Here is a report written by K. Rajendran, reflecting on some of the themes of the Pretoria GMR: WEA Mission Commission Global Mission Roundtable report 2015_Rajendran

The table group discussions during the GMR  provide a space for leaders to engage with one another on important themes that affect them, their organisations and churches, as well as the global mission community.

Please see below the feedback reports from the Global Mission Roundtable held in Pretoria earlier this year. The notes have been recorded verbatim, and shared to encourage further dialogue and reflection on the themes. Thank you to David Ruiz for compiling all the notes.

Lectio Divina: Table groups feedback

Personal Integrity: Table groups feedback

Ministry Integrity: Table groups feedback

Organisational Integrity: Table groups feedback

Sustainability of Mission: Table groups feedback

Please use these comments and questions to further facilitate dialogue and reflection. Please also feel free to post your thoughts in the comment section below.

Many of these themes need more discussion and reflection within the global mission community. We look forward to further the conversations in Panama, October 2016.

Thank you also to Dean Carlson for the following feedback:

Dear WEA-MC leadership,

I want to thank each of you for diligent and creative work that you invested in the facilitation of the Global Roundtable. 

The Global Roundtable provided a fertile context in which to encounter the Lord, engage in friendship and explore issues of vital importance to collaborative mission.  I was deeply enriched by each of these aspects and emerged from the meetings refreshed in spirit and sharpened in my understanding of the missio dei.

It was a joy to share insights gleaned with the One Challenge board, leadership team and US Mobilization Center staff.  Your servant leadership showed me Jesus.  Thank you for making this such a fruitful gathering.

Two weeks ago while in Asia I invited one of OC’s high-potential younger leaders to join me at the upcoming WEA-MC gathering in Panama.  Looking forward to seeing you there!

A fellow pilgrim,

Dean Carlson

President, One Challenge

Attendees of the Global Mission Roundtable in South Africa with the #followthebus bus.

During the recent Global Roundtable in Pretoria (South Africa), leaders from around the world had the opportunity to add their signatures on a bus that will soon depart on an epic adventure through Africa.

Coming October 2015, five(5) people, of which one is only nine(9) years old, will depart by road from South Africa to Germany with a ’94 VW Kombi.

Adriaan Adams, one of the team members says that this initiative developed from a conversation on how to creatively share what God is doing in and through the young people of Africa. Adams had extensively travel Africa in the last 18 years and says there is something stirring amongst the emerging generation of younger leaders who is about to flood the continent in a way never experienced before. The challenge is that many of these initiatives are taking place independent of each other, and mostly in isolation. The goal is to create awareness of these developing movements, hoping to add momentum through partnership development, and providing a tangible platform through which we all could partake and celebrate Africa.

The adventure, formally known as ‘#followthebus’, can be followed through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and their own Youtube channel. In addition they will do regular live broadcast sessions via Periscope, and will you be able to see the action as it happens.

The journey will see them travel just less than 17 600 km; going through 21 countries and 3 continents. All in 80 days. Throughout they will stop at various places to learn more about the local initiatives taking place. This include areas, but are not limited to; Livingstone, The Gwembe Valley, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Nkopola, Arusha, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, etc. These experiences will be recorded and shared in various forms, of which the followthebus.org website would be the best platform to start reading about it.

#followthebus is facilitated through a partnership of two younger leader mission movements. The Africa movement, Moving Into Action (www.movingintoaction.co.za) has taken the responsibility in driving the bus to Europe where it will be handed over to the European younger leader movement, Mission-Net (www.mission-net.org). This will take place at the Mission-Net congress of at least 2500+ young people who are gathering from 28 December to 2 January in Offenburg. Thereafter Mission-Net will follow a similar approach by travelling through Europe and create awareness of younger leader initiatives within their respective regions.

For more information visit their website at www.followthebus.org and subscribe to the weekly newsletter, or follow them on:

Facebook –  https://www.facebook.com/followthebus.org Twitter –  https://twitter.com/followthebusorg Periscope – On the website are guidelines to how people can follow our live broadcasting sessions through Periscope. Instagram –  https://instagram.com/followthebus/

The Input of today was facilitated by Kirk Franklin, Executive Director of Wycliffe Global Alliance. Themes that help or hinder organisational integrity were explored. Table groups held discussions to develop these themes into gifts that they would like to present to God’s mission.

