wfn.org | Consultation on mission: A call for renewal

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

God's mission, Lutheran theology and functional interaction

NAIROBI, Kenya/GENEVA, 2 November 1998 (lwi) - Churches in Europe will need
the help of churches on other continents to confront the challenges of
mission in the third millennium.
The remark by Finnish theologian Risto Ahonen came during his panel
presentation at the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Consultation on
Churches in Mission in Nairobi from October 25 to 29.

Drawing on the document, Together in God's Mission: An LWF Contribution to
the Understanding of Mission, Ahonen further noted that one of the burning
challenges of mission at the beginning of the third millennium will be
mission in Europe.

Ahonen pointed out that genuine functional interaction among the churches
arises from deep within the communion of faith and that mutual sharing of
not just faith but also joys, sorrows, hopes and disappointments is a
requirement for cooperation in mission. Such sharing can help to remove the
tensions between South and North within the Lutheran churches.

Overall, the Finnish theologian considered the updating and re-writing of
the LWF missiological document to be not only of great significance but
also of essence, owing to constant changes arising from advances in
computers, the dizzying development of communication systems and a
globalizing economy.

As world mission strives to keep up with these changes and at the same time
hold fast to its calling, it faces an enormous number of new challenges,
tasks and opportunities, he added.

Need to link faithfulness to Christianity and openness to other religions

In the view of German theologian Hermann Vorlander, as the church moves
into the third millennium, church service remains the best missionary tool.
A stimulating, more meaningful service and a good liturgy, which attracts
people to church, is what the church in mission should offer.
Basing his presentation on his experiences in the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Bavaria, Vorlander noted that there are different and specific
missionary challenges depending on the context in which Christians live.

While acknowledging the relevance of Together in God's Mission to mission
in the third millennium, Vorlander underscored the need for spiritual
renewal in mission. In view of the challenges of the world's new
situations, he observed, there is a need to review the document and explore
areas where its vision can be expanded.

As ways that can help renew the church in mission, Vorlander drew attention
to the need to offer services to different groups, such as the young, and
to help people discover the Bible through Bible study groups, as well as
the need for the church to be open to criticism.

Personal witness and pastoral counselling was another area of concern for
the German theologian. In the future, he observed, there would not be
enough money to support full-time pastors, as financial resources are
dwindling in churches in the North much like elsewhere. Thus, there is a
need to train lay people, who "should be encouraged to witness and not wait
for the day they will be perfect Christians," he added.

In view of today's multireligious context, Vorlander was concerned about
linking faithfulness to Christianity and openness to other religions.
"Christ is the Lord not only of the Christian but also of the
non-Christian," he said, adding that two-thirds of the world's population
belong to other faiths.

"And what can the German Lutheran churches share with other churches as
they express various needs in mission?" he asked, and went on to suggest
that the German churches should continue assisting those in need of solid
infrastructures and share theological experiences and traditions.
Christians would also be enriched by the sharing of different approaches to
Bible study, he noted.

The Nairobi consultation between LWF member churches, mission societies and
development agencies in the federation's seven regions brought together 77
theologians/missiologists, lay practitioners, church leaders, mission
executives and development workers together with LWF staff from the
Departments for World Service, Theology and Studies and Mission and
Development.

Together in God's Mission was a key document at the Nairobi consultation.
In the last decade, the document has been an important and helpful tool for
member churches and mission organizations for missiological reflection. Its
preparation was a response to a request expressed by the LWF Seventh
Assembly in 1984 for a Lutheran document on mission. (The document was
published in 1988.)

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