wfn.org | All are called to be missionaries in God's mission

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

Sustain zeal for Christian witness in the South and rekindle the same zeal
in the North

NAIROBI, Kenya/GENEVA, 2 November 1998 (lwi) - The reality of today's world
and the close relationship which exists as a result of Lutherans'
self-understanding as a communion show that both the North and South need
each other more than ever for mission outreach as well as for community
service programs.

The challenge this situation poses for the Lutheran communion is to
"sustain zeal for Christian witness in the South and to rekindle the same
zeal in the North."

These remarks were made by Bishop Ambrose Moyo from the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ), when he presented an overview of the
situation in his country under the theme, "Who are the missionaries of
today?" He was addressing a section of the 77 participants attending the
LWF Consultation on Churches in Mission, held in Nairobi from October 25 to
29 under the theme, "Into the Third Millennium: Together in God's Mission."

Making his contribution in Track II, which dealt with "Partnership in
Mission," Bishop Moyo shared his church's experiences in such areas as
dependency syndrome and mission and bridging the gap to meet the challenges
to mission.

On the subject of dependency, he noted that as long as there are rich
churches and poor churches in the same communion, "we cannot speak of
equality."

The bishop regretted the long-held understanding of "a missionary" as
someone coming from the North - the main cause of the dependency syndrome.
It is unfortunate that this syndrome was not dealt with before the onset of
the current situation in which financial and other support from the North
to the South is diminishing.

He noted that today there is a need to empower one another for mission as
we enter the third millennium, something that can be best achieved if the
financial dependency is ended and replaced with initiatives that foster the
establishment of spiritually vibrant churches in the North.

"We can no longer afford to start new missions and establish new churches
whose means of livelihood would be dependent on the founding church.
Neither can we afford churches that are spiritually cold or to pay
exorbitant sums to maintain big and very well decorated churches and
cathedrals with pews that are empty for the most part of the year," the
Zimbabwean church leader cautioned.

The empowerment of the weaker members of the communion should be given
priority as Lutheran churches reflect on partnership in God's mission today
and in the third millennium, he added.

On bridging the gap to meet the challenges of mission, Bishop Moyo said the
Lutheran church in Zimbabwe is faced with a situation whereby the "pew is
becoming more educated, even theologically, than the pulpit."

He challenged the Lutheran communion to give high priority to theological
and ministerial training "...if we are going to build a lasting church in a
region faced with the challenges of Islam, African traditional religions,
Pentecostal movements and new religions."

In practice, he wondered whether the ELCZ can "use a Standard Six [basic
diploma] pastor to prepare missionaries to the hundreds of graduates who
have gone through university and hold degrees in science, philosophy and
other disciplines."

On the same subject, his other concern was whether the church and the
Lutheran communion in general expected such pastors to be able to grasp
Lutheran theology and be able to assist the youth, who, as a result of
Pentecostal influences, are questioning some of the basic Lutheran
doctrines and practices.

The youth are questioning many things in their church and want to see other
things they have seen practiced among Pentecostals also introduced into
their own church. They do not want to leave the church, "but they have some
problems with theological positions of the church," he added.

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Lutheran World Information
Editorial Assistant: Janet Bond-Nash
E-mail: jbn@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/