Studies in Missiology

Mission drift is a constant threat to any parachurch organization trying to remain "mission true" and "holistically relevant" in this post-Christian society. Defining it as a phenomenon in which Christian-based mission agencies stray from their God-given vision and identity towards socio-humanitarian objectives, this study considers this in light of Jesus's own holistic mission, exemplified in Matthew 9:35–38 and Luke 4:18–19. This insightful investigation into seven Christian NGOs and NPOs seeks to reveal the underlying reasons and motivations for moving towards mission drift. Presenting an exegetical study of the ministry of Jesus, Dr. Kombaté offers a developed and nuanced understanding of the challenging forces that contribute to mission drift and puts forward tools to minimize its risk. A must-read for missionaries, pastors, and leaders in parachurch organizations endeavouring to retain a strong, biblically grounded commitment to following holistic mission.

In the globalized twenty-first century, there is greater need than ever for intercultural approaches to advancing the gospel in multicultural urban contexts. In this book, Dr. Johnson Ambrose Afrane-Twum explores the history of African immigrant churches in the UK. Examining the implications of black theology in the context of Britain's multicultural landscape, he offers suggestions for how black-led churches can partner with white-majority churches for greater impact in urban ministry and evangelism. Such a partnership, he suggests, would enable both communities to challenge aspects of their respective cultures and theological approaches, recentring both on biblical truth. It would also provide a model of Christian mission built on mutual respect and love, transforming urban communities through an accessible and unifying gospel.

As the centre of Christianity shifts towards Africa, African migrants have become a significant source of Christian witness in the West, and African diaspora congregations in the UK are springing up and multiplying. In this ethnographically informed study, Dr. Paul Araoluwa Ayokunle explores the factors impacting the growth of three such African diaspora churches in Liverpool, England. His research identifies the challenges posed by hierarchical leadership styles and an unfamiliar, and potentially hostile, cultural context, as well as the essential nature of ecclesiology – one's theological understanding of the church and its calling – in answering these challenges. Ultimately, he proposes a Yoruba-based ecclesiology, alongside an adaptive leadership model, as a way forward for the African church to continue growing in its mission to be a light to the nations, including to the once-Christian West. This book offers a powerful exploration of the richness of grassroots ecclesiology and the role of migration and contextualization in the spread of Christ's kingdom to all peoples and places.

Taiwan is a nation with religious freedom and a long history of missionary activity. Yet, the Christian population has steadily remained as a minority religious affiliation. In this important missiological work, Dr. Chuang seeks to find out why this is the case, and what lessons can be learnt for mission and evangelism in Taiwan. From his in-depth interviews, Dr. Chuang explores the interplay of folk religions and Christianity in Taiwanese attitudes and lived reality regarding religiosity. Focusing on theoretical and theological issues, this work is unique in providing clarity around the nuances of how the people of Taipei conceptualize religion and the unseen realm. Dr. Chuang skilfully demonstrates that to better contextualize the gospel among Han Chinese in Taipei, Christians need to ask the questions that the people are asking to other deities in daily life and frame an exclusive Jesus in an inclusive way. Missiologists, practitioners, and pastors will all benefit from this practical, contextualized approach to gospel transmission in Taipei.

Christian mission in the modern era has generally been conceptualized as a Western endeavour: "from the West to the rest." The rise and explosive growth of world Christianity has challenged this narrative, emphasizing Christian mission as "from everywhere to everywhere." Dr. Las Newman contributes to this revitalized perspective, interrogating our understanding of modern missions history by drawing attention to the role of African West Indians in the spread of Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa. This comparative study of three nineteenth-century missionary expeditions critiques common narratives around West Indian involvement in the missionary enterprise. Dr. Newman proposes that far from being misguided adventurers or nostalgic exiles, African West Indians were fueled by a quest for emancipation that was birthed in the crucible of Caribbean slave society. Acting as agents of the Western missionary enterprise, they nevertheless shaped an understanding of Christian mission as a force for justice and freedom that carried with it personal, religious, and socio-political implications. Dr. Newman argues that it was this conception, embraced and championed by African West Indians, that enabled the missionary project in Western Africa to survive, flourish, and ultimately take firm root in African soil. This study questions historical interpretations of the Western missionary endeavour, exploring the pivotal role of native agents in cross-cultural Christian mission and allowing readers to hear from marginalized voices as they tell their own stories of engagement, struggle, and liberation.

One lacuna in Søren Kierkegaard scholarship is in analyzing his works with his self-described identity as a "missionary to Christendom" in mind. Challenging the international connotation of the term "missionary," Dr. Michio Ogino examines Kierkegaard's works in which he identified himself as a missionary writer, to reveal how he considered being a missionary an integral part of being a Christian. By chronologically and empirically examining the writings of Søren Kierkegaard, Dr. Ogino argues that Kierkegaard not only proclaimed Jesus Christ in his homeland but did so in a manner similar to how Christ had done on earth, incarnating the Christian message for his contemporaries. Through this provocative exploration, Ogino lays out how the application of Kierkegaardian mission can help to overcome five recognized barriers in Japanese evangelization. Kierkegaard scholars and readers will find a new understanding of the motivations and reasoning behind his works, and missionaries, not only to Japan but all nations, will be encouraged in how his approach can be applied in their context.

Diaspora churches are positioned to have a tremendous capacity for missions as they practice their faith in the Western world, yet why do they fail to develop effective strategies to break out of their inwardly locked ministries? Addressing this question, Dr. Mehari Tedla Korcho offers a thorough examination of Ethiopian diaspora churches in the United States, encompassing their historical, sociological, and missiological aspects. Drawing attention to the relatively overlooked nature of the 1.5 diaspora generation, those who came to the United States as children, he explores the missional potential of mobilizing the intergenerational context of Ethiopian diaspora church communities. Outlining a familiar narrative found in many diaspora churches, Dr. Korcho provides comprehensive, strategic recommendations for helping the first, second, and 1.5 generations of these communities engage in missions together. This work offers a fresh perspective to the field of diaspora mission studies through expounding the prospective impact of mission by the diaspora and the challenges faced in establishing missional partnerships.