Christian discipleship: some classic quotes
it. No half measures are any good. I
Christianity means community
don’t want to cut off a branch here
through Jesus Christ and in Jesus
and a branch there, I want to have
Christ. No Christian community is
the whole tree down. Hand over the
more or less than this. Whether it
whole self, all the desires which you
be a brief single encounter or the
think innocent as well as the ones
daily fellowship of years, Christian
you think wicked – the whole outfit.
community is only this. We belong
I will give you a new self instead: In
to one another only in and through
fact I will give you Myself: my own
Jesus Christ.
will shall become yours.” The Inner Light, the Inward Christ,
C. S. Lewis 1900–1963
is no mere doctrine belonging
First, strive to do another’s will rather
peculiarly to a small religious
than your own. Second, choose
fellowship, to be accepted or rejected
always to have less than more. Third,
as mere belief. It is the living Centre
seek the lower places in life, dying
of Reference for all Christian souls
to the need to be recognised or
and Christian groups.
important. Fourth, always and in
Thomas Kelly 1893–1941
everything desire that the will of God may be completely fulfilled in you.
Devotion is neither private nor public prayer, though public and private prayers are part of devotion. Devotion signifies a life given or devoted to God.
The person who tries this will be treading the frontiers of peace and rest. Thomas a Kempis 1380–1471
The fundamental facts about human William Law, 1686–1761
Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1906–1945
beings are two: first, we are made “in the image of God”; and second,
Christ says, “Give me all. I don’t want
that image has been stamped upon
so much of your time or so much
an animal nature. Between these
of your money or so much of your
two is constant tension resulting in
work: I want you. I have not come to
perpetual tragedy.
torment your natural self but to kill
William Temple 1881–1944
The same breath is blown into the flute, cornet and bagpipe, but different music is produced according to the different instruments. In the same way the one Spirit works in us, God’s children, but different results are produced, and God is glorified through them according to one’s temperament and personality. Sadhu Sundar Singh 1889–1933
Proclaiming a bigger Jesus It’s maybe 50 AD. A Jewish follower of Jesus leaves Jerusalem in a hurry to escape persecution and arrives in a new city. Despite all the upheaval in her life she’s not lost her breaks taboos by sharing table and food with her gentile neighbour. But there’s a problem making a connection. “So Jesus is messiah of the Jews. So what?” her gentile acquaintances ask. One day a thoughtful Christian makes a connection, identifying Jesus with what the Hellenistic culture calls ‘logos’. Now our Christian disciple can say, “Let me tell you about Jesus, logos come in human form. Your philosophers and truth seekers
CONTENTS
enthusiasm to tell people about Jesus. She
have been on his trail. In our times logos has been revealed in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.” She may then have shared some of the prophecies of Isaiah, writings which she can rightly claim as having greater antiquity than Plato and Aristotle. She shows how Isaiah’s ‘Servant’ is an identikit of Jesus. Identifying Jesus, the messiah of the Jews, with the logos of Hellenistic thought was a huge breakthrough for proclamation of the gospel, a key moment in breaking down the wall dividing Jew and Gentile. An entire classical civilisation could now be brought under the lordship of Christ and understanding of Jesus was enlarged. In this issue of Yes we see how a bigger Jesus emerges through cross-cultural mission. As Canon Max Warren, the great leader of CMS in the mid-20th century said, “It takes a whole world to know the whole Christ.” The converse is that until the whole world actually knows Christ, then he will not be known in his fullness. What better motivation for telling the gospel story to all peoples everywhere?
04/06 From our correspondents 07 Ephesian momentum by Paul Thaxter 10 Interview: Lamin Sanneh 12 Losing the labels by Mark Oxbrow 13 Life via satellite by Sonia Home 14 The open-source evangelist by Jeremy Woodham 16 Found in translation by Tim Dakin 17 Crowther Centre news
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18 How I learned to stop worrying and enjoy the Ephesian moment by Naomi Rose 19 Notebook by John Martin
3 yes Trinity 2009
..from our correspondents... Kate and Tim Lee write from the Philippines
Kate Lee reflects on six years’ work with street children in the Philippines through the Jigsaw project Jesus said: “The kingdom of heaven is like this; a man sowed a seed in a field, the seed grew into a big tree and the birds lived in its branches” (Mark 4:30–32). This is a perfect picture to describe Jigsaw. God sent my husband Tim and me as sowers. We took with us a seed, which in our case was a belief that children are important and need places they can go to which share God’s love and salvation. Places where there is security, self-esteem, community, creativity, boundaries and grace. Places where love can grow. We planted that seed in the lives of the staff and communities that Jigsaw worked in. Roots grew by working alongside people, modelling good children’s work, implementing leadership systems and boundaries of accountability, justice, and management. Today, a new phase in our life and Jigsaw’s life has begun. These are exciting times, but also heartbreaking times. In September of last year both Tim and I knew that God was asking us to take a step of faith. To explain, I need to go back to the beginning... We started Jigsaw six years ago with just me and Tim, a few Filipino volunteers and around 100 kids. Over the past six years Jigsaw has slowly grown to become an independently registered Christian organisation employing 20 staff and working with on average 950 kids each week. We fund and run kids’ clubs in deprived areas of Manila, for children aged 0–18 years old. The emphasis is on play, boundaries, fun and sharing God’s unconditional love and grace. We also run literacy classes for kids who have never been to school and provide school sponsorship for kids who have little parental guidance and support. Additionally we provide food, washing facilities and a safe place to sleep. All our staff come from the same areas as the children. Over the years, they’ve received training in kids’ work, management, welfare and Bible study. The Jigsaw team is now a strong one, united in their goal to see their own communities changed and children’s lives transformed through knowing Jesus. The team have again and again proved their capabilities in planning, preparing and delivering excellent programmes while also being flexible in dealing with various crises and problems. So in many ways the job that Tim and I came to do is now nearly done. We feel like parents who have nurtured their child and now need to accept the fact that they need to let them grow up. Jigsaw would not have existed had we not been placed in Manila by God, but God never intended us to build an organisation that relies on us to stay for years to run it. As long as we stay the staff and others will see it as a foreign organisation that can only run with foreign leadership. The staff will not be given the credit they deserve. Kate and Tim Lee and family returned to the UK in June. They continue to work with and
for Jigsaw, part of a CMS team that helps to network children’s projects around the world. 4 yes Trinity 2009
To find out more and keep in touch with all our mission partners, log on to www.cms-uk.org/linkletters for the latest reports
Dr Jane Shaw often uses the Lahore roundabout where the Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked Greetings from a deeply troubled Lahore. As I write the Police Training College in Lahore has
Jane Shaw writes from Lahore
been attacked today by terrorists and is still under siege; all the major hospitals in Lahore are overflowing with casualties. Thirteen mothers will be burying their dead sons later today, as soon as it is safe to remove the bodies. Coming so soon after the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, this has caused great grief and anguish, and a sense of deep uncertainty about the future. I was expecting friends to arrive today by air from Delhi, but, with the Police Training College being on the airport road, with military helicopters circling overhead and shooting at militants, all flights have been cancelled. My friends have asked plaintively if Lahore will be safe to visit, and I can only say that I hope so. I felt quite close to the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers a month ago, in that I drive on that roundabout very often, and if the attack had been the following day I might well have been caught up in it. A colleague at the United Christian Hospital (which is very close to the roundabout) left her office that morning and on return found the window broken and a bullet lying under the desk chair where she would have been sitting. God does protect us, more often than we know. And yet in the midst of these catastrophes, daily life goes on, and I have lots of positive things to report. Firstly, praise God for an answer to my prayer request regarding a preaching seminar for six members of my church in January. The seminar was held, and though only three of the six invitees could attend, it was a good meeting and much appreciated. Since then we have had a series of seven sermons on the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, and three of those six have preached, alternating with me week by week. For several of them this is a new experience and they need encouragement, coaching and feedback, but the reward is in seeing their increased confidence and the realisation that when we trust in God for inspiration, he does guide us.
