News
04/06/2009 - First publication of the Edinburgh 2010 Series
Edinburgh 2010. Mission Then and Now is now available from Regnum Publisher's. The book was edited by David A. Kerr and Kenneth R. Ross and offers a collection of articles on the 1910 World Missionary Conference.
Though the outcomes of the Conference have differed in many ways from the expectations of its participants, after a century its momentous significance is clearer than ever. While the missionary movement went into decline, from its work emerged a world church, with deep roots and vigorous expression on every continent. As the centeneray of the Conference approaches, the time is ripe to examine its meaning in light of the past century and the questions facing Christian witness today. This book is the first to systematically examine the eight Commissions which reported to Edinburgh 1910 and gave the conference much of its substance and eduring value. It will deepen and extend the reflection being stimulated by the upcoming centenary and will kindle the missionary imagination for 2010 and beyond. For further information pease visit the publisher's website.
28/05/2009 - Seoul Consultation Papers now Online
From 22-24 March 2009 Study Group 9 met for a consultation on 'Mission spirituality and authentic discipleship" in Seoul, South Korea. The papers presented at the consultatin are now available for download as PDF files. Please follow the link for further information.
27/05/2009 - Join Edinburgh 2010 on Facebook
The Edinburgh 2010 facebook group is now online. Meet other people interested in mission, discuss ideas and get the latest news on Edinburgh 2010.
19/05/2009 - Atlas of Global Christianity available for Pre-Order
The Atlas of Global Christianity (Edinburgh University Press, 380 pages, oversize, full-colour) is now available for pre-order for £60 or $100 (60% off the retail price of £150 or $250). This price is good until the 31st of August 2009. The Atlas should be available by the end of 2009. A flyer with more detailed information and an order form can be downloaded here. For further information please visit the publisher's website at www.euppublishing.com.
The Atlas of Global Christianity (AGC), is edited by Todd M. Johnson, Director, Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Kenneth R. Ross, Council Secretary, Church of Scotland World Mission Council. Revd Professor Ross was one of the key figures in developing Edinburgh 2010, and led the earlier Towards 2010 study process.
The Atlas is a visual quick reference of the changing status of global Christianity over the 100 years since the epoch-making Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference. It is the first scholarly atlas to depict the 20th century shift of Christianity from the Global North to the Global South. Contextual information on world issues and world religions is included. The atlas is ecumenical in that it covers every Christian tradition including Anglicans, Independents, Marginals, Orthodox, Protestants, and Roman Catholics. This is the first atlas to incorporate historical essays on Christianity 1910-2010 by scholars from each region of the world. Included is an interactive electronic product that contains all maps and graphs ready for classroom use.
15/05/2009 - Call for Papers
The Faculty of Theology at Aarhus University (Denmark) hosts an International Conference on "Church and Mission in a Multireligious Third Millenium" in January 2010. Deadline for paper proposals is the 15th of October 2009. For more information visit our events section.
08/05/2009 - Statement on Edinburgh 2010 Centenary Celebrations
The General Council of Edinburgh 2010 met in Scotland from 15 to 17 April to further develop plans for the celebration of the centenary of the 1910 World Missionary Conference, which is widely recognised as the parent of the contemporary ecumenical and world missionary movement.
The Council has firmed up many of its plans in the shadow of the global economic crisis, but also in the days of rejoicing immediately around the celebration of Easter in our different traditions. The three key components to the 2010 celebrations have again been affirmed.
The first is the study process, which the Council recognises as the central part of its strategy to allow the impact of the centenary to spread far beyond one place and time. The study process has been developed globally around nine key themes relating to the challenges of the Christian Gospel to the realities faced by millions of believers in widely different contexts and cultures.
The second is a series of events around the world, which are being encouraged by the General Council but planned and executed locally, in which different church communities choose their own ways to mark the centenary. “This way of marking the 1910 Conference recognises and affirms the development of the Church around the world in the last 100 years,” says Andrew Anderson, the Council Chairman.
The third will be a four day event in Edinburgh itself. This will bring together some 200 delegates, when those taking part in the international study process will engage with representatives from the worldwide church to explore what challenges the study process may bring to the life of churches over the years to come. Then the final day will see a much larger gathering, of over a thousand people, designed to be a day of celebration, thanksgiving, penitence and re-commitment.
In all of the above the Council believes it is developing a process rather than just a programme - one that will be rooted in the life of churches all around the world. As plans have sharpened, the scale of the single event in Edinburgh itself has been reduced, to allow the impact of the process to take root more effectively everywhere else. There is now a structure in place that is theologically vibrant, intellectually credible, financially responsible, is rooted in the lives of ordinary people, and is one whose impact will be felt for many years to come, as we reflect on, and celebrate our core theme “Witnessing to Christ Today”.
For further information, please contact Edinburgh 2010 Communications Officer, Jasmin Adam: mail (JAdam (at) cofscotland.org.uk).
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