Vol. 4 • no.1 April 2005 The story of Jesus has been the single greatest influence in shaping Europe’s past. Why should it not also be the single greatest influence in shaping Europe’s future? This book is about the role in shaping Europe’s future together! “I really believe this book is desperately needed in Europe” George Verwer, founder Operation Mobilisation For information and to order: www.initialmedia.com [email protected] O VOL. 4 • N .1 EDITORIAL From the Heart and Mind of the Editor The high calling upon the Mission Commission (MC) is to focus review three very diverse and cur- rent books on Christians in China. on the extension of the Kingdom of God in Christ. We want to Some of our readers may not agree be known as a missional structure, intent on establishing with everything Sam writes, but we Kingdom outposts around the world. We want to respond to the will all be stirred to think seriously about God’s work in that “center of cutting edge concerns of the missional people of God—the the human universe”. The other church on the move in all of its forms; serving within cultures books are almost a polar opposite as Cathy Ross introduces us to the William Taylor is the Executive and cross-culturally; near and far; home and abroad; Director of the WEA Mission very adventuresome and delightful Commission. Born in Latin evangelizing and discipling; proclaiming and serving; Mma Precious Ramotswe of America, he and his wife, expanding and missiologizing; weeping and sowing. Botswana’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Yvonne, served for 17 years Agency. before a move to the USA. He is the father of three adult General as of March, 2005. with one of the global missional A Foretaste of Africa 2006 GenXers born in Guatemala. structures such as the Mission This issue is most important Commission. Finally, this editorial provides the first th Changes in Connections because of its forward-thinking con- foretaste of the 10 MC global con- tent. We have concluded a 16 Other Articles in Connections sultation that we hope to celebrate This 8th issue of our young journal month process of self-evaluation in South Africa for six days in June, reflects some seminal changes. and re-envisioning of our preferred Some of the articles in this number 2006, convening a select group of First, a change in size, format and future as the WEA Mission are reprints from the “lost” February some 250 missional leaders from composition. This comes as we Commission. Countless hours of 2004 issue. Somehow, somewhere, around the world. This April I will transfer our production from India to individual, staff and some 3,400 copies of be in South Africa working on logis- Holland, and it reflects the partner- Global Leadership By William D. Taylor our journal disap- tics with our SA colleagues, Willie ship with Initialmedia, now in charge Council time have been peared either in the Crew, Henkie Maritz and Peter of design, layout, graphics, printing invested in different ven- Indian or the interna- Tarantal. The program will reflect and posting. We thank Kees van ues and countries, face-to-face and tional postage systems. Gradually our historic commitments in these der Wilden, our new Managing through e-mail. Discerning what we are returning some of those by-invitation-only consultations. We Editor, and Anton Smeele of God’s missionary Spirit leads us into seminal articles because of their will anchor our hearts and minds Initialmedia for his strategic alliance is expressed in some of the features: vital relevance. In this case they are with worship and Bible reflections. with us. May God bless his business Bertil’s eloquent analogy of the foot- the ones written by David Tai- As we celebrate the reality of mis- and heart-desires. I am deeply ball (soccer) game; the document Woong Lee, David Stoner and Rose sion today “from all nations to all grateful for Evan Riffee, our former that reflect our commitment to an Dowsett. Complementing these is nations” and all that God is doing in Managing Editor, who continues as open architecture of “relating, con- Steve Moon’s key update report on truly globalized cross-cultural mis- my personal consultant and assis- necting and docking”; and the semi- the Korean mission movement. sion, we will also want to grapple tant in other areas of the Mission nal document on our purpose and with some of the difficult questions Commission and Connections. commitments, constituencies and Again we present the reports from and challenges that are before us. governance, leadership and teams. the MC related task forces and net- Forming part of the agenda will be Our creative cover comes again works. We welcome Kent Parks, issues of mission in, to and from a from our young graphics artist, Jarin Let me comment on the linking and speaking on behalf of SEALINK, a context of entrenched poverty, and Tadych, who has