MISSION AS TRANSFORMATION SEMINAR ONE

1. MISSION AS TRANSFORMATIONSEMINAR ONE “Critically examine the shifts in Mission paradigms and its impact on Christian thinking on social issues, with special reference to your context”.

2. Mission paradigms in the Bible • Old Testament Paradigm • New Testament Paradigm

3. Mission is a Biblical conceptBoth OT & NT • “The working Hypothesis affirmed throughout this book is that the entire Bible, not just the New Testament, lays the foundations for mission”. Senior & Stummuhler. P. 315

4. OLD TESTAMENT BASIS “I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their task masters………………” Exodus 3:7-8

5. New Testament • When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” Matt. 9:36 - 38.

6. Mission as centripetal and centrifugal. WHY? • It involves going out and coming in. One goes out to meet people, and people come in to join the Kingdom of God.

7. What is Mission all about? • God’s sovereignty • God’s will to save humanity • God’s progressive revelation • Man’s witness to God’s revelation

8. The Mission Paradigms in the Old Testament • Israel v/s the nations. The centre of God’s sovereign activities, revelation, compassion, and witness was centred in His dealings with all nations through Israel

9. Mission Paradigm in the New Testament • The centre of Gods, sovereign activities revelation, compassion and witness was seen in the person of Jesus.

10. What is a Paradigm ? • “the entire constellation of beliefs, values, techniques etc, shared by the members of a given community”. (Bosch.p.185 referring to Kuhn:1970:175) • “Models of interpretation” or “frames of knowledge” or “frames of reference”. (Ibid.)

11. What is a paradigm shift? • It is a change from one paradigm to another. The thought was developed out of Thomas Kuhn’s scientific theory which stated that.

12. Thomas Kuhn’s Theory • “Science is a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions” (www.emory.edu/EDUCATION/mfp/Kuhn.html)

13. Difference between Kuhn and Bosch • The new paradigm replaces completely the old paradigm and the change happens quickly (Kuhn) • The new paradigm lays its foundation on the old and the process is gradual (Bosch)

14. Two Paradigms in tension • Ultimately one paradigm replaces the other following this creative tension

15. Senior & Stuhlmueller • God as saviour before being creator, therefore the heart of mission right from the Old Testament

16. Bosch • Mission begins in the New Testament after the Christ event. • The first paradigm shift was from primitive Christianity to the Hellenistic Patristic period

17. Bosch sees six paradigms • Primitive Christianity and fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel • The Hellenistic paradigm of the Patristic period • The Medieval Roman Catholic paradigm • The Protestant Reformation paradigm • The Enlightenment paradigm & reason • Post modern paradigm (context)

18. Tanzanian Context • The first missionaries (UMCA) came to Tanzania from Malawi in the 19th century (1864) and established a mission station in Zanzibar, where there was a slave market. • Apart from preaching the Gospel of Salvation and forgiveness of sin in Jesus they abolished slave trade

19. Interior Mission • 1866 David Livingstone, Dr, explorer and missionary left Zanzibar to Lake Tanganyika via Lake Malawi. • At his death in 1873 dying while on His knees praying, “He had opened up the interior of Africa for the Gospel of Jesus” (J.Hildebrandt. ACP.1990 3rd ed).

20. Mission Expansion • 1844 - CMS , Ludwig Krapf & John Rebman in Mombasa arriving in Chagga land 1948 • 1863 - RC Mission in Zanzibar working with liberated slaves • 1875 - Livingstonia Mission around Lake Malawi • 1876 - Church of Scotland

21. The two paradigms • The enlightenment paradigm with the influence of rationality • The post - modern paradigm with emphasis on individualism and contextualisation

22. The enlightenment paradigm in Tanzania • The coming of missionary was followed by the coming of new socio-political and economic systems • The mission churches were replica’s of the mother churches, including their traditions and worship.

23. The World War and its effects the secular agenda • (1944) Formation of the Bretton Wood Institutions (IBRD & IMF) for the reconstruction of Post War Europe • (1950s -1960s) Major infrastructure projects eg stabilising exchange rates, loans, WTO policies • (1970s) Attention to basic human needs eg poverty reduction • (1980s-90’s) Private sector & Sust devt

24. Mission a model for church development • Catholics v/s WCC have led. • Wibberforce and the Shaftbury society in the 19th c (evangelicals) • 1973 - Chicago declaration • 1974 -milestone for Evangelicals. Laussane • 1983 Wheaton Conference

25. The church in Tanzania in the 1950s to 60s • Preaching the gospel • Education • Health run by the church • Agriculture • Trade and Commerce Run between the colonial government and the private sector. Little church involvement

26. The Tanzanian church in the mid 1960’s until 1990’s. • Preaching the gospel was remained the major church role, because areas of involvement in education and health agriculture was restricted to either state or partnership between church and state.

27. The church was still to set the example • The period of 1960s -1990s saw the rise of Christian based relief organisations eg: Tear fund, World vision, The Lutheran World Federation, Catholic Relief services etc to mention a few. • These organisation and many more continued to work in relief and development with the church until now.

28. Tear Fund • UK programme:- started as an Evangelical Alliance response to UN declaration that May 1959 - May 1960 was World Refugee Year. • The name TEAR Fund was given in 1968 with emphasis on prevention rather than cure by supporting long term projects in 3rd World,”making men whole spiritually and physically”

29. Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service • 1964 they formed the Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS), on behalf of the CCT and the WCC. • It was to help with the long term problem of refugees from Rwanda, Burundi and Mozambique. Later it moved to support development projects in encouraging self sufficiency in refugee settlements. Now it is doing non refugee development projects too

30. World Vision International • Work began in Tanzania in 1970 following a conference of 550 pastors • The focus was on • feeding programmes in famine areas • farming and livestock training • health care especially for children

31. CMS & CROSSLINKS • Mainly involved in • education • evangelism and church planting (with more flexible contextual worship) • agriculture

32. Present situation • In 2001 following SAP the government gave more freedom to NGO involvement, including CFBO’s • Today there are between 6000-13000 NGO’s in Tanzania (IRIN report 28/8/2003) with emphasis on multi sector approach to development

33. Debt relief • Is it possible to have a church campaign to lobby something similar to the post Bretton Wood Marshall plan for countries in Africa in debt relief?

34. Partnership in Mission is the hope forward(Rev 1:9) • .