“Signs can speak louder than our voices” – Solo 7. Colin Smith reports from Kibera, the informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya
Colin Smith writes from Kenya
“Keep Peace – Peace Wanted Alive.” The slogans have been all over Kibera for more than a year now. They form part of the graffiti that covers perimeter walls, but can also be found on doors, shop fronts and iron sheet fencing – all with the cryptic signature “Solo 7”. Various versions of these slogans formed a sort of subversive resistance to the violence that erupted in the post election period and today stand as a visual reminder that violence offered no solution to a political crisis. For some time our daughter Sandie had been pressing me to find out who this Solo 7 is. In the end he was found in a ramshackle art studio in the middle of Kibera. His name came from being the seventh son, born on 7 July 1977. Solo is an abbreviation of Solomon. When the troubles first erupted during the post election period, Solo felt it safer to move at night 5 yes Trinity 2009
To find out more and keep in touch with all our mission partners, log on to www.cms-uk.org/linkletters for the latest reports
with the crowds of young men marching angrily through the streets. He didn’t belong to the majority ethnic community and felt more secure there than standing at the edge. However, he soon found himself part of a mob that progressed from shouting slogans to burning, looting and destroying businesses. As he ran within the crowd he noticed that any business with a poster for Kibera’s main political party on it was untouched in the looting. At that point he took a risky decision and broke from the crowd. Grabbing a piece of charcoal, in an act reminiscent of the Passover story, he ran ahead, quickly writing the party initials on shop fronts and businesses. That night many businesses that would have been destroyed were spared. Two or three days later, Solo sensed that things would get worse. Messages were circulating, which were likely to incite further hatred and violence. Wanting to combat this, he began to daub slogans on the walls and doors calling for peace. For his own security he began by writing very early in the morning. Over a period of one month he painted messages of peace across the whole community. Twelve months on, no attempt has been made to remove his words; they are now part of the landscape of Kibera. Solo made no claim to be Christian, and he barely knew the Passover story, but he is an example of what can be achieved by those with courage to be A scene in Kibera
men and women of peace.
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Ephesian momentum: a metaphor for mission in our times Paul Thaxter
I often heard as a young Christian “Just give them the gospel!” I had
allows the plant to draw nourishment
the mistaken notion that the gospel was somehow
Christianity is a culturally specific faith
culture-less. This puzzled me as the gospel seemed very wrapped up in the people who were presenting it. Through examining the first few chapters of Genesis, I came to understand God as the creator and sustainer of the universe, our world and our lives. As stewards of that gift, we create cultures that express God’s intentions for his world
and propagate.
The incarnation of God in Christ is the supreme model for mission. God in Christ took human form. We sing, “Veiled in flesh the godhead see” but we must be prepared to go further. Christ did not merely become human. He became a Jew. He was brought up within a Jewish-Galilean culture, shared a Jewish home and education and was entirely at
and all its creatures. I began to see the gospel as
home with its languages and customs. His ministry
being culture-full.
was confined almost entirely to a Jewish audience.
DT Niles, a Sri Lankan missiologist, once remarked
All his original disciples were Jews. The salvation he
that cross-cultural sharing of the gospel is like
brought is symbolised most powerfully in baptism
putting a plant enclosed in a clay pot into the
and the Eucharistic meal, rites with unmistakably
ground. For a while the plant can survive off the
Jewish roots. Here, then, is our warrant for affirming
nutrients contained in the pot. For it to mature and
that ours is a culturally specific faith.
grow, however, its roots must expand, burst through
The gospel is always enclosed in a cultural wrapper
the container and grow into the soil around it. This
and the Christian is called to celebrate that specific 7 yes Trinity 2009
culture and see it as part of the gift of life that God
simply co-existed but became one in Christ. This
imparts. However, a problem is created when the
was the new humanity, the new community, the
wrapper is marketed as more important than its
new commonwealth of God. Jew and Gentile were
content.
different, but one. Each was necessary to the other.
Christian expansion into other cultures
According to Walls, this moment lasted for a very
demands translation – different wrappers We can trace this principle in the Book of Acts as the gospel, first believed and lived out by Jews, takes root among different peoples. This progress was not without much controversy. There was static between Hebrew and Hellenistic Jews who came to believe in Jesus (Acts 6). This continued throughout the Acts account culminating in the Gentiles being baptised in the Holy Spirit and water and triggering the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15). The church discovers it can retain its allegiance to Jesus without being bound to one specific cultural wrapper. When we speak of gospel translation, it involves
“The church discovers it can retain its allegiance to Jesus without being bound to one specific cultural wrapper”
in 70AD. Then, the Hellenistic part of the church dwarfed the numbers of Jewish Christians and official Judaism formally rejected the Christian faith. Yet, the vision remains: Eph 2:14–16: “For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of two, thus making peace … So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.”
far more than searching for word equivalents in
Ephesian opportunity
other languages. As the gospel is translated into the
Andrew Walls suggests the same opportunity
thought-forms, beliefs, customs and practices of a
exists in our times. The epic voyage of Christopher
culture there is an organic process taking place. The
Columbus in 1492 marked the beginning of an
gospel acts a catalyst — celebrating, challenging and
outward migration from Europe to just about every
changing a culture in the image of Christ. Cultures
point of the compass. In our times that migration is
are dynamic systems that are always adapting to
coming full circle. People from Africa, Asia, Europe
internal and external factors. If the gospel takes root
(east and west), Latin America, and the Pacific are
within a culture, there is less chance that the gospel
present in our neighbourhoods and in the church.
will be perceived as foreign.
