Forms of missionary engagement - Blog

Theme 5 has produced 14 papers so far. By kind permission of the authors these are available for viewing or download here.

The Core Group met last week and considered 16 papers from both Core Group members and others from within the wider study group.

We agreed a structure for our contribution towards the Edinburgh 2010 book which will will have the following sections:

• Definition of terms and subject overview
• The primary role of the local church in mission
• Vulnerable mission
• Children as agents of mission
• Partnership in mission and the future of Global North mission agencies
• Receiving mission
• The Media and Mission
• Developing strategy for mission

In addition to developing this contribution for the Edinburgh 2010 publication the group will aslso be expanding each of the papers presented for last week and is in discussion with the editor of an academic journal regarding the publishing of longer versions of all our texts in a specuial edition of a mission journal late in 2010.

The group had further discussions about other ways in which our research material can be distributed to a wider audience, especially grassroots church leaders. We are now at an early stage of considering the various options using video, internet and publishing media.

Papers presented last week are currently be revised in the light of discussion. These will come to the Theme editors (Dr. Genevieve James and Canon Mark Oxbrow) in late July so that a final text can be submitted to Edinburgh in September 2009. The revised individual papers will all be made available on this website in late July 2009.

The Core Group for 'Forms of Missionary Engagement' will meet 15-17 June 2009 after which all papers produced for this theme will be available from this website. If you are interested to contribute to the thinking of the Core Group, or would like to submit a short paper to them, on any of the areas mentioned on this page please send these contributions to mark.oxbrow (at) faith2share.net by Friday 12 June at the latest.  (All Core Group member papers are due by Monday 8 June.)

Thank you, Mark Oxbrow

Attached here you can find the preparatory material on "The primary role of the local church in mission"

As this blog site does not allow responses to postings and as I believe in the 'right of reply' let me post what what Jim Harries has just written to me in response to my posting on 23 March.  He writes, "I would not say, 'He was also quite critical of 'most' African church leaders' because, whether wisely or otherwise, I tend to aim my 'criticism' at Westerners I think!".  Do, though, look at Jim's web sites: www.jim-mission.org.uk and www.vulnerablemission.com

LOOKING FOR OTHERS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS BLOG, Please!

There is an interesting review article on 'Missionary Movements' in the recently published 'Global Dictionary of Theology' (IVP 2008 ISBN 978-0-8308-2454-0) which reflects usefully on Protestant missionary movements, mainly post 1800, but is rather weak on earlier movements (e.g. Nestorian, Celtic, Catholic Missionary Orders) and contemporary non-Protestant movements (Orthodox, Catholic, etc.). A final section on "Some characteristics of the Mission Movements from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the South Pacific" provides useful issues for discussion.  Author: Bertil Ekstrom, WEA 

I met last week with Jim Harries who is a western (British) missionary working in Africa for many years and now in Kenya. He has a strong message to give about becoming vulnerable in mission and is asking western sending agencies to review how they send people and whether we can delink the sending of people from 'financial supply chain'. He was also quite critical of 'most' African church leaders in that he feels that they view most incoming missionaries as primarily a source of funding and that relationships are developed mainly for funding purposes. I found myself questioning some of what he had to say although very simpathetic to the concept of vulnerable mission. He has two websites at www.jim-mission.org.uk and www.vulnerablemission.com and I would be interested to hear what others (especially African colleagues) make of his material. He is normally based in Western Kenya but passes through Nairobi so Joy may be able to catch up with him.

The aspect of this topic that I am considering at present is how we build effective collaboration in mission - evangelistion, discipleship and the growth of ecclesial communities. Biblical (especially Acts) studies and church history, not to mention contemporary expenience, indicate that Christian missioners often find it easier (more convenient?) to opperate alone and yet this is (a) theologically very questionable and (b) has led to major divisions within the Body of Christ.

Today we do, thankfully, see many good examples of collaboration in mission and I am seeing to identify not only 'good practice' but also those 'drivers' which motivate Christians engaged in mission towards collaboration rather than 'going it alone' or worse still 'competition' in mission.

If you are aware of any case studies I should be looking at I would be very happy to hear from you.  Write to mark.oxbrow (at) faith2Share.net 

The study group looking at this theme met in January 2009. We represented most Christian traditions and came from Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Together we began to explore the questions raised by this theme. These questions are outlined in bullet form below. Core Group members are now working with others members of our wider study group to produce written materials and other resources which will be available on this site at a later date.

The discussion outlined below is very much a work in progress but we publish it at this stage to encourage others to join our conversation and to bring us their own insights, expertise and experience. Contributions in any format or language will be welcomed.

To join us in this study please follow the instructions in the attached file

The primary role of the Local Church in Mission

• Accountability to the local community/congregation is essential. Ministry is not an individualistic affair.
• We will tell stories about new forms of local church ministry.
• We will reflect on these forms from a biblical and contextual perspective.
• It is helpful to note the links between missiology, ecclesiology and eschatology.
• The ‘house church’ is sometimes seen as the primary form for missionary engagement in certain countries.
• We need to keep in mind the fact that mission grows out of doing mission. Important new forms are not designed, but emerge on the way.
• As we focus on new forms could we highlight “mission as discipleship/making disciples”?
• The church in mission needs to minimize the gap between outside and inside. Less emphasis on evangelism as such and more on breaking down the walls between inside and outside. Mission needs to be seen as ‘attracting in’ as well as ‘going out’.
• In what ways is the worship of the church mission?  A member of the wider study group (KM) has agreed to do some work with us on Worship and Mission.
• It still makes sense to talk about structures (e.g. modalities and sodalities), but we need today an ecclesiological mission that brings people as communities, and not just as individuals, into the body of Christ.
• We need the mission structure (the missionary band of Paul and Barnabas), but since Carey there has been a danger of professionalizing mission, e.g. in terms of mission societies.
• Will missionary agencies eventually fade out and leave room for the local church in mission?
• We need to make sure we engage ‘Generation Y’ in mission through the local church.

