 (45 minutes). Magalla magazine (readership, growth and development), Egyptian couple which strengthened the team, doubts about his contribution but not his call during the conflict with his supervisor, wife's role in ministry, decision to leave Egypt, invitation to reinvigorate Christian Catholic Church's mission work in South Africa and struggle with future plans, invitation to return to Egypt to work with Dar El-Thaqafa publishing house, preference for working in national organization, history of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS), founding Dar El-Thaqafa (CEOSS's publishing division), conflicts and office culture among Egyptians, promotion to position of Art Director as a foreigner and accompanying adjustments, disagreements in leadership and dissolution of the staff, Randy's return home, lessons learned, plans to work with Media Associates International, culturally sensitive departure from CEOSS and Dar El-Thaqafa
T4 (59 minutes) This tape should be listened to in conjunction with the photographs (See Location Record: Photographs). Chalk drawing as evangelistic method: Wheaton College art professor Karl Steele's development of the method, Capp's use of it as a culturally-relevant ministry in Egypt, making chalk and equipment, examples of method's effectiveness, plans to continue it internationally, training an Egyptian replacement to take over the ministry, format of the meeting, stories of presentations, method of preparation, humbling experiences, repertoire of pictures, policy of never giving away a picture; future plans to travel and train (especially Egyptian) graphic artists within their own culture through Media Associates International; family life in Egypt (raising children, his son's health problem)
T5 (58 minutes). Schooling options and children's education in Cairo, goal for Christopher to learn Arabic, children's struggles and perceptions moving between Egyptian and American cultures, the Capps' struggles as a result of Randy's overworking, high value placed on family time, discrimination against women (particularly as an American) in Egyptian culture, tensions in their marriage and how they have addressed them, church participation and worship in Cairo, comparison between Egyptian and American churches, strength (national leadership) and weakness (predominance of American practices which contrast with indigenous forms) of Egypt's Evangelical church, what American Evangelicals could learn from Muslims, a Muslim perspective of Western church and Egyptian Evangelical church practices and differences between mosques and Egyptian churches, church characteristics which appeal to Muslims and forms of effective outreach to them, syncretism in the Egyptian church (imported Western thought forms, superstitious elements in rural areas), desires for next term in Egypt, early prayer to be used by God and how that has already been answered
Provenance
The materials for this collection were received by the Center in December 1990 and January and February 1991 from Randolph Capp. The Capps' periodic newsletters were added to Accession 91-19 as they were received; subsequent newsletters were added to the collection.
Accessions: 90-126, 91-9, 91-19, 91-20
October 30, 1997T1R - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips, approximately 40 minutes. One side. Brown Bag lunch seminar featuring Randolph Capp, entitled "The Barbed Wire Is On Our Side: Incorporating Muslim Converts into the Local Church." [Recording begins with what sounds like an audio or video recording; it is uncertain whether this was part of the session. Recording also contains a slight trailing echo of previously spoken comments.] Recorded December 7, 1990, at the Billy Graham Center. Closed to researcher use without donor permission until December 31, 2001.
T2 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, 64 minutes. One side. Interview with Randolph Capp by Paul Ericksen, January 28, 1991.
T3 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, 45 minutes. One side. Continuation of interview on T2 on January 28, 1991.
T4 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, 59 minutes. One side. Interview with Randolph Capp by Paul Ericksen, February 4, 1991.
T5 - Reel-to-reel, 3-3/4 ips speed, approximately 58 minutes. One side. Continuation of interview on T4.
LOCATION RECORD
Accession: 91-19
Type of material: Photographs
The following items are located in the PHOTO FILE; request by Folder Titles (in bold) at the beginning of each entry below.
CAPP, RANDOLPH. Two color shots of Capp with Egyptians and examples of his chalk drawings. Also an example of a book cover. 3 color.
| CONTAINER LIST | ||
| Box | Folder | Description |
| 1 | 1 | Chalk meeting: Summary reports; 1987-1988 |
| 1 | 2 | Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services: Brochure; 1990? |
| 1 | 3 | Newsletters; 1991-1997 |