Never before have there been such opportunities to
Effective mission happens when the gospel is
discover the fullness of Christ indwelling such a rich
unwrapped, translation of words and ideas takes
variety of peoples and cultures. It represents a huge
place and the Holy Spirit is received and works
opportunity for people in the West to move away
in the hearts, minds and imagination of people,
from mission-as-sending to mission-as-sharing.
enabling new possibilities in that culture. As
The ‘Everywhere to Everywhere’ principle, set out
the Holy Spirit works, cultures are transformed. Paradoxically this process can lead to a greater appreciation of specific cultures and a broader appreciation of other peoples’ cultures. People’s image of Jesus is also transformed. We see this in the New Testament, as disciples perceive the Lord Jesus Christ in bigger and deeper terms. What is the Ephesian moment?
8 yes Trinity 2009
brief time following the destruction of the Temple
by CMS thinkers such as John Taylor and Michael Nazir-Ali, is a fact of our times. The church has a choice: to collude with forces that seek to Balkanise people into separate, hostile groups, to advocate mere co-existence, or to seize the moment and demonstrate how it is possible in Christ to create and be a new humanity. As we engage with mission we need to begin with
The Ephesian moment is a term coined by
the end in mind. It’s like using a Sat-Nav. You begin
Professor Andrew Walls in The Cross-Cultural
plotting the journey by punching in the postcode
Process in Christian History (Orbis, 2002), chapter
or co-ordinates of the destination. The Ephesian
4. According to Walls, the book of Ephesians
vision is that “we shall all come together to that
discloses the full purpose of the gospel; it is a
oneness of our faith and knowledge of the Son of
mystery now laid bare, that Gentiles have a place
God” (Eph 4:13). The Bible offers more snapshots
in the saving purposes of God (Eph 3:3–6). Walls
of this vision: a crowd beyond numbering “from all
explains that there came a moment in history when
tribes and peoples and languages, standing before
Jewish Christian discipleship and community and
the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev 7:9) or a
Gentile discipleship and community no longer
community united around the Lamb (Rev 22).
So mission must arise from a vision of faithful hope
needs to be met in our world and mission will be
and of the universal and eternal significance of
a means for meeting them as Jesus is shared and
Christ and his celebratory community.
lives are changed. The motivation is not, however,
Ephesian motivation for mission
meeting needs but working so that the fullness of
One of the mission tasks of our times is to help
when all peoples and all cultures are brought under
churches be mission movements. The scope of evangelistic mission is broad. Through experience in sharing the gospel in a variety of cultural contexts CMS has crystallised an understanding of evangelism under four broad headings:
Christ is seen and known. Christ will be fully known his Lordship and transformed into his likeness. It is in telling stories of Ephesian moments and the impact of Ephesian momentum that we fuel commitment to mission. Every one of us has two kinds of stories to tell: stories of what God has done
Proclamation: declaring the gospel in words
in Christ from the beginning of time; stories of how
Praxis evangelism: diaconia, practical service in
Jesus is shared and lives are changed in our lives
the name of the gospel Presence evangelism: demonstrating the gospel through symbols and lives lived Power/proxy evangelism: the delivering power of
and in our times. We must make a commitment to receiving from others as well as giving to others, so that Christ is seen in all cultures for who he is – the Lord of all.
the gospel from principalities and powers We need to be clear as to what is the biblical
Paul Thaxter is transcultural and reciprocal mission
motivation for mission. There are a great many
director of CMS.
“The Ephesian vision is that ‘we shall all come together to that oneness of our faith and knowledge of the Son of God’”
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Moment of truth An interview with Lamin Sanneh Gambia-born Professor Lamin Sanneh is the D Willis James Professor of Missions & World Christianity and Professor of History at Yale University.
better equipped to answer it than Andrew himself. I fully
He has observed that translation of the Bible and the
yes: Walls comments on the emergence of “a church
Christian message has had an impact beyond anything
of the very poor with few gifts to bring but the gospel
the missionary movement could have imagined.
itself…”
For example in West Africa, translation of the Bible into
Sanneh: This suggests a disconcerting gap between
cultures, not in spite of it.
the Yoruba language, a project where Samuel Ajayi
growing and lively expressions of the faith in the nonWestern world and Western institutions with material
great people movement into Christianity but also to a
and political advantages. To the question, “What does it
flowering of Yoruba culture and renewal movements
take to be a vibrant community of faith?” the answer is,
within the local expressions of Islam. We put a series
response to God’s grace without the backups we regard
of questions to Professor Sanneh about translation, the
as a prerequisite of faithful discipleship.
yes: In what way was your research and development of theme of the translation process a harbinger of the work of Andrew Walls on the Ephesian Moment, which has become so important, not just for mission, but as a way of understanding social relationships at every level? Sanneh: I was struck [by] the missionary cultivation of the vernacular in translation, [particularly] by the way in which the integrity of language and culture was promoted in service to the one God and Father of Jesus Christ. Suddenly, my eyes were opened to the significance of the One Gospel and the many cultures embraced. It convinced me that Christian missions have been the pioneers of one of the greatest and most sustained movements of cultural diversity in the history of the world – and also one of the least recognised. The implication of this is that the unity of the human family is advanced when each member brings its unique and distinctive contribution to the church, not when such unique contributions are suppressed and excluded. yes: Andrew Walls has said that the Ephesian Moment principle “brings a church, more culturally diverse than it has ever been before, potentially, therefore nearer to that ‘full stature of Christ’ that belongs to his summing up of humanity. The Ephesian Moment also announces a church of the poor…” What do you make of this analysis and how do you see it being worked out in our times? Sanneh: This is vintage Andrew Walls, and no one is 10 yes Trinity 2009
Christians has to be achieved through the diversity of
Crowther was a major contributor, led not only to a
Ephesian Moment and the future of the church:
“The heartlands of the church will be some of the very poorest countries on earth…”
subscribe to its underlying argument that the unity of
yes: Walls has added: “The heartlands of the church will be some of the very poorest countries on earth…” Sanneh: This points to the now all too-evident fact that the spread and growth of Christianity will be most pronounced in less affluent areas of the world where fresh models of faith and practice are being developed. yes: Walls makes a point that’s not exactly comfortable to the ears of Christians in the West, “The developed world in which Christians are less prominent will seek to protect its position against the rest…” Sanneh: This issue serves to illustrate the obstacles in achieving Walls’ idea of the Ephesian Moment, namely, the unwillingness of the post-Christian West to allow an alternative definition of the faith to gain ground. Against that wall of resistance third world Christian leaders will mount a vigorous defence of their understanding of what it means to undertake the faithful proclamation of the gospel. yes: Walls continues, “The question…is whether or not the church in all its diversity will demonstrate its unity by the interactive participation of all its culture segments, the interactive participation that is to be expected in a functioning body.” Sanneh: This issue is generic to the whole idea of the Body of Christ as a reality of many members. In this instance the peaceable kingdom of the reign of God is or is not anticipated in the mutual charitableness demonstrated in any one member of that body. yes: Will the body of Christ be realised or fractured in this new Ephesian moment?