Partnership and Collaboration in Mission

• Some of the barriers to partnership identified by the group were: competition (for finance, people, etc.); organisational pride; power; theological, cultural and generational differences; time constraints; scale and complexity; trust
• A presentation (PowerPoint) was given to the core group on the theological understanding of partnership in mission. This will be developed and made available at a later date.
• There is a great deal of material already on this topic and we will be drawing on this as well as the expertise of people such as those involved in the ‘PowertoConnect’ network and VisionSynergy. Particular reference was made to an article by Roland Hoksbegen at Calvin “Towards Authentic Partnership”.
• There are many different models for cooperation and partnership and our study will need to explore these with case studies.
• The term ‘partnership’ has been much misused and is consequently a misunderstood word. Reciprocity in partnership is an essential element of the biblical understanding.

Vulnerable Mission

• Vulnerability arises from a lack of power, choice, information, nutrition, health.
• There are also spiritual dimensions of poverty that we need to consider.
• It might be more helpful to abandon the poverty-wealth dichotomy and speak instead of the opposite of poverty being ’abundance’ or ’enough’. (reference was made gto John 10 where the devil comes to kill and destroy and Jesus comes to bring life abundantly).
• We are encouraged us to look at Luke 10-14 (the core reflection being on 12-14) with the thoughts
  • Poverty leads to worry
  • Does desperation and worry drive mission?
  • We need to look deeper at our context and not just on the surface
  • We must engage with the unjust structures of society
  • There is a Kingdom priority for the poor.
• We note the signifigance of mission through migration – this will be an important theme to explore. (It has been noted that BIAMS had a major focus on this in 2007).

Receiving Mission

• Our context is the ’ending of Christendom’ in the Western world.
• Mission and migration is a mega-trend to which we need to give attention.
• In particular we need to note the significance of African migration into Europe.
• We note five particular implications of this ’post-Christendom’ context for mission, namely:
• The leading response to Islam in Europe will come from the steady influx of (mainly African and Asian) Christian migrants;
• Many ordinary members of migrant churches see themselves as missionaries;
• African Instituted Church (AIC) and Korean migrants have more contact with marginalised groups in Western societies than the indigenous Christian community;
• New migrant Christian communities are more attuned to pluralism;
• Trans-nationality greatly enhances the capacity of migrant congregations for mission engagement.
• There is an issue of definition which needs to be tackled.  BIAMS and others have talked about ’reverse mission’ and we are talking about ’receiving mission’ but is it not all just ’everywhere to everywhere mission’?   There is a mutual learning process in mission – we need to encourage interaction and learning from each other.
• We will consider the profile of non-Western missionaries in Europe, including:
• Questions asked by the receiving churches;
• Training needs indicated by the lack of understanding of cross-cultural issues by receiving churches;
• Non-Westerners are sometimes seen as a valuable resource as a ’counter-force’ for other religions in Europe;
• Mutual challenge is helpful.
• We are encouraged to use more parables to clarify terminology.

Relationships between Global North and Global South agencies

• Resources mentioned, during the core group meeting, for this section included :
• ”We are the world” by David Lundy (an evaluation of OM)
• The MANI report
• Report of the WEA ’Global Dialogue’
• ”Dancing a different dance”  D. Olumbe.
• To what extent is the health/strength of the church a driving force in mission?
• Separation or Synergy – do we need to give space to each other or seek collaboration?    (This issue is dealt with in the WEA report – see above.)
• What hope is there for the internationalisation of mission and what would be the benefits/outcomes?   Is this different from the ’globalisation’ of mission?
• How do we undersatand the phenomenon of ’incidential mission’?
• Is our focus on ’mission’ or ’missions’?
• Is the term ’missioner’ more useful than ’missionary’?  In some contexts (e.g. African churches) ’missionary’ is undersatood as only applicable to ’white’ Christians.

Mission Strategy

• We are encouraged us to distinguish between (rich and thick) description and prescription in our work. We need a clear balance between the two.
• In looking at mission strategy it was suggested that we need to address:
  • Challenges
  • Contexts
  • Case Studies.
  • Several possible case studies have been mentioned including:
  • Market place church
  • Background of leaders in contemporary church
  • Significance of entrepeneurial leaders
  • ’Ministry of presence’ = mission.

Mission and Children

• We are looking primarily at children as the agents of (not focus for) mission.
• As far as we are aware there is very little research in this area to date.
• We noted that the so called ”4-14 Window” (compare ”10-40 window”) represents the most open age for conversion. If children in this ’window’ are to be evangelised then perhaps their peers might be the most effective mission agents.
• There are several publications which deal with children in the Bible but few of these focus on ’how God uses children’ in His kingdom business.
• We could also look at ’Children in Church history’.  A literature search has revealed almost nothing on this.
• How do we introduce children to mission?
• Children can be seen as ’agents of change’ in society in general – how are they agents of spiritual change?
• We noted that World Vision are doing research on the effectiveness of the prayers of children in mission and their involvement in other ways.

Mission and the Media

• A former member of staff of Trans World Radio has been identified as a resource person for this sub-topic.
• We need to look at the impact of the ’Jesus Film’ globally.

Mission and Worship

• We are aware that in many context mission happens through worship. The core group have commissioned one person (in Japan) to work on this topic but is anxious to recruit others with expertise in this area.