Welcome to Edinburgh 2010
Mission for the 21st Century
The forthcoming Centenary of the World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh 1910 is proving to be a suggestive moment for many people who are seeking direction for Christian mission in the 21st century.
Several different constituencies within World Christianity have begun to plan significant events in 2010. Since 2005 an international group has worked collaboratively under the aegis of Edinburgh 2010.
This initiative sought to bring together representatives of many different strands of mission and church life for a well focused and highly organised process of preparation for the Centenary. The memory of the 1910 Conference brings people together in a creative way and can lead to new perspectives on mission today.
This intercontinental and multi-denominational project, now known as EDINBURGH 2010, is based at New College, Edinburgh, and headed by an International Director, Dr Daryl Balia.
It is governed by a 20 member General Council representative of the majority Christian family combined with the following as its intended outcomes:
- Churches will be provided with an opportunity to celebrate what God has done in the growth of the Church worldwide over the past century and to prayerfully commit to God the witness of the churches in the 21st Century
- The biblical call to mission will be affirmed and articulated within our contemporary contexts with particular focus on the meaning of evangelization and relevance of Christian witness today
- A key conversation on mission will be initiated with mission leaders from the older mission movements of the North and the new mission movements from the South and East, with dialogues held among representatives of different Christian traditions
- Guidelines will be developed and studies published to help church and mission leaders evaluate for their own situation models of mission which are proving effective elsewhere
- Based on a critical assessment of the status of the world, a new vision of God's purposes for creation in Christ and a renewed spirituality and mission ethos will be developed in the life of the churches worldwide.
- Centenary celebrations of mission in humility and hope will be held throughout the world with the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh, again, being the venue from 2- 6 June 2010 for the historic celebration involving over 1000 delegates.