Sanneh: As Lesslie Newbigin argued, the new world
in America, or is there a corresponding counter-current
of the Christian awakening will require Christian
of the Christianisation of America in which America
statesmanship to guide [us] into an ecumenical reality
must answer to the terms of Christian engagement
for which Christians have long prayed and worked.
with the world? Are the fruits of America’s ascendancy
The choice is ours to make, but it cannot be made in
interchangeable with the fruits of the reign of God? Can
the absence of the new Christians of the non-Western
the faith be so completely naturalised that it inhibits
world.
the impulse of spiritual restlessness for the truth of
yes: What will be the theological and economic consequences? Sanneh: It is less urgent now to offer a blueprint of the theological and economic consequences of the shift in Christianity’s centre of gravity than to recognise that a) there has been a shift, and b) that it will require vision and commitment in the West to respond.
God? Fundamentalists react to liberals and to other progressives as a political faction. In fact, both share a common root in pragmatic activism. In both cases, too, religious officials are interest brokers for their side. Pragmatism conditions people’s religious orientation and takes a toll on Christianity as a useful and a politically expedient religion. It makes the agenda of the churches really the priorities and goals of politically
yes: How might the African, Asian and Hispanic
mobilised neighbourhoods. Yet this challenge is proof of
diasporas in the West play a special role in this?
the underlying vitality of both the gospel and American
Sanneh: It is crucial to recognise the fundamental
society. We just need Christian leaders equipped
role of diaspora communities in the West as a bridge
to guide the churches through the shifting cultural
with the worldwide Christian awakening. Far too often
alignments.
these diaspora communities are treated as immigrants
yes: How might this guide the British churches as they
filling an economic and social niche in the West with
come to terms with the fact of these diasporas in their
little appreciation of their religious significance. In a
midst?
report produced at the request of the British Council of Churches in the 1970s, I called attention to the religious role of Muslim immigrants in Britain, urging the churches to take a pro-active role in facing the challenge of Christian witness in the Britain of the
Sanneh: As a first step the diaspora communities should be clearly identified, their location and distribution noted, and their habits of worship and
“It is crucial to recognise the fundamental role of diaspora communities in the West as a bridge with the worldwide Christian awakening”
future, where the Muslim challenge will be to the received cultural consensus of church, state, and society. The report ended up gathering dust in the files of the BCC. The churches can now recover some of the lost initiative by working out a strategic alliance with diaspora Christian communities in their midst. The world is now on our doorstep. yes: And what about the USA’s position in this? Sanneh: As an immigrant country, the US reflects many of the major developments in world Christianity, and, accordingly, offers a laboratory of the form and shape of Christian faith and life in the 21st century. As I see it the issue in America is about the proper order or merit of an Americanised Christianity versus a Christianised America, or about what hangs on the distinction. Is the Americanisation of Christianity the primary form the faith has assumed 11 yes Trinity 2009
“...there is the opportunity for a real breakthrough in Christian solidarity as a symbol of the unity of the human family”
prayer taken account of. Sometimes there are
Sanneh: The implications are wider than merely
community celebrations and festivals involving these
the bureaucratic unification of the separate Christian
communities, suggesting a level of organisation and
churches and groups. Provided we can subordinate
leadership that is important to cultivating relations.
matters of cultural preference to the norms of
Second, British churches should create and invest in
revelation, there is the opportunity for a real
partnership projects that use the diasporas as points of
breakthrough in Christian solidarity as a symbol of the
connection. Third, the idea of mission and evangelism
unity of the human family.
should be broadened to include work with, and not only for, the diasporas. yes: Does The Ephesian Moment offer any insights into what’s being termed the “Anglican crisis”? What are the possible scenarios for resolution (or non-resolution)? Sanneh: I saw in the Gafcon conference in Jerusalem last year evidence of the charismatic fervour of the bishops gathered there, and it led me to the view that the charismatic spirit that has penetrated the post-Western Christian awakening is likely a greater obstacle with the Episcopal Church USA than the gay/ homosexual issue. I may be wrong, but the sources of prayer and spirituality that are so prominent in the Anglican Church beyond the West indicate an enormous gap [between] the socio-economic fault lines of the West. In public sessions and private meetings alike, one was struck by the minimal attention paid to sexual preference issues compared to the enthusiasm manifest in devotions, Bible-study, and hymn-singing. yes: Are there wider ecumenical implications? What are some of them?
Lamin Sanneh is the D Willis James Professor of Missions & World Christianity and Professor of History at Yale University. He is the author of over a hundred articles on religious and historical subjects, and of several books. Most recently he has published Abolitionists Abroad: American Blacks and the making of modern West Africa; Faith and Power: Christianity and Islam in “secular” Britain (with Lesslie Newbigin and Jenny Taylor); and Whose Religion is Christianity? The gospel beyond the West. He is Honorary Research Professor in the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University. He is an editor-at-large of the ecumenical weekly The Christian Century and a contributing editor of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research. He was an official consultant at the 1998 Lambeth Conference in London and is a member of the Council of 100 Leaders of the World Economic Forum. He was appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Pontifical Commission of the Historical Sciences, and by Pope Benedict XVI to the Pontifical Commission on Religious Relations with Muslims. For his academic work, he was made Commandeur de l’Ordre National du Lion, Senegal’s highest national honour, and is a recipient of an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.
