Rethinking Mission

Inspired by the objective to rethink mission as participation in “God’s movement in our world”, USPG’s work in this area was marked by an attentiveness to contextual diversity and the legacies of history as well as the commitment to decolonise theological thinking in alignment with communities and perspectives that are often marginalised.

Our Lenten course’s subject, “Living Stones and Living Hope,” was inspired by 1 Peter, the Lambeth Conference’s focal text, which compares the Christian community to living stones that make up God’s household. In addition to introducing theologies from various contexts, the course underlined the contextual aspect of all theologies. An understanding of theology in connection to practise as embodied faith that is both altered by and transforms one’s context was widened through a series of webinars. While reflecting the many magnificent stones that compose God’s family through their diversity, these contextual expressions of theology also asserted that one’s existence in God can be lived in more than one way.

Our annual “Rethinking Mission Conference” this year took the shape of four online webinars that took place in February focussing on the theme ‘Keeping Faith in Science’. In collaboration with scientists and theologians from around the world these webinars explored how the Christian faith can speak into current debates about health sciences, technology, the climate crisis, or distributive justice and how church leaders are engaging the intersections inherent in these debates. The online format enabled people from across the Anglican Communion and beyond to come together virtually to listen, respond to, and be inspired to go out together in ministry, better equipped to confront some of the most difficult challenges of our time.

2022 was marked by two major events which impacted many partner churches of USPG. The Lambeth Conference took place in Canterbury UK in July and the General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) took place in Karlsruhe, Germany in August/September.

USPG organised a seminar on ‘Rethinking Mission: Exploring Power, Privilege and Partnerships’ at Lambeth and two workshops at the WCC Assembly on “World Christianity and Decolonising Theological Education” and “Challenges of Migration to European Churches”. Both these events were well attended and offered USPG the opportunity to engage with a range of senior church leaders, theologians, and mission practitioners from across the world.