Bishop Ef Tendero (Secretary General of the WEA) then gave feedback about how the WEA’s gift to the global church is that it endeavours to help fulfill the Great Commission through:

– A long history of the dream of unity to enhance the Gospel and Kingdom of God
– The networks consisting of national membership of 129 countries, regional representation in at least 7 regions from around the world and global networks of different commissions and movements.
– A worldwide network and global movement of volunteers
– A structured network working together to strengthen local churches worldwide, so that local churches will be able to advance the Good News of Jesus. Individual, community and national transformation.

Rob Brynjolfson discussed the WEA Partners and Networks: Global Partners, Commissions, Initiatives and Taskforces.
The afternoon panel discussion focussed on leadership transition. The panelists were Bill Taylor, Russ Simons, Pam Thyer, Steve Moore, Ted Essler, Adriaan Adams and Jooseop Keum. Here is the link to the panel discussion outline: TAYLOR_panel_on_Leadership_transition_Integrity.pdf

Bill Taylor opened with the statement: “Leave in a way that they will invite you back”. The panelists explored how healthy mission sustainability requires transparent leadership transition. Good governance overlaps with leadership succession planning, also highlighting the the role of the board.

Some other statements from the panelists included:

– All leadership development is long range succession planning for the Kingdom
– Leadership transition needs to be as open as absolutely possible and begun as early as possible
– Intentionality of leadership transition is important
– Hand over your leadership when you are strongest
– Have leadership transition conversations early before it becomes inevitable, and be open to the Spirit.

As a conclusion of the GRT, Tim Halls introduced the thought-processes that are going into the planning of the Global Consultation in Panama 2016, which will be held from 3 – 7 October 2016.

In the evening we shared a special time around the Lord’s Supper, with Bishop Ef Tendero ministering Holy Communion. He ministered from John 17, highlighting how Jesus has already prayed for all the challenges that have been discussed over the days of the GRT.

As a powerful conclusion to the 2015 GRT, Bill Taylor prayed for and anointed those who are currently going through a leadership transition.

Here are PDF versions of the Singapore and Granada Covenants that were mentioned as resources: Granada_Covenant_of_Best_Personal_and_Ministry_Practice_kp.pdf SINGAPORE_COVENANT_kp.pdf

The Input of today was faciliated in two sections, the first by Decio De Carvalho. He presented a perspective on ministry integrity built through trust. Trust is the currency of relationships, needed to build ministry integrity. Integrity in ministry flows in two ways: Integrity towards God and integrity towards one another. Our focus here is on integrity to one another, and particularly on a fundamental element of integrity, which is trust. Here is a link to the powerpoint presentation: Trust presentation

Peter Tarental faciliated the second part of the morning’s input, by exploring Kairos moments in global mission dialogues. Some of the spontanuously recalled moments that were highlighted by the GRT participants included the following:

1986: General Assembly of WEA in Singapore
1987: September (Dream: The MC is a small rowboat, keep rowing in the same direction)
1997: GCOWE in South Africa
1999: Iguassu consulation – informal meeting over lunch, in Pattaya the conversation was more formalised.
1999: Great Commission Roundtable (Norway) – Norwegian mission leaders gathered,  leaders from WEA, WEAMC, Lausanne and other leaders.
2001: Malaysia consultation
2001: Pasadena: COMIBAM invited the Western and Non-Western mission organisations to sit together – a failed attempt at dialogue
2006/7: Pasadena: Dialogue meeting called between PMA, KMA, IMA, COMIBAM and  others  between Global North and South leadership
2007: Lausanne roundtable to discuss if Africa has the capacity to host a global conference
2008: Columbia – COMIBAM conference (Invited MANI)
2008: MANI movement (Giving voice to the African mission leaders) Johannesburg –  sharing of stories between Global North and Global South – Following that was WEA MC Pattaya conference with a subgroup of dialogue discussion.
2010: Edinburgh conference with dialogue arounf teh north/south issue
2011: All Nations GRT
2013: Sweden GRT
2015: South Africa GRT

If there are any other moments that have been significant to further global dialogue in the context of missions, please email them to info@weamc.global.