Christian sisters and brothers, we can share resources
Losing the labels
with them for their mission, and we can even invite them to re-evangelise our own continent of Europe. But what about being ‘one body’ in mission? How do we do that? A small group of mission leaders within the World Evangelical Alliance set out a few years ago to have a “North-South Dialogue” to build understanding and possibly co-working in mission. After long conversations
by Mark Oxbrow international coordinator of the Faith2Share network
about the differing characteristics of ‘Global North’ and ‘Global South’ mission we had our ‘Ephesian Moment’ and realised that putting ourselves into two camps ‘Northern’ and ‘Southern’ was gradually destroying exactly what we were trying to do. Our work is now Ever since John Taylor first used the phrase and
called ‘Global Dialogue in mission’ – together we are all
Michael Nazir-Ali popularised the concept we have got
very different children of God bringing our different gifts
used to the idea that mission is “from everywhere to
to his mission.
everywhere”. More recently Philip Jenkins has reminded us all that Christians of the global South are now the rising majority in the church and Samuel Escobar has predicted that the 21st century will be the century of ‘the poor in mission’. All these are exciting changes in mission, but have we really come to terms with what this means for us? We can give space to our Southern 12 yes Trinity 2009
Another ‘Ephesian moment’ was the moment at the Faith2Share consultation in Bangkok last year when the Faith2Share leaders (meeting with about ten emerging mission movement leaders) said – “We are not ‘older leaders meeting with emerging leaders’ – we all need to be ‘emerging mission leaders’ – if our mission is not constantly ‘emerging’ it is dead!”
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The exciting news however, is that in many other countries: notably Iran and North Africa, the church Where can a woman in Saudi Arabia, who is looking for a new way of seeing the world, or even curious about the Christian faith, go to find out more? There are no visible churches, and cultural norms prevent her from approaching strangers. She may not be able to read, and besides, it may be dangerous to get hold of Christian literature.
is growing rapidly. Whether there be Christians from traditional communities, struggling with misunderstanding and social ostracism, or newer Christians in desperate need of discipleship, the church is critically in need of a voice, to them and for them. This is SAT-7’s vision and ministry. The response to the programmes is phenomenal and growing all the time. Last year we had around
SAT-7 television programmes are one answer. In
a thousand responses a month to SAT-7 Pars, and
her own living room, in private, she can access
a similar number again to both the Arabic and Kids
programmes about Jesus in her own language that
channels, double the numbers from the year before.
are culturally relevant, uncensored and untraceable.
Overall viewership is estimated at over 10 million,
For the isolated believer in Iran, desperate for Bible
according to an independent survey organisation.
teaching, or some form of virtual fellowship and
We are very aware that Jesus called us to make
encouragement, SAT-7’s Farsi language channel –
disciples, not converts and have counsellors
SAT-7 Pars – is there.
who can provide follow-up for viewers with
SAT-7’s satellite television ministry has been
questions. Chat rooms and text messaging
broadcasting for over 10 years, growing from
are newer discipleship tools. Live call-in shows
two hours of programming a week to three 24/7
also help the viewers to hear from, and be
channels, two Arabic, one Farsi. One of the Arabic
aware of, one another – enabling a sense of
channels is a children’s channel, which launched just
fellowship.
a year ago.
Here are some examples of feedback we’ve received:
A majority of the entertaining and creative programmes are produced in the local languages; a
“Five years ago, I started seeking for the truth in
few are dubbed. They are made to empower, envision
different religions. I was lost, confused and wanted
and grow the Middle Eastern church – largely by those
to reach out to God. I really needed comfort and
who count themselves part of that church. We use the powerful tool of television because it is the most strategic way to communicate. It overcomes physical, cultural and literacy barriers. Television enables Christians to be in living rooms all over the region, speaking freely to those whom they might never be able to visit otherwise. The high illiteracy levels in the region make leaflets and even the internet, inaccessible to up to 50 per cent of people in some areas. Over 175 million people have television access (over 90 per cent in many countries). Despite the impression our media gives — that to be Middle Eastern is to be Muslim — there is of course a significant Christian community in many countries. Sadly, in many areas this has dwindled in recent years. In Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories, political and social pressures have forced Christians out. There is much misunderstanding of what Christians believe, which fuels tensions.
peace. Thank God, I found that peace and the truth through the programmes and the songs on SAT-7.” − A woman in Saudi Arabia “My brother and I have come to Christ through watching your programmes but our parents are really against us. But we love Jesus and we are so happy!” Ahmad & Mohammad, Iran “I am calling on behalf of our house group. We were recently caught by the authorities and cannot fellowship anymore. At the moment your programmes are the only fellowship we have”. Mehdi from Shiraz CMS have been an official Partner of SAT-7 from early in its development. CMS provided training for Sara Afshari, who has been a leader in SAT-7’s Farsi broadcasts since 2002. She currently leads a team of 12, largely Iranians, based in Cyprus. SAT-7 is committed to working in partnership with the local church and mission communities. 13 yes Trinity 2009
The open-source evangelist In Nepal, one mission is leading the technology revolution by becoming the first organisation in the country to move all its computers onto free, collaboratively developed operating systems and software. Jeremy Woodham asks, is the Open Source revolution unstoppable?
“I am part of a community where integrity and
systems to replace Windows or Apple, as well as
accountability are commonplace. This community is
new applications that do the same things as the
open and its members freely share with each other
packages from the software giants — but cost the
ideas and goals about anything that will help other
customer nothing.
people. No cost is required; only commitment to its
In 10 years, the Open Community has gone from
open way of relating.
“Imagine a community where integrity and accountability are commonplace... No cost is required; only commitment” 14 yes Trinity 2009
being laughed at to being taken seriously and Open
“I am not talking about a Godly community but you
Source products are being more and more widely
may think I am.”
accepted.
Paul Dobbing is a computer specialist working
But it’s the clear benefits to people in Nepal
through CMS in Nepal. He and his wife Jean, an
that has Paul sold: “no price tag and access to
educationalist, share their skills with the United
technology to help close the technology gap
Mission to Nepal.
between the affluent West and the impoverished
But the community he is describing is not his local
majority world.”
church – it is the Open Community, an international
As well as being free, using Open Source has
band of computer programmers who are taking on
integrity, says Paul. “In this part of the world most
the industry giants like Microsoft and producing Free
of the software people use is illegal copies. It would
Open Source Software.
take the average Nepali worker four years’ salary to
Yes, that’s right – free. It might seem hopelessly
afford a legal copy of Microsoft Windows and the
idealistic, but anyone who wants to can develop
Office software suite.”
their programming skills, access totally open
But is it as good? Can a volunteer army of techno-
source code and help to develop new operating
nerds do better than the corporations?
