As a follow up on the aspirations and desire of the Bishops at the 2008 Lambeth Conference “to develop a worldwide vision and strategy of church planting, growth and mission”,[1] taken forward by the Joint Standing Committee of the ACC and the Primates,[2] the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, The Revd Canon Kenneth Kearon, invited a small but diverse group of people involved in evangelistic and church growth ministry, from around the Communion to a consultation to take forward the recommendation of setting up an Evangelism and Church Growth Network.
The group met at St Andrew’s House (London) on 10-11 February 2009, and began their meeting with sharing their personal experiences of the ways in which they have been involved in the ministry of evangelism and Church growth.
By the end of a two-day engaging meeting the group had a common mind on the following…
Who is this small but diverse group?
This diverse group reads like an all-inclusive group funded and led by TEC.
“… the Five Marks of Mission are: To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom …”
Don’t be shy TEC! How about being more specific on proclaiming the good news of the kingdom such as: To Proclaim the Good News of Salvation by the redemptive act of Jesus Christ on the Cross as atonement for our sins thereby opening the Gates of Heaven to those who accept Him. Something like that might cover it!
I asked the same questions and a couple of others of the person named in the press release.
He did not name names, but said the whole consultation last week was a “one off meeting” (a one-time meeting? help, Pageantmaster) and that a more permanent implementation group was to be named(…….!) by the Secretary General soon. It seems strange to me that those who made up the consultation couldn’t be named or he was hesitant to name.
There was no time frame for the biblical/theological referencing, but that a process was in the works for that implementation team, facilitated by “The Mission Office.”
He said no link nor a reference was made in the press release because he assumed everyone in the Anglican Communion knew what they were, and where they came from(!).
[blockquote]The Five Marks of Mission are the Anglican Communion wide agreed understanding of the variety of ways mission is expressed and understood. They were developed over a long period of time by the Anglican Consultative Council through the Mission Office, between 1984 1994. Please visit the Mission section of the Anglican Communion website for further details at: http://www.aco.org/ministry/mission/fivemarks.cfm
It was not spelt out in the press release as to who developed the Five Marks of Mission because it was assumed most Anglicans/Episcopalians would know about the Five Marks of Mission as a product of the Anglican Consultative Council.[/blockquote]
I’ll be sending a return note.
#3 Fr Eaton
Over here a ‘ one off‘ event is a unique or one-time event, one for which there are no plans for a repeat or follow-up.
However, other events such as this one do appear to be being planned.
As for the five ‘marks of mission’ they now appear in footnote 3:
[blockquote]3. The Five Marks of Mission are: To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom; To Teach, baptise and nurture new believers; To respond to human need by loving service; To seek to transform unjust structures of society; & To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.[/blockquote]
To me although the 3rd to 5th marks are probably a good idea, it is the first two “To Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom” and “To Teach, baptise and nurture new believers” which are the essential marks of mission and those which the Great Commandment actually embraces. The problem with raising the other three to the level of the first two is that one risks what has happened with the “Baptismal Covenant” unique to TEC among Anglicans, that matters which are worthy, but not essential, become raised to the level of Holy Writ and possibly supercede the Word of God. That is for me the danger inherent in this sort of thing.