Reinventing the wheel?

‘Reinventing the wheel? God’s mission, many models.’ This was the title of this year’s World Mission Conference at the Hayes, Swanwick. Coordinated by Revd Val Ogden of the United College of the Ascension it was sponsored by Methodists for World Mission in collaboration with Christian Aid, USPG and Christians Aware.

The Conference indeed brought together an interesting and varied range of ‘models’ active in God’s mission today. Bearing in mind that the principles and practices of one movement may not necessarily sit well with those of another, the aim was to provide an opportunity to exchange stories and strategies, break down stereotypes and, above all, to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in learning to appreciate and challenge one another. Thus representatives of the Church Missionary Society, the Mothers’ Union and the Leprosy Mission were present alongside those from the more familiar Methodist Relief and Development Fund, Christian Aid and USPG.

Most of the agencies led seminars, of which Conference participants had to choose two. Options included BMS World Mission on mission training, Jill King of the Fellowship of the Least Coin on ‘Does a Prayer Movement do Mission?’ Clare Amos of USPG on biblical insights linking hospitality with mission, Richard Dickson on the work of CORD, a Christian charity which helps rebuild lives damaged by conflict, and Mark North, Regional Manager of Interserve, on different models of partnership in mission.

In another seminar Rachel Stephens, with an ecumenical group of women who had accompanied her to Ethiopia and two Ethiopian Christians, reflected on aspects of conflict, oppression, and other issues of current concern in that country.

The whole stimulating feast of information, insights and discussion was underpinned by a Bible Study from Revd Dr Caroline Wickens. Dr Wickens has served as a tutor in biblical studies at theological colleges in Zambia and Kenya before joining the staff of the Southern Theological Education and Training Scheme.

Modern mission emphases were rooted in the bible, she reminded the conference. She had chosen to focus on John’s gospel in which John’s use of ‘the word’ was fundamental to our understanding of God’s mission. God’s created world reflected God’s spoken ‘word’. Jesus is the definitive ‘word’ that took flesh and came amongst us.

But a ‘word’ conveys meaning within a particular language system. Jesus belonged to a specific context and culture and when John refers to Jesus as ‘the word’ he implies a being rooted in a local culture. Thus translation of ‘the word’ must be in the control of the intended audience so as to have meaning in that context. The problem is that we rarely have the confidence to ‘let go of the faith’ and enable it to take root in local situations.

Dr Wickens then spoke of the importance of dialogue in mission using two stories from John, that of Nicodemus and that of the Samaritan woman at the well. She contrasted how the conversation with Nicodemus, the highly respected Jewish leader, failed because he was unwilling to engage with Jesus’ challenge to him, while with the woman it appeared to succeed. Her openness to change led her to a recognition of who Jesus was and a renewal of her faith. Dialogue in mission has to have a basis of mutual respect and openness if it is to create the possibility of transformation.

The second keynote speaker was the Revd Canon Dr Graham Kings, Vicar of Islington and the founding Director of the Henry Martyn Centre for the study of mission and world Christianity. He has also been vice principal of St Andrews Theological College in Kenya.

His approach to the Conference theme was to ‘shed some theological light on six key doctrines of Christianity through art and literature’. Using projected images and reading some of his own poems he showed how the doctrines of Creation, Incarnation, Cross, Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost could be illuminated by insights from works of art from different cultures. For example, he demonstrated how a carving from Kenya was embedded in an African theology of creation. He explained how an Islamic mosque gave insights into different ways of understanding the incarnation and the nature of God.

Before the conference Val Ogden had asked a number of congregations of different denominations to fill in a questionnaire about which mission agencies they supported and why they were chosen. The results showed that while Christian Aid and the main agencies of the Methodist and Anglican churches were supported by most of their congregations there was a wide and thinly spread support for other organisations and specific causes. The reasons most frequently given were ‘tradition’ and ‘personal choice’. It was clear that, in general, congregations liked to be able to identify with specific people, projects and communities; it was also recognised by a majority that giving because of personal contact was detrimental to general funds.

Saturday night saw a live, multi-media presentation by ‘Cast of Thousands’ in association with Christian Aid, which inspired and challenged through songs, talk and video sequences.

In the final session, entitled ‘What might the Spirit be saying to this Conference?’ a panel including Bishop Michael Doe, General Secretary of USPG and Dr Cordelia Moyse, Church Relations coordinator for Christian Aid, shared their insights. Mike King, World Church Relationships Team Leader, said that Acts 2: 42-47, were for him a vision of the church as the Body of Christ, a vision of holistic mission - ‘evangelism by word and deed that is inclusive for all and available to all.’ Why was it, he asked, that speaker after speaker had talked of partnership with people across the world, yet the different agencies and interest groups in the UK find it difficult to work together on matters of common concern? ‘I am committed’ he went on, ‘to One Church with a holistic mission. We cannot be competing with one another; we need to be working together – and start by recognising each other’s complementary gifts.’

As usual the children were occupied with their own programme under the care of Elaine Robinson with Geoff and Leslie Noon. The first task of the ‘wheely’ young (‘wheely’ jokes circulated the whole weekend!) was to produce a large wheel created from patterns in different coloured wools and mounted on giant spokes. The crčche, looked after by Emily John and Aimee Lewis was mostly to be found outdoors enjoying the welcome sunshine.

The Conference ended on Pentecost Sunday with vibrant worship led by Jenny and John Willetts, mission partners on furlough from Papua New Guinea. We sang lively Pentecost hymns (waving brightly coloured scarves during one of them) and Acts chapter 2 was dramatised by members of the congregation. The preacher was the Revd Dr Albert Walters of the Anglican Church of Malaysia and communion was celebrated by Revs Asif and Rohama Karam, presbyters of the Church of Pakistan and World Church in Britain partners, currently stationed in the Witney and Faringdon circuit. At the end children threw coloured balloons around the room as we sang the Doxology, drawing to a close another inspiring and thought provoking Conference.

Next year’s World Mission Conference will take place June 1-3 and the leaders will be Revd Roy and Mrs Jo Newell. The theme, an environmental one, will be ‘God’s World’. Details will shortly be available on www.mwm.org.uk

Margaret Nicholas
MWM Editor