Thesis (M.A.T.S)--Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [262-265]).

Thesis (D. Ed. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-104).

Thesis (D. Ed. Min.)--Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-104).

The writing of contemporary history has implications regarding objectivity, subjectivity, the idea of progress, ecumenical history and its relationship to world history. Riane Eisler’s dominator and partnership models in her cultural transformation theory provide an appropriate hermeneutical basis for a historical consideration of the concept of partnership in mission (PIM) along with traditional biblical concepts which have guided mission theology for centuries. Partnership in mission is a laudable concept in the furtherance of participation in God’s mission. It has a distinguished history despite the difficulties experienced in making it a functioning reality. It has had the potential to enable sending and receiving churches to experience fellowship, humility and dignity in relationships. However, the issue of power in the ‘older’ sending churches has been an intrusive factor in preventing the theory from becoming a reality. In the case of the Church of Scotland, which stands in the grand ecumenical tradition of the twentieth century, despite great strides being made over the years to develop mutually enriching relations, increasing problems presented the opportunity for partner relationships to become authentically interdependent. Unfortunately, vulnerability on the part of the Church of Scotland World Mission Council has led to a return to a colonial/dominator approach to partnership. Recent developments in the Church of Scotland indicate that partnership in mission, while still the official model on which mission policy is based, has been challenged in its essence. Attempts to reform the work of the World Mission Council by means of a business consultancy have added no apparent value to the work of the Council or to its worldwide relationships. A lack of flexibility characterises recent developments along with a refusal to examine any other possible models which will enable the maintenance of existing partner church relationships. This has resulted in policy decisions, which affect them deeply, being made without any reference to partner churches. Nor has the Church’s constituency in Scotland been adequately consulted. For the first time in recent history policy decisions of WMC have been the cause of much discussion and deep division within the Church of Scotland. Further, they have ruptured valuable long term relationships and have through differential approaches to partners posed a potential threat to relationships between younger churches and possibly to a diminution of the standing of the Church of Scotland in the ecumenical movement. Opportunities for repentance, self sacrifice and the growth of fellowship in relationships have been spurned to the eventual cost of the Church of Scotland. Authentic partnership in mission is a distinct possibility through the development of relations based on mutuality, where resources must be subject to the norms of accountability, horizontal relations and management of the gifts of God for the people of God. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Church History and Church Policy / unrestricted

This study explores the phenomenon of "Mission Mobilisation" and formulation of a contextual approach toward a successful and effective Church Mission Mobilisation in Africa that results an active involvement of the local church in missions. Using a qualitative exploratory case study method, the study of "Church Mission Mobilisation: the case of WMC in the Niassa Province of Mozambique" has served as a practical way to engage with the subject. Hence, the study demonstrates that the absence of contextualisation of the content and approach used by westerners to mobilise local churches, has left most African churches without interest for missions or involvement of any nature. There is a need for a paradigm shift in the way church mission mobilisation is carried out in modern society (specifically African churches) in order to effectively get the whole church involved in missions. The study concludes with practical recommendations on how the issues raised through this study can be applied to a broader field than the Niassa Province of Mozambique. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:19:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marco Aurelio.pdf: 675456 bytes, checksum: 1ffb9619c48d6085c8ca32198ddbfc93 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-19 / The concept of Mission on John R. W. Stott and C. René Padilla is a research that analyses the relation between the proclamation of the word and the social action as contextualized in the Gospel. This thesis, developed towards the granting of the Master s Degree in Sciences of Religion, belongs to the Religion, Society and Culture research field. The bibliography revision was the methodology used for the data collection. The question that guided the research was: what is the concept of world mission in J. Stott and integral mission in R. Padilla? Among the answers it was possible to compare the theology of J. Stott and R. Padilla. In the first chapter, the concept of world mission in the theology of J. Stott was presented. In the second chapter, the concept of integral mission in the theology of R. Padilla was presented as well. In the third chapter, through a comparison it has been demonstrated that J. Stott emphasizes the proclamation of the word by the church, leaving the social service action as a second matter, because his priority is the need of salvation of the sinner, through repentance and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the savior. On the other hand, R. Padilla sets the proclamation of the word and the service through social action in a joint way and making them inseparable in order to achieve the announcement of the Kingdom of God in society. / No presente estudo sobre o tema Conceito de Missão em John R. W. Stott e C. René Padilla procurei analisar a relação entre proclamação da palavra e ação social contextualizada no Evangelho. Esta dissertação desenvolvida no Programa da Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Religião, pertence à linha de pesquisa Religião, Sociedade e Cultura . A metodologia adotada na coleta de dados foi de uma revisão bibliográfica. O questionamento que norteou a pesquisa foi: qual o conceito de missão mundial em J. Stott e de missão integral em R. Padilla? Com as respostas obtidas, foi realizado um comparativo entre a teologia de ambos. No primeiro capítulo foi apresentado o conceito de missão mundial na teologia de J. Stott. No segundo capítulo, foi apresentado o conceito de missão integral na teologia de R. Padilla. Já no capítulo três, foi realizado um comparativo no qual ficou demonstrado que J. Stott em sua teologia da missão mundial prioriza a proclamação da palavra pela igreja, deixando o serviço de ação social para segundo plano, ao priorizar a necessidade da salvação da alma do pecador que se arrepende, mediante a aceitação Jesus Cristo como seu salvador. Em contrapartida, R. Padilla em sua teologia da missão integral coloca a proclamação da palavra e a prestação de serviço mediante a ação social de forma conjunta e indissociável para concretizar o anúncio do Reino de Deus na sociedade.

