The use of the term ‘DNA’ as a missiological metaphor in contemporary Church narratives

Scott Andrews

doi:10.4102/hts.v72i2.3451

Abstract

Missiologists propose that the Church and mission are inseparable as the Church has its very being because there is mission, and it is the Missio Dei which constitutes the Church. In recent history the Anglican Church has interpreted this as the essential ‘DNA’ of the local church which is to be a missional community. The church’s mission therefore is presented as the gift of participating through the Holy Spirit in the Son’s mission from the Father to the world. In other words, it is proposed that the Church is both the fruit of God’s mission and the agent of His mission. But, in order to communicate this relationship between Church and mission in a postmodern context, the use of new metaphors and new terminologies, which are derived from our contemporary context, is shaping new ways of thinking. An exploration of the development of missional churches considers the significance of developing and embedding what has become referred to as missional DNA or mDNA at every level of the organisation of the Church. This mDNA is the outward model of missional behaviour that compels the whole church to reach a lost world. It can be seen from evidence-based, case study research amongst large churches in the UK that there is consistency in the adoption and use of the term DNA by its leadership in reference to the local church’s values and its attitude towards mission. This article explores the hypothesis that the term DNA is commonly accepted amongst local churches as a contributor to a contemporary language that forms the narrative of the Church and explores its feasibility and shortcomings as an adopted missiological metaphor.

Highlights

The 20th century was a period of significant advancement in the understanding of human genetics
Gesler (2013:45) explores the use of the term DNA as a metaphor in her studies on Identity and Identification in Church Leadership. Her case-based research examines the use of a contemporary narrative in leadership teams of a start-up, local church organisation, and she notes that the leadership employs the term DNA as part of what she refers to as the ‘negotiating process’ between the church leaders and the wider congregation
In this context the Mission Shaped Church (MSC) report recognised the use of the DNA metaphor as representing a core aspect of what it later refers to as the identity of church, and from this perspective the report proposed a broad range of different expressions of church. It could be counter-argued that identity, values and beliefs should be consistent with the One True Church concept as outlined in the Nicene Creed rather than different expressions of church (Church of England 1662). This argument is examined by Roland Riem who, in his article published in Ecclesiology, asserts that the use of the metaphor DNA undermines the arguments established by the Anglican Church for MSCs

Summary

Introduction

The 20th century was a period of significant advancement in the understanding of human genetics. Whilst this article does not examine issues of DNA in relation to culture, humanity, race and ethnicity, it does raise the question of whether or not it is feasible to draw on such metaphors in the context of the local church and mission?

Results

Conclusion