focused on green docking document. The MC does network representing outreach to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The Taylor- for growth; green for new things; not go out into the ocean of God’s the least-reached people groups of to-Ekström leadership transition green to reflect of one of God’s missional communities to “fish or South East Asia. takes place also at Africa 2006. We favorite colors. capture”. That is not our calling. will open the AM and PM program We are called to provide a harbor In our Global Reports we include to more “white space” and extend- More important changes are reflect- for missional vessels to connect two documents from the Lausanne ed periods for our task forces and ed in the two press releases. The with us. This value is reflected in Movement and their October 2004 networks to grapple with their own first announces the singular MC our six key constituencies. In most Forum. Read these with keen inter- agenda and proposed outcomes. leadership transition in June 2006, cases they are the Mission est and find more at the rich from Bill Taylor to Bertil Ekström. Commission Associates, women Lausanne web site. So, good readers from around the The second one introduces Geoff and men from around the world The book reviews merit comment, world; read and engage, read and Tunnicliffe, an MC colleague on our who form the human dimension of in part for their contrasts. Samuel pray, read and be changed, read Global Leadership Council, as WEA our ministry. In other cases they are Chiang writes from Hong Kong as a and write us. The blessing of the Interim International Coordinator, missional bodies, agencies, net- veteran student of China, its future High Three upon each of you. following Gary Edmond’s decision to works or other broad-based mission and its Christian church. He was step down as WEA Secretary structures that desire to connect asked to do an impossible task, to << 3 CONNECTIONS TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Bill Taylor From the Heart and Mind of the Editor 6 Press release on leadership changes: William Taylor, Bertil Ekstrom, Jon Lewis Press release on Geoff Tunnicliffe as WEA Interim International Coordinator 7K Rajendran The MC after de Bron, September 2004 9 Bertil Ekstrom As we peer into the future— a vision for the MC 12 MC Staff MC Purpose and Commitments, Leadership and Teams 14 Bill Taylor and Bertil Ekstrom MC Open Architecture of Relating, Connecting and Docking 16 David Stoner The Virtual Airline The Missional Church is Passionately Glocal 18 David Tai-Woong Lee Rethinking Missional Structures in the for Christian Workers Globalised Mission Context 23 Steve Moon The Current Korean Missionary Movement 27 Stan Nussbaum Proverbial Perspectives on the Future 28 Lausanne Reports Press Report from Lausanne Forum 29 Lausanne Reports A Summary of the Lausanne Issue Groups 31 Marcia Tostes Brazil Member Care Report 32 Cees Verharen Europe on the Move 33 Alex Araujo Interdev Partners Associates Report 34 Mark Orr JIMI: Joint Information Management Initiative Introduction 35 Rob Brynjolfson International Missionary Training Network Report 36 Rose Dowsett Global Missiology Report from Singapore, August 2004 37 Kent Parks The Vision of SEALINK 39 Mark Orr Refugee Highway Information Clearinghouse 40 Rose Dowsett Reaffirming the Missional Heart of God 43 Cathy Ross Alexander McCall-Smith books 44 Sam Chiang Three books on China O VOL. 4 • N .1 EDITORIAL Mission Commission of World Evangelical Alliance Appoints New Executive Director-Designate During the strategic Summit of the WEA Mission Commission (MC), held in the Netherlands from September 17 – 19, 2004, its Global Leadership Council unanimously agreed to appoint Bertil Ekström (age 52) of Brazil as its Executive Director-Designate, following Dr. William Taylor’s twenty years of service in this position. WEA’s International Council ratified this appointment in November, 2004, and it will take effect in July, 2006. 5 EDITORIAL PRESS RELEASE, FEBRUARY 25, 2005 kström is well known and valued in Brazil and throughout The World Evangelical Alliance Latin America as a gracious and insightful church and mission International Council is pleased to leader. He is an ordained pastor, an InterAct (Swedish mission- E announce that Geoff Tunnicliffe ary society) missionary, and has led the Brazilian Association of Mission Agencies and has been one of the leaders of the Brazilian has been appointed as the interim Association of Mission Professors. He has been the continental presi- dent of COMIBAM, and chaired the Great Commission Roundtable. international coordinator for the He has published 3 books on missions in Portuguese. Bertil has been WEA, following the recent married to Alzira for 25 years and they are the parents of Cristina resignation of Gary Edmonds as (married) - 24, Denise 19, Erik 14 and Felipe 10.