This thesis deals with the complex question of how global Christian mission organizations must learn to function, especially the Wycliffe Global Alliance (WGA). I summarize how the Wycliffe Bible Translators (WBT) began in 1942 as the resourcing organization for the Summer Institute of Linguistics (now called SIL International) and how their mutual founder, American William Cameron Townsend, was influenced by Western mission strategy and conservative evangelical theology. The changing global context is impacting how the missio Dei takes place and this is influencing how mission agencies interact with each other and the church worldwide. This is leading to new paradigms of how mission is conceptualized around the world. The thesis outlines how the changing global context has forced Wycliffe to reevaluate its place in the world because, half a century after its formation, the church has new homes in the global South and East. It follows that as a Western mission, Western resources have decreased and this has shaped how Wycliffe Bible Translators (International) has now become Wycliffe Global Alliance (WGA). However, this goes beyond a mere change of name and has resulted in a type of structure that enables it to better engage with the church worldwide. The thesis also examines the complexity of contextualization in the global environment, noting how different languages and cultures are involved, each with its own rules and subtleties. I show how the shift of the centre of gravity of the church to the global South and East presents new theological challenges for the Bible translation effort and these directly impact WGA. There are many missiological implications for WGA that come from influences in church history regarding the importance of language, the translatability of the gospel, the history of Bible translation and how missional reflection is necessary in various situations. These merge together to provide new implications which are influenced by globalization for mission agencies such as WGA. The thesis also emphasises that WGA is a global mission movement, so I have identified methods of leadership development and structure, all of which are critical to WGA’s effectiveness and involvement in the missio Dei. I show that forming global mission leaders is unique and complex, and how the leaders must embrace a wide variety of qualities, skills and capabilities, especially in responding to greater cultural diversity. Since most leadership principles are culturally bound, this creates obstacles in cross-cultural situations. Therefore, I emphasize that a successful multicultural organization like WGA must learn to focus on both worldwide and local objectives. The thesis outlines how theological, missiological, cultural, contextual and leadership values converge and therefore reshape a mission movement like WGA. My conclusion is that none of these influences can be ignored – all are relevant. Each must be reflected upon in order to provide directions for WGA as it seeks to be faithful to its vision and serve the global church. / Dissertation (MA Theol)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / gm2013 / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

This study explores the phenomenon of "Mission Mobilisation" and formulation of a contextual approach toward a successful and effective Church Mission Mobilisation in Africa that results an active involvement of the local church in missions. Using a qualitative exploratory case study method, the study of "Church Mission Mobilisation: the case of WMC in the Niassa Province of Mozambique" has served as a practical way to engage with the subject. Hence, the study demonstrates that the absence of contextualisation of the content and approach used by westerners to mobilise local churches, has left most African churches without interest for missions or involvement of any nature. There is a need for a paradigm shift in the way church mission mobilisation is carried out in modern society (specifically African churches) in order to effectively get the whole church involved in missions. The study concludes with practical recommendations on how the issues raised through this study can be applied to a broader field than the Niassa Province of Mozambique. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Missiology)

With globalization the subject of partnership has become one of the main issues in World Mission. Partnerships are formed in all parts of the world in order to promote collaboration between churches, denominations, and mission organizations. Although good partner relationships are a desired objective, historical prejudices and cultural differences and bias lead to barriers which hinder good partnership relations. How can these barriers be overcome? Christian partnerships are usually only based on a collaboration of the partners and the Christian aspect in a relationship in World Mission is neglected. This study presents a theological basis for a Christian relationship in World Mission, coming from the creation of the human being in the image of God, the communion within the Trinity, especially the concepts of “kenosis” and “koinonia,” and the image of the Body of Christ. A second part of this study researches the historical and sociological aspects of partnership in order to identify barriers for a good partner relationship. The findings of the theological research will then be compared with the outcomes of the historical and sociological study and conclusions for an improvement should be presented. The foundation for mission-church relationship in a global context needs to be a spiritual relationship, since the acting partners come together on a basis of their Christian faith and are part of the universal Body of Christ. The kenotic attitude of the partners plays a major role in their relationship and the proposed model for functioning relationships in World Mission needs to be an organic-complementary communion. The last part then presents a new model for the relationship in World Mission, in which several elements of organic-complementary communion are described. These elements are living together in the Body of Christ, learning together, serving together, suffering and celebrating together, sharing together, working together, and discovering theology together. The study concludes with a proposal of a concept of a “common space” in order to show how such a new model could be lived out in the everyday relationships in World Mission. / Christian Spirituality, Church History & Missiology / D. Th. (Missiology)

This thesis contributes to the literature on the history of the transition from colonial to post-colonial in the Pacific. It explores the contribution of an individual to this transition, Rev. Dr. Alan Richard Tippett, as a focus for illuminating the struggles in the transitions and the development of post-colonial theory for mission. Alan Richard Tippet sailed to Fiji as an ordained Methodist missionary in 1941. He was a product of a Methodist parsonage and heir to the evangelical and revival tendencies of the Cornish Methodism of his family. He began his missionary career steeped in the colonial visions of the mission enterprise fostered by the Board of Missions of his church. He was eager to study anthropology but was given no chance to do so before he left Australia. He pursued his study of anthropology and history in Fiji and began to question the paternalism of colonial theory. Early in his time in Fiji he made the decision to join with those who sought change and the death of colonial mission. In his work as a circuit minister, theological educator, writer and administrator he worked to this end. He developed his talent for writing and research, encouraging the Fijian church to take pride in its past achievements. He became alienated from the administrators of the Australasian Methodist Board of Missions and could find no place in the Australian church. In 1961 he left Fiji and began a course of study at the newly formed Institute of Church Growth in Eugene, Oregon. This led him into the orbit of Donald McGavran and the newly emerging church growth theory of Christian mission. Although his desire was to enhance the study of post-colonial mission in Australia he could not find a position to support him even after he gained a PhD in anthropology from the University of Oregon. After research in the Solomon Islands he returned to the USA to assist Donald McGavran in the formation of the now famous School of World Mission at Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena. While at Fuller he exercised considerable influence in the development of missiological theory and especially the application of anthropological studies in post-colonial mission. Although he contributed to both the ecumenical and evangelical debates on mission, he found himself caught up in the bitter debates of the 1960s and 1970s between them and, despite all efforts to maintain links, lost contact with the ecumenical wing. Retiring to Australia in 1977 he found that his world reputation was not recognised in his native land. He continued his work apace, although he was deeply saddened by the ignorance he found in Australia and by his continued rejection. He finally donated his library to St. Mark???s National Theological Centre. He died in 1988 in Canberra.