“One Nepali colleague told me it’s like the
seen as something for the technically minded,
difference between a cathedral and a bazaar.
but things are changing. “One particular piece of
The cathedral of Microsoft looks really nice and
software we are changing to is Linux openSUSE
everything is presented in a flashy way – but down
[you can call it Susie] – it’s being adopted by a
at the Open Source bazaar, there’s a real hubbub,
number of government organisations in Europe as
everyone is contributing, there’s a lot of open
it’s so easy on the eye.”
interaction and you can go wherever you want.
For this Open Source evangelist then, the revolution
And much as all the spice sellers will be found
is definitely coming:
in the same street in the bazaar, Open Source
“It has the potential to propagate to millions upon
contributors will coalesce around a particular
millions of people especially in the majority world
project, such as the Microsoft Office equivalent
where most people can’t afford Western prices for
Open Office. Even hackers contribute to Open
Western software. There’s a massive market – but
Source’s success.
it’s a market where people can get involved and be
“They’ll hack into it and send an email about any
a community.
security holes to the project – ‘Don’t release it till
“One can see the parallel with our Christian faith in
you’ve fixed this!’”
that there’s real integrity and accountability going on
The Open Source utopia is not untainted by
in the Open Community.
commercialism. Companies who are competitors to
“Indeed I heard someone in our organisation
Microsoft sponsor big Open Source projects – they
describe it as a model or vehicle for us growing into
get their branding everywhere and help drag people
a more Godly community.”
away from the dominant player.
“It would take the average Nepali worker four years’ salary to afford a legal copy of Microsoft Windows and the Office software suite”
Imagine a community where integrity and
Companies do make money out of Open Source –
accountability are commonplace, where its
selling their services to develop Open Source based
members freely share with each other ideas and
applications for business, governments, even the
goals about anything that will help other people. No
US military. The difference is they usually share their
cost is required; only commitment.
innovations back into the Open Community.
You might not think he’s talking about a Godly
Paul admits that Open Source software has been
community…
New Resources from CMS! Check out the CMS Harvest Resource for 2009, available now at www.cms-uk.org/resources And it’s not too early to start thinking about Christmas! For a CMS Christmas catalogue chock-full of fun, meaningful and ethicallysourced gifts and cards you’ll feel good about giving, contact Zoe on 01865 787512 or email zoe.kuisis@cms-uk.org There’s more at the CMS webstore: www.cms-shop.org.uk
15 yes Trinity 2009
Found in Translation “Either [Christ] is Lord of all possible worlds and
In a groundbreaking book, Ecclesiology for a
cultures, or he is the Lord of one world and one culture
Global Church (Orbis, 2008), the Roman Catholic
only.” John V Taylor, The Primal Vision (1963, p105)
theologian Richard Gaillardetz reinterprets the
The Louis de Bernieres novel, Birds Without Wings,
credal marks of the church (one, holy, catholic and
tells a story illustrating the host of problems caused by a Christian schoolteacher who insisted on speaking and teaching Greek in a mixed ChristianMuslim village where everyone was entirely happy speaking Turkish: That school master was like too many at that time, the kind who toss water into smoking fat,
We bear good news that is infinitely translatable, writes Tim Dakin
so that others, as well as themselves, are burnt. I am reminded of the tale of Nasreddin Hodja, who owned a buffalo with enormous horns. He had always wanted to sit between those horns, thinking that it would be like a throne, but always
of the church is catholicity, not unity. Gaillardetz declares, “early Christian communal consciousness was as much oriented towards the church’s catholicity and sense of mission as it was towards unity.” (p35) At a time when we are struggling for unity in the Anglican Communion, this is a welcome reminder. We will find our unity in the commitment to put catholic mission first: communion in mission. I would suggest that the latest version of the proposed Anglican Covenant would be strengthened by
he had refrained. Then one day, when the beast
including this emphasis.
was resting on the grass, he could resist the
I am convinced that Christians find their unity as we
temptation no more, and he persuaded his wife
focus on our common mission, rather than on unity
to help him mount the horns. The buffalo stood
itself. When we engage together in mission, unity is
up and tossed him into the air, and he came
the outcome. It’s no coincidence that the modern-day
down landing on his unfortunate wife, so that
ecumenical movement grew up on the mission field.
both of them were hurt. Nasreddin said to her,
God’s intention is to bring all things into unity in
‘Sometimes, wife, we must both suffer for my desires’. (p8)
16 yes Trinity 2009
apostolic) and suggests that the first or primary mark
Christ (Eph 1:10). God has therefore committed himself to the mission of loving the whole, catholic,
From the very start CMS has been committed to
world through the Son and the Spirit in their diverse
sharing the love of Christ with all people in all places.
missions of incarnation and inspiration. Hans Urs
The roots of this conviction have been part of the
von Balthasar, another leading Roman Catholic
Christian story since the first disciples took on the
theologian, calls this the “in and over” mission of Son
challenge to go with Christ to new places in order to
and Spirit (The Spirit of Truth, Ignatius Press, 2006).
share the whole gospel with the whole world.
If we have a vision for Christian wholeness
Then something unexpected happened. In cities like
(catholicity), a vision of all things united in Christ, we
Ephesus, as Greeks and Jews became disciples and
will discover this most richly in pioneering mission.
shared their understandings of Jesus, there emerged
As Gaillardetz says, “The catholicity of the church
a bigger vision of the Lord. So much bigger that it
also presupposes an understanding of Christian
could not be contained solely within the Hellenistic
mission.” (p 36) It is through mission that Christ’s
or Jewish cultures in which these individual disciples
catholic church unfolds and is visible. The character
had been brought up. Andrew Walls, the great
of this divine mission is to be seen in the history of
contemporary mission historian, has called this
the church over 2,000 years. In the process we have
phenomenon “the Ephesian moment.” We unpack
sometimes discovered, lost, and rediscovered how
this theme on other pages of this issue of Yes.
it is that the Son and the Spirit have been at work in
In this article I want to explore how “the Ephesian
the mission of loving the whole world.
