1999-2000 General Mission Study: Mission in the 21st Century v e NEW WORLD OUTLOOK Editor's Column: Talking About Time P11 blis/J er 1999-200 Ra ndolph Nugent Editor _Ylission Alma Graham It was near unset on Palm Sunday Eve during the last year of the Associate Editor 1900s when Bishop Alfred Johnson of New Jersey, bearing a shep­ 4 Miss hristie R. House herd's staff and leading a red-robed children's choir, emerged from by Ra Ari Director Lnyo11t/Desig11 the Asbury Park United Methodist Church into the street. After bish­ Roger C. Sadler Emily Grote op and choir came several hundred of the faithful-weary people 5 Histo Production Mminger who had met all day to learn how to be holy and bold enough to bring byD;; ancy Quigley shalom to God's people in the city. Administrative Assistant Now, at last, finding new energy for this end-of-day procession, Pa tri cia Y. Bradley they came forth singing hymns and waving palms-handing palm 10 Chris byS. Editorial Offices branches to pedestrians, to passing motorists, to people coming out Alma Graham onto porches, to patrons of a fast-food restaurant. As twilight 475 Ri ver ide Drive, Room 1476 New Yo rk, NY 10115 approached, they turned into a street where they'd been told drug 16 The I 212/ 870-3765 deals took place after dark. But they came openly, not furtively, with by Jo E-mail: [email protected] songs of praise on their lips and palm branches in their hands, turn­ ing the puzzled expressions that greeted them into smiles of surprise Website: http://gbgm-umc.org/ nwo/ and delight. 19 lnte Advertising/Pro111 olio11 Director This was mission in action-John Wesley's style of mission, taken Ru th Kurtz out of the church walls into the places where people live and work 20 Case 475 Ri verside Dri ve, Room 1472 New Yo rk, NY 10115 and gather. It was mission for any time, any place, any century. For it by Jo 212 / 870-3784 was a witness to joy, an expression of inclusive love, a celebration of Published bimonthly by the General Board of salvation. Global Ministries of TI1e United Methodist 26 Trani Church. (!SSN-0043-8812) As we consider what Christian mission has been in the past and byR Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, might become in the future, let's pause for a moment in the here-and­ and additional mailing offices. Copyright © 1999 by the General Board of Global now to talk about time. The time we measure out with clocks and cal­ Ministri es of The United Methodist Church. endars-the time we divide neatly into hours and days, years and 30 Rest No part of New World Outlook may be repro­ duced in an y fo rm without written permis­ decades, centuries and millennia-is human time, not God's time. byP i sion from the Editors. Even as human time is measured, the second millennium after Printed in U.S.A. Christ's advent on Earth has already ended-somewhere between 34 Mod New World Outlook editoria ls and unsigned 1994 and 1997. We are already in what might be 2003 or '04, '05, '06 articles reflect the views of the editors and had the B.C.-A. D. calendar system devised by Dionysius Exiguus in 525 signed arti cles the views of authors onl y. 38 Orth Unsolicited manuscripts will be acknowl­ not been four to six years late in its dating of Christ's birth. edged only if used. Otherwise, the editors Even if we could pinpoint Christ's time of birth to a millisecond, by A cannot be responsible fo r returning them. what would it signify? In the beginning-before time, before space, Report change of address to: Magazine before the universe was created-was the Word, and the Word was Circulation, Service Center, 7820 Reading umw Road, Caller No. 1800, Cin cinnati, Ohio with God, and the Word was God. 45222-1800. Also send old address, enclosing if possible address label. Allow at least 30 It is the Holy Spirit working in us that moves our mission for­ 40 Idea days notice. ward, not a mystical trio of zeroes at the end of a date. We can analyze byB POSTMA TER: Send address change directly where we've been in mission; look at where we are now-moving out to New World Outlook, Service Center, 7820 Reading Road, Ca ller No. 1800, Cincinnati, into new places, doing new things; and ponder prayerfully over what Ohio 45222-1800. Subscriptions in the United our understandings and our actions in the future need to be. But what DEPARl States and Possessions: One year $15.00 (com­ bination with Response, $25.00). Single copies moves us out of the church doors-what propels us into streets and $3.00. Two years $26.00 (combination with fields, over oceans, and across continents-is the creative power of Res pon se, $45.00) . A ll fore ign countries: One 2 Edi I yea r $20.00. God, the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, and the sustaining breath of by1 Photo/ Art Credits: page 47 the Holy Spirit, which bid us to bring the gifts of God to the people of God, everywhere, now and forever. Cover Photo: by Linda Rhodes. Alice 15 Misl Saperau, a lay pa tor of the United Methodist I Church in Senegal, holds a worship service in -Alma Graham a house church, 1998. 