PARTNERSHIP IN MISSION: TO SEND OR TO SHARE?

Abstract

Partnership in is a key term for churches and mission agencies who seek to share resources between different regions of world. The term represents a concerted attempt within missionary movement to break free from dominance and dependency that marked relationships between old and new churches, as they were once called, in colonial era of mid-20th century. It also marks a move towards mutual and reciprocal sharing between churches, regardless of historical and economic status, and a shift away from one-directional sending of resources from churches in Europe to Africa, Asia and Latin America. Informal conversation with people engaged in frequently provides anecdotal evidence that colonial influences still pervade mission relationships, despite many resolute efforts to contrary. Why is this case? Why is difficult to implement? Can paternalism be overcome in organization of mission? This article attempts to answer these questions by discussing influence of in mission on mission programmes and administrative structures of United Society for Propagation of Gospel (USPG). (1) The discussion is based on research which examined policy of this Anglican mission agency in relation to its mission training based at College of Ascension, Selly Oak, Birmingham, between 1965 and 1996. (2) By adopting sharing and sending as motifs for two different concepts of mission, article argues that concept of one-directional sending, rooted in Western missionary movement of 19th and 20th centuries, and allied to European colonialism of same period, continues to contest and constrain implementation of partnership, as a concept of reciprocal sharing in mission. The emergence of partnership: sharing in Missio Dei The language of came to fore after meeting of International Missionary Council (IMC) in Whitby, Canada in 1947. In seeking to overcome dependency between older churches of Europe and America (the West) and younger churches of Asia, Africa and Latin America (the South), Council recognized that all churches, whether in West or South, were worthy in task of evangelism. In this task, distinction between older and younger was rendered obsolete. Churches were recognized as Partners in Obedience to the command of Christ to preach Gospel to every creature. (3) The phrase partnership in began to replace partners in obedience after IMC meeting of Willingen, Germany in 1952. This was due to emergence of Missio Dei which defined subject of mission in terms of God rather than church: The missionary movement of which we are part has its source in Triune God himself. Out of depths of His love for us, Father has sent forth His own Son to reconcile all things to Himself, that we and all men might, through Spirit, be made one in Him with Father in that perfect love which is very nature of God ... ... There is no participation in Christ without participation in His mission to world. That by which Church receives its existence is that by which it is also given its world-mission. As Father hath sent me, even so I send you. (4) Missio Dei, placing of God at heart of missionary activity, was result of a reappraisal of place of church in missionary theology. It reflected unease concerning a missionary ecclesiology in which church had become primary focus of mission, with result that missionary activity concentrated on expanding and developing churches rather than proclaiming trinitarian Christian God. Missio Dei theology sought to reconstruct mission as ah activity of Trinity in world, with churches participating together in God's mission (Missio Dei) as partners. …