Moment”, the breakthrough into a greater Jesus,
At the heart of this has been exploration of how
applies to an understanding of church. The spreading
to cross into new cultures and translate the gospel
of the gospel throughout the world gave birth to a
in new ways, to reveal the Lordship of Jesus. This
spread-out, dispersed global Christian community – in
mirrors the “in and over” mission of the Son and
other words, the catholic church. We acknowledge it
the Spirit. Thus, the gospel can be in every culture
Sunday by Sunday when we say the Creed.
and make sense over every culture. CMS has no
choice but to affirm a catholic church because we
Expansion of Christianity vol 2, p277)
are committed to an infinitely translatable gospel
As Philip Jenkins comments in an important new
The gospel call is to all peoples to be reconciled in Christ and for the ultimate significance of Jesus to
book, The Lost History of Christianity (Lion, 2008): “Before Canterbury had its first Archbishop – possibly before Canterbury had a Christian church
be revealed everywhere.
– the Nestorian church already had metropolitans
I said earlier that sometimes the full story is
at Merv and Herat in the modern nations of
discovered, lost and rediscovered in the sands
Turkmenstan and Afghanistan, and churches were
of history. For example, by the 13th century,
operating in Sri Lanka and Malabar” (Jenkins, p11).
Christianity had spread as far east as the northern
CMS once had a significant mission in Turkey
bend of the Yellow River in what we now call China.
around the time Louis de Bernieres’ novel was set,
In doing so Christianity, as it had before, once again
during the break-up of the Ottoman Empire. CMS
translated itself, adapting to yet another new context
work began in the mid-19th century and ended
as it moved out from the towns of Syria and beyond
early in the 20th. One of the most powerful lessons
to the tents of the nomadic Tartar peoples, the
learnt was that the gospel needed to be translated.
Keriats, Ongutus and Uighars.
Insisting on Greek – or for that matter English –
Kenneth Scott Lattourette, the great American
does not express the catholic nature of the Christian
mission historian, speculated that this particular
faith which is, literally and culturally, infinitely
mission movement goes back to the leadership of
translatable.
a mission-minded Patriarch. “About 781 Timotheus,
We toss water in smoking fat if we are not aware of
the Nestorian Patriarch [already noted for mission to
the need for faith to grow beyond our own culture.
the Turks], wrote that he was preparing to appoint
Worse still we risk missing the greater Lordship of
a Metropolitan to the Tibetans.” (History of the
Christ, the Lord of all possible worlds.
Forthcoming events:
Annual Crowther Lecture
Lecture series on “Mission in Context” at the Crowther Centre, Oxford 15 October, 8pm: Stephen Bevans SVD “What Does Contextual Theology Have to Offer the Church of the Twenty-first Century?”
3 December: Stephen Bevans SVD “Constancy or Fidelity? Contextual Theology and Christian Tradition”
22 October, 8pm: Stephen Bevans SVD “Variations on a Theme by Anselm: Doing Theology in Today’s Global Context” 29 October, 8pm: Jonathan Brant, Graduate Pastorate Chaplain in the University of Oxford: “Gown” Context 5 November, 8pm: The Rev Hugh Lee, City Rector and Priest in Charge, St Michael at the North Gate, Oxford: “Town” Context
Public Lecture 23 November, 7.30 pm: Nick Spencer Place: St Giles’ Church, Oxford “Darwin: Evolutionist, agnostic... and honorary missionary” Nick Spencer is Director of Studies at the public theology think tank, Theos, having previously worked for the Henley Centre, the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity and the Jubilee Centre. He researches and writes on issues of religion and society, and is the author of a number of Theos reports including Doing God: a future for faith in the public square and Neither Private nor Privileged: the role of Christianity in Britain today. He has written a number of books, most recently (with Professor Robert White) Christianity, Climate Change and Sustainable Living (SPCK, 2007), and Darwin and God (SPCK, 2009). He has a blog on The Telegraph and has also written for The Guardian, The Times, Church Times, and The Tablet.
Missiologists in Residence Dr Stephen Bevans SVD – Sept to Dec 2009 Dr Stephen Bevans is currently Professor of Mission and Culture at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, USA. Before joining the faculty in 1986, Stephen Bevans spent nine years in the Philippines teaching theology at a diocesan seminary. That experience coloured the way he does theology and influenced his theological interests. His teaching and research probes issues in faith and culture, of mission theology (particularly its Trinitarian roots), and in ecclesiology and ministry. He is author of Models of Contextual Theology and co-author (with Roger Schroeder SVD) of Constants in Context: a theology of mission for today.
Crowther Centre news
that takes root in and over all peoples and all places.
All events free unless otherwise stated. The Crowther Centre for Mission Education is located at CMS, Watlington Road, Oxford OX4 6BZ www.cms-uk.org For more information please contact Berdine van den Toren Tel: 01865 787400 Email: berdine. vandentoren@ cms-uk.org
Dr Lalsangkima Pachuau – Feb to May 2010 Dr Lalsangkima Pachuau was born and grew up in India. Currently, he is director of postgraduate studies and associate professor of history and theology of mission at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, USA. He has authored and edited several books, including Ethnic Identity and Christianity (Peter Lang, 2002). His interests are world Christianity, missiology, social and religious movements in South Asia and contextual and intercultural theologies. Dr Pachuau, an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of India, is a parish associate for the Nicholasville Presbyterian Church and is a member of the church development and evangelism committee, Transylvania Presbytery. He is married to Lalneih Kimi Sailo. They have two sons. 17 yes Trinity 2009
How I learned to stop worrying and enjoy the Ephesian moment by Naomi Rose
Growing up, I was a pretty smart child.
insights that were whizzing about like tennis balls. I
I was usually reading a grade or two ahead of my
started learning.
peers; was a couple of years ahead in maths and
I learned that the Orthodox Church doesn’t speak
figured out early on that no good could possibly
of “mission” per se; they talk about ecclesiastical
come from sticking my finger up my nose and then
duty; they talk about a path of holiness. I learned
inserting it in my mouth. So yeah, I was fairly bright,
how interfaith dialogue is breaking down cultural
labelled “gifted” even.
boundaries in India. I learned how the Korean church,
One of the problems with such a label is that it doesn’t
prosperous and strong though it may be, is struggling
prepare you for realising your limited potential in
to retain younger members in an increasingly
certain areas. I was really great at maths…up until
materialistic culture.
geometry, when many other kids began to grasp
I learned that people in India can see continuity
concepts faster and get better grades. I began to feel
between their traditional scriptures and the New
like, in my words, “the dumbest of the smarties.”
Testament, but they struggle with the Old Testament.
Why do I mention this? Because as I take my seat
I learned how in the Philippines, the fatalistic concept
in a room full of missiologists in Seoul, South
of bahala na has never fully been understood by
Korea I get deja vu. I’m suddenly back in high
Westerners, which is one reason why Christianity has
school trigonometry, getting ready to nod my head,
struggled to take root there.
pretending to understand what the teacher is talking
I became jealous when Dr David Singh began talking
about. I’m back to being the dumbest of the smarties.
about the Christ-centred, experiential spirituality
To be honest, I anticipated this when Dr Cathy Ross,
exhibited by many Indian Christians. I began feeling
who heads up the Crowther Centre for Mission
as though there was a whole side to Christianity that
Education (see p17), asked me to be part of a
I’d never experienced…and then it hit me.
core study group preparing for Edinburgh 2010, a
I was having an Ephesian moment.
conference marking the centenary of the influential World Missionary Conference, which also took place in Edinburgh. Intrigued, I readily accepted her invitation.
Now I know that Dr Walls doesn’t use the term Ephesian moment to denote a personal experience; he’s talking about a particular point in time, about
Which is how I, a mere copywriter, find myself in
being at a crossroads in Christian history, whereby
Seoul, South Korea, with 10 mission thinkers and
we must make a choice to see the fullness of Christ
practitioners – from New Zealand, America, Kenya,
unfolding through diverse cultural experiences. I
Bulgaria, India, China, the Philippines, Britain, South
know that. But what I’m saying is that there it was,
Africa and of course, Korea – who have gathered
happening in Seoul. There was something awakening
to present case studies on “mission spirituality and
within me as a result of spending time with Christians
authentic discipleship”. I’ll be chairing two of the
from a variety of cultures that was in a word,
presentations and I’m feeling way out of my league.
profound. And I know I wasn’t the only one feeling it.
Even after working at CMS for a few years, there are
The funny thing is, I’d read all of those papers before
still lots of missiology terms that remain shrouded
arriving in Seoul, and yet, it wasn’t until we were all in
in mystery. For example, the theme of this Yes, the
the same room, listening to each other, raising honest
‘Ephesian moment’, has been particularly difficult
questions and struggling with issues like power,
to grasp, no matter how many times I read Andrew
control, syncretism and spiritual forces, that something
Walls’ essay (see p8) or watch presentations related
greater than the sum of the parts occurred.
to the subject. It’s a bit like looking up at the night
Which is good, because as I said, I’m not the greatest
sky, trying to find a constellation – look away for a
at maths anyway.
second and you’ve lost your place and have to start scanning the sky again. So as I open up my laptop in that conference room in Seoul, my only goal is to try to not look stupid. Then, as everyone gave their presentations and asked each other questions pertaining to their
18 yes Trinity 2009
findings, a funny thing happened: I began to forget
Naomi Rose works in the communications team at CMS
about myself. I stopped worrying about how smart or
For more about Edinburgh 2010,
dumb I was and just concentrated on listening to the
see: www.edinburgh2010.org
by John Martin It was a great honour to be on hand for the historic moment in February when Canon Tim Dakin, general secretary of CMS and Mr Dennis Tongoi, executive director of CMS Africa, signed a memorandum of agreement bringing CMS Africa into being. Born out of the 210-year-old Church Mission Society
mailed or emailed the tracks to each other and
(CMS) which planted many of the Anglican churches
a local editor, Tom Tunney, pulled it all together.
on the African continent, CMS Africa will take the
For a small donation (£1 recommended) you can
lead in implementing a vision for mission in Africa
download the mp3 and score. All proceeds go to
and beyond. Its offices in Nairobi, Kenya, are already
Jigsaw Kids Ministries in the Philippines (see p4),
a busy hub for a number of partner organisations
which aims to share the love of Jesus with thousands
involved in equipping Christian leaders for mission.
of homeless children. Please encourage your friends
It sees its mission as “envisioning, mobilising, and
and your church to get involved by sending them this
equipping leadership for God’s mission and functions
link: www.cms-uk.org/song
as a catalyst and consultant, aiming to “multiply models of excellence”. Dennis Tongoi commented that for mission supporters in the UK, practical
In an era where short-term mission is so much to the fore, hail Pam Cooper who has finally settled back in
details need not change. British mission partners will
York having served for a mind-boggling 41 years as a
continue to work alongside African churches.
CMS mission partner in Japan. One thing is certain:
One of my favourite mission songs is a golden oldie titled Let The Song Go Round The Earth, written by Sarah Stock. I keep a portrait of her brother Eugene Stock (1836–1928) on my wall at CMS Oxford. It’s a constant reminder that in my job I stand on the shoulders of giants. Stock was for many years editorial secretary of CMS. He wrote a five-volume history of CMS to coincide with celebrations of the
getting to grips with the culture of Japan and learning the language is a long-term commitment. Pam has been an inspiration to two generations of students, many of whom visited the UK with her, thereby deepening their knowledge of English language and culture. Japan needs people who are willing to put aside other ambitions for the sake of long-term mission there.
Society’s centenary in 1899. In order to research his
In the same week CMS celebrated Pam Cooper’s
History Stock set up the CMS archives, a collection
ministry we learned of the death of Dr Pat
that today contains more than two million items and
Nickson, a mission partner for 34 years whose trail
is independently acknowledged as one of the richest
extended from the Northern Territory of Australia
collections of mission and international history.
to Afghanistan, from Bangladesh to the Democratic
Another of Stock’s centenary projects was the CMS
Republic of Congo. She worked with the Medical
hymnbook, published in 1898 for use in a huge
Commission of the World Council of Churches and
round of celebrations throughout the following year.
“It’s a constant reminder that in my job I stand on the shoulders of giants”
was a lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical
Music and mission have always intertwined. Sarah
Medicine. She also founded the Pan African Institute
Stock came to my mind thanks to a piece of modern-
of Community Health (IPASC) to give training in
day inspiration. The CMS music group that helped
community health to diploma and degree level. Then
us celebrate opening the offices in Oxford has got
to her great surprise in 2003 she found herself called
together to create a new worship song, We Give to
to ordained ministry. Pat had all the hallmarks of a
You. Steven Sim from Singapore wrote the melody. In
pioneer: risk-taking, single-mindedness and unlimited
one of the wonders of modern-day communications
curiosity. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
each member of the group recorded their parts individually on their computers at home. Then they
NEXT ISSUE OF yes DUE October 2009
19 yes Trinity 2009
As my parents planted before I was born, so do I plant for those who come after me.
A family, sharing Jesus changing lives for over 200 years. Help enable the work of the CMS family to continue beyond our lifetimes. For more information, Mary Smith, our legacy administrator, is available on 01865 787513 or mary.smith@cms-uk.org
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