If we were to take a quick glance at what is happening in global missions, we would have to observe the growing presence of many more players, coming from everywhere and desiring to serve anywhere in the world.
Rather than resources, initiatives, and missional ingenuity coming primarily from only one sector of the world, we can now identify numerous majority world and non-majority world agencies and organisations seeking to multiply disciples and communities of believers.
Lausanne 2024 organisers call this dynamic: a polycentric focus.
So, we would do well to push the ”reset’ button concerning our approach and engagement in what God is doing in the world.
Perhaps we might say that as a tangible demonstration of this polycentric focus, we (the WT community wherever we might be serving around the globe) pledge to serve as a “collective”.
In other words, we would commit ourselves to sharing more widely to learn of what God is doing in different places around the globe through multiple possible partners; to communicating more deeply the “we” of our community rather than the “me” so as to express the unity of Christ; to cooperating and collaborating more with one another and like-minded partners for greater expansion; and working together to provide all the resources needed around each initiative we would jointly hold as a collective.
That is our challenge for 2025!
Filed under: Collaboration, Communication, Community, Polycentric focus |
Thoughts Along The Journey 
It is true that new mission societies are popping up all over the place. This makes sense in countries where few agencies exist. However, I see several negatives for countries where many legitimate societies already exist. (1) The additional costs of administration to oversee an agency with only 1 couple working in each of several different countries is enormous. (2) The same applies to providing good member care. I know of a denominational mission which only has 1 couple working in the Philippines and their supervisor is in Japan. Since we know this couple well, I suggested that they be seconded to WT so that our accountability structure could oversee them, thus saving their organization lots of money. They could give a token amount of money to WT to help make this happen. Nope, their organization didn’t want that. I think the worldwide church is wasting enormous amounts of money by duplicating unnecessary efforts. (3) A 3rd negative by establishing one’s own mission is that one doesn’t have to submit to anyone else–everyone can do what’s right in his own eyes. This sometimes causes problems for sister agencies working nearby. Are all these brand-new missions, overall, a good thing? I think not.
Good reflections, Trevor. I think what you are saying is exactly an example of what David is encouraging us to see — World Team has a lot to offer, both in giving and receiving, in the collaborative spirit of missions from everywhere to everywhere. I think member care and training are two key areas where we have strengths that smaller and newer agencies can benefit from. We can learn from them too, especially in innovative and contextualized approaches, and in a relational approach to ministry, rather than an efficient approach. Lord, help us all.
Trevor, thanks for your input to the post: “Reset 2025” and polycentric mission. I always respect your thoughts and insights. I would like to graciously provide another perspective on several of your comments.
First, many of the new majority world agencies that I and others observe are not “1 couple each working in several different countries”. They are for the most part focused more strategically, seeking to send a team(s) to reach unreached peoples in one location that they have carefully assessed – note the recent visits of Latin American potential workers to the Philippines from Latin American agencies). Second, member care is an issue that majority world agencies have grappled with. Some have turned to current Western agencies for wisdom and counsel to build effective their own MC processes. Allan, who serves on the WTGA, can give testimony of how the agency he served with sought out a WT couple who gave of their time to work with this agency to build an effective MC process and greatly reduce attrition. Finally, majority world agencies and workers want to participate in global mission in significant ways. They are not looking just to create their own mission and serve independently of others. Their desire is to partner and work with existing agencies (Western and others). Their growing numbers will push us to seek to learn how to adapt to them as co-labourers in the Gospel.
Polycentric mission means that we all “sit around the table” and work to discern the Lord’s will for multiplying disciples and communities of believers.
Thank you, David, for this important perspective. This can be a difficult transition for those of us who have been the “power-brokers” in missions over the past several centuries. Canada, the US, Germany, the Netherlands (for example) still have A LOT to offer the church and Christ’s global mission, but more than ever, our approach needs to have increasing humility, a collaborative mindset, and less of a controlling attitude (with discernment and accountability, yes, but mutually). This is where WT is aiming to grow into and we’ve made good progress in recent years. May we be led by the Holy Spirit as we do so more and more, in unity, in love, and by His grace.