The last three days have been most enjoyable. Spending 24 hours at High Leigh with a small group of pastors from the Baptist Union’s larger churches was time really well spent. Nick and Lois Cuthbert from the
Riverside Church in Birmingham gave real insights into the challenges of leading larger churches, while Ian Stackhouse from the Millmead Centre in Guildford gave insightful bible studies in 2 Corinthians. Stuart Davison led worship with creativity but as always, some of the best times were at the meal table or late at night when frankly we should all have been in bed!
I was able to lead a session looking at the relationship between mission and theology, and I have to say I was delighted at the reaction. The group were engaged and animated, and in a helpful way, constructively critical. This kind of subject is what I hope to write about on this blog so I’m glad its making an early appearance.
I shared with the group this quote from Timothy Tennent, an American missiologist:
‘Missions, by nature, is a bold, activist, imprecise, and even experimental work. Theology, by nature, is a more precise, analytical and reflective work… a better conversation between the two disciplines can help invigorate both’.
Mