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Alpha-founder Nicky Gumbel, bishops from Malawi and Sierra Leone, and others have been explaining their understanding of ‘mission’.
USPG invited Anglican church leaders from around the world to define what mission means for them to help launch our Lent study course for 2010, which tackles the question: What is mission?
Our free five-week Lent study course, entitled The Well is Deep, tackles this theme by looking at the work of the Anglican Church in Ghana and by analysing the New Testament story of the woman at the well.
‘I can’t really improve on David Bosch’s definition. He describes mission as “the participation of Christians in the liberating mission of Jesus... the good news of God’s love, incarnated in the witness of a community for the sake of the world”. This is worked out by churches, organisations and individual Christians in numerous ways.'
The Revd Nicky Gumbel, Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton and pioneer of the Alpha Course.
‘Mission has to do with accepting to God’s call through Jesus Christ. It entails obedience, being witnesses, proclaiming the word, giving hope to all who are heavy-laden.’
The Rt Revd Brighton Vitta Malasa, Bishop of Upper Shire, Malawi.
‘The mission of the Church is to restore people’s broken relationship with God and, subsequently, with one another and the world. Mission is similar to living in communion with one another, with the world, and with God.’
The Revd Dr Simon Ro, port chaplain, South Korea.
‘Rooted in love’
‘Mission is action rooted in the love taught by Jesus Christ. Our mission is to build an environmentally-healthy, just and peaceful world in which each person can live to his or her fullest potential.’
Steven Cutting, Ecumenical Relations, Asian Rural Institute, Japan.
‘Mission is the personal duty of every individual Christian who is called as part of his or her faith to witness and to evangelise and preach the gospel. The one who undertakes mission should be able to witness to God’s self-sacrificing love in Christ, and the purpose of the preaching the gospel is that the world should be able to live in his agape (love) and serve all who are in need, whether it be physically or spiritually.
The Revd Simbarashe Basvi, USPG-supported school chaplain, Zambia.
‘Mission is being Christ’s body in the world, carrying out his task of bringing good news to the poor, whatever form that poverty might take, on the streets or in the city; of releasing those who are captive to addiction, poor relationships or their own hang-ups; of healing sickness and bringing the light of the presence of God; and of freeing those who are oppressed by unjust regimes, sorrow or fear.
The Revd Trudy Payne, St Barnabas’s Church, Mitcham, Surrey.
‘Mission is the responsibility of the church to meaningfully effect God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. The church should therefore continue to make committed and dedicated disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the whole world in her diversified unity.’
The Rt Revd Emmanuel Tucker, Diocese of Bo, Sierra Leone.
Posted on 15.02.2010
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