Global Trends: challenges and opportunities for transformational mission movements

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Global Trends: challenges and opportunities for transformational mission movements

By Iman Santoso ⋅ May 2, 2006 ⋅

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Ed. Note: This article was developed with permission from personal notes from Dr. Santoso’s presentation, text from his presentation outline and his powerpoint. Any mistakes are mine. —J. Long

The scope of the gospel is the same as the scope of sin and its effects. Because sin has penetrated individuals, families, communities, cities & nations, it is imperative that the Gospel do likewise. The Christian community is to be a sign of the kingdom in which evangelism, social action and the Spirit are present and inseparably related (T. McAlpine).

Global Trends & Transformational Mission Movements

Global Trends: Discerning the Way Forward

As we strive to discern a way forward, we must examine the global context in which we come together.

Civilization has changed and is changing: from Agriculture (land, 1 context, cp Palestine) to Industrial (machine, factory, organization, systematic theologies) to Information (media, transportation, networking) to Biological (Body of Christ, Holistic, Synergies).

Religion is changing: Jay Gary (a futurist and recipient of the Earl Award at the World Future Society) has identified 10 global trends in religion: (1) the persistence of religious persecution; (2) the attraction of militant fundamentalism; (3) the rising growth rate of Islam; (4) the shift to non-white Christianity; (5) the growth of Pentecostal and non-denominational Christianity; (6) the decline of tribal religions; (7) the level growth of non-religious persons; (8) the increase of pluralism in society; (9) the increase of women in pastoral roles; and, (10) the anticipation of a new millennium.

Church planting movements have likewise moved through several phases. The church has gone from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria (Roman Empire, Western & Northern Nations, Eastern & Southern Nations). We have gone from the coastlands to the inlands to the unreached peoples. Are we headed toward the last Frontier?

Technological advances are causing changes. The world is moving from isolated existence to interconnectedness and on to interdependence. It is empowering individuals who do not want just to be onlookers and spectators, but interdependent participants. This has implications for mobilization and interconnected mission networks.

Holistic & Inclusive Transformational Trends

There is also a holistic trend toward restoration and the fulfillment of Ezekiel 37:1-10 & John 17:21-23.

Those who lived in Biblical times had a holistic paradigm. They believed every part of life was affected by the fall (Genesis 3:14-24: man/woman, animal, nature, work). Redemption, too, had to be holistic (the Old Testament concept of shalom). In the New Testament, Jesus’ message was of the Kingdom of God: a Kingdom that touched every aspect of life.

Greek concepts brought a concept of ‘fragmentation.’ By the 18th Century, the material and spiritual world were considered two disconnected entities. In the 20th century, we have seen a battle between liberalism (social actions) & fundamentalism (evangelism and saving souls).

Today, there is a trend toward restoring this connection. The facts in the field (particularly in the two-thirds world) show that social needs are rampant. In the 1974 Lausanne Covenant: both responsibilities were brought together again. The LCWE (Grand Rapids 1982) and WEF (Wheaton 1983) both affirmed evangelism cannot be divorced from meaningful involvement with people in all their needs. The LCWE Forum 2004 Mission Statement was ’The whole Church taking the whole Gospel to the whole world.”

We see this trend toward reconnecting the in literature on transformational development (World Vision), transformation videos (George Otis Jr), and the Global Day of Prayer (May 15, 2005 with more than 200 million participants).

These trends are leading to grass-roots transformation longings & initiatives. The 21st Century is being lived out in the context of rapid changes toward wholeness and depth. This is increasingly surfacing in various cities, nations, states, regions through such events as TransformWorld, prayer and unity movements such as the International Prayer Council, and synergies for whole-city programs (such as prayer summits, etc).

Challenges:

The more churches are planted, the more persecutions can be expected (Acts 4:2,3,21; 5:14,17,18 etc). Already increasing trends of persecution can be detected in recent years. Persecution could dampen evangelism, dividing and/or uniting Christians, dwindling and/or strengthening Christian churches.

The wise use of language is important: Crusades (negative connotations to Muslims), Church Planting Movements in hostile contexts could be regarded as threatening. Reactions can even come from fellow threatened Christian groups.

Transformation seen as building a shalom community (not merely changing one’s religion) could be more readily accepted in various contexts. To the evangelists, transformation could also be a reminder to work together with other members of the body of Christ.

Opportunities:

Increasing available data & possibilities for research can be used to open eyes of the Church to the needs of the unreached of the world. Many do not presently have data about specific people groups, particularly their location, lifestyle, needs for prayer and ministries.

Increasing numbers of Christian ministries in various stages of Kingdom Vision & Kingdom Building provide various avenues for networking, partnerships & synergies. In a number of hard soils, this togetherness has resulted in significant breakthroughs.

In a globalizing world, opportunities as well as challenges for various creative church planting movements are abundant. The question is now: can we work together with the Spirit to achieve His purposes (Revelation 7:9)?

In Closing:

John Steward observes, “The best missionary teams are groups of diversely gifted people representing the three dimensions of mission.” Interestingly, the three dimensions of the whole gospel are: words proclaim the truth of God (the traditional focus of evangelicals); signs proclaim the power of God (most loved by Pentecostals & Charismatics); and deeds proclaim the love of God ( a strength of liberals & social activists). We should remember the prayer Jesus taught us to pray: “Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10, CEV).