Leaders from what is traditionally referred to as the Global North and the Global South were asked to participate in a session where they verbalised their appreciation of the behaviours that they appreciate the most of each other.

GNorth to GSouth:
We appreciate your –
Relationship-building and communal decision-making
Spirituality and dependence upon God
Ongoing commitment and tenacity to continue the conversation

GSouth to GNorth:
We appreciate your –
Generosity
Servanthood and willingness to mentor
Willingness to adapt

Todd Poulter concluded the session with the question: Who are the people whom God is asking us to make room for in our hearts to give the gift of trust?
Our afternoon session was a powerful session exploring what the “one voice” Christian response should be to different levels of increased violence.

Panelists highlighted through real-life stories, how they have had to deal with violence in their different contexts and help their national church develop a theology that includes a Biblical response to violence. The different topics that were addressed included Response to terrorism (with specific reference to the challenges faced in Kenya and Nigeria), Reflections on the nature of violence, Response to religious persecution, and a Response to violence in our society and homes.

The conclusion of the session implored those attending the GRT to contribute towards an understanding of what it means to represent “One Lord, one Body, one voice” when it comes to our response to violence, and our support of those who suffer as a result of it. Various action steps were also presented by the participants.

Bertil Ekstrom highlighted how much is being done behind the scenes, especially also in partnership with the Religious Liberty Commission of the WEA, and through partnerships with the Refugee Highway Partnership.

In the evening we had a very significant time with a panel of leaders from the CWME of the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance. We had with us Bishop Ef Tendero (Secretary General and CEO of the WEA), Bishop Ndaba Mazabane (Chair of the International Council of the WEA), Rev. Jooseop Keum (Executive Director of the CWME of the WCC) and Bishop Geevarghese Coorilos (Moderator of the CWME of the WCC).

The panelists expressed an appreciation and respect for each others’ contribution towards the furthering of the Gospel throughout the world, and also expressed a desire for further dilaogue and cooperation and unity between the various bodies and networks that represent God’s Church globally. Rev. Keum highlighted one of the projects that resulted from a cooperation between the Vatican, WEA Theological Commission and the WCC CWME, namely Christian witness in a multi-religious world, which is a tri-angular response towards developing an ethical code to engage in evangelism in different cultral contexts.

Representatives of the World Council of Churches, Bishop Geevarghese Coorilos and Rev Jooseop Keum with staff members of the Mission Commission, Bertil Ekström and William Taylor.

The Global Roundtable of the WEA Mission Commission is a time for leaders of mission networks from across the world to reflect on themes and issues relevant to the Global mission world. The aim is fellowship and reflection, in order to take the encouragement and insights back to their spheres of influence.

The theme for the 2015 conference in Pretoria centres around integrity. The morning devotion time of the first day was based on Psalm 15, a scripture highlighting the importance of personal integrity as a undeniable dimension of worship.

The devotion session was followed by the input of today led by David Ruiz. Here is a link to the article used by David as reference for his presentation: Integrity in Mission

One of the highlights of the day was listening to feedback from representatives of the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches. Bishop Geevarghese Coorilos and Rev Jooseop Keum highlighted the encouraging increase in partnership between the WCC and WEA, especially also in the area of missions.

Our afternoon panel theme was Sustainability in Missions. Dean Carlson, Nosayaba Tukura, Wolfgang Busing and Peter Tarental shared insights from their continents and contexts. K. Rajendran highligted how Sustainability in Mission was one of the key issues raised during the Swden 2103 Roundtbale, which  resulted in the panel discussion in 2015.

The panel highlighted that, apart from finances, the following pressure points also exists when it comes to ensuring sustainabaility in mission:

Building capacity to handle the mininstry
Leadership and volunteers who allocate time to missions
The relevancy of Christianity to influence society (through training, education and capacity building)
Creativity and innovation, to be a learning organisation
Collaboration (internally and partnerships)

Case studies of ways to sustain missions were discussed, highligting creativity and innovation in support raising. Table discussions were held further exploring the theme.