45 Bull 2 NEW WORLD OUTLOOK MAY-JUNE 1999 New Series Vol. LIX No. 5 NEW WORLD OUTLOOK Whole Series Vol. LXXXIX No. 3 ew World Outlook MAY-JUNE 1999 999-2000 MlfflON JTUDIEf ~ission in the '[wenty- !First Century 4 Mission in the New Millennium by Randolph Nugent 5 History's Lessons for Methodism in Mission by Dana L. Robert 10 Christian Mission: The End or a New Beginning? by S. Wesley Ariarajah 16 The Russia Initiative by John Lovelace l 19 Interview With Bishop Ruediger R. Minor I I 20 Case Histories: Partner Churches by John Lovelace 26 Transforming Destruction to Healing in Kazakhstan by Robert 8. Howerton, Jr. 30 Restoring the Church in Cuba by Philip Wingeier-Rayo 34 Models for New Mission: Cambodia and Senegal 38 Orthodox and Wesleyan Spirituality by Alma Graham flumanity Comes of;flge 40 Ideas for Ministry With Older Adults by Brenda Connelly DEPARTMENTS 2 Editor's Column: Talking About Time by Alma Graham 15 Mission Memo 44 Wireless Worship by Charles Cole 45 Bulletin Inserts on Mission NEW WORLD OUTLOOK MAY-JUNE 1999 3 Mission in the New--------. us reach a larger, Though we recognize that more technologically the need for relief and develop­ Millennium sophisticated popula­ ment will grow incrementally, tion. New strategies we should understand that pe<r by Randolph Nugent may also link us ple's greater needs are needs for together as a church a life of the spirit. Unless we in a more structured invite people to become follow­ The excitement and effective way. ers of Jesus, disciples of Christ, being generated But in our enthusiasm over they cannot comprehend the at the approach the opportunity for a renewed sustained, abundant life that of the millenni­ and energetic beginning and a God is offering them. To do mis­ um has spurred reformulation of mission out­ sion faithfully, we will need to new interest in reach on a grander scale, we transcend our exclusive com­ mission, which must also be wary. Those who mibnent to our own language, is now being re­ believe the new millennium will class, gender, race, and status. newed on many bring a time of rapid change for The words and power for the fronts. New thinking about mis­ the better underestimate the new day should not be equated sion is already in progress, ferocity and power of sin and its with worldly power. Instead, we undergirding our widened mis­ counteroffensive skills. must give ourselves to Jesus sion outreach and illuminating The urgency of the mission­ Christ without reserve as we our missionary task. Our expec­ ary task-the necessity to share struggle to lift others out of tations are high, fueled by new the Gospel-is even more com­ harm's way and into the arms of energy; for we are not only ush­ pelling than it has been in previ­ a loving God. ering in a new year but, in 2001, ous centuries. The capacity of Though some of our com­ inaugurating a new century and people at ever more local levels puters might misinterpret the embarking upon the third mil­ of society to control and destroy final zeros of the year 2000 as a lennium of Christ's church. Still, others is on the increase. Now, two-digit code for 1900, we can­ our mission remains the same. too, there are means available to not go back to the mission In our missionary outlook, impact the environment and to methodology of the past. Still, as we need to make the most of the lay waste to people on a larger the clock chimes and the calen­ opportunities presented at this scale than ever before. Thus mis­ dar turns, the fundamental task moment in time. Key new ele­ sion in the new millennium we were given in Christ's Great ments that can extend the must not be seen primarily as a Commission continues. That purview of mission around the process of funding projects but mission task will be carried for­ globe need to be part of our mil­ as a call to a life-changing, life­ w ard in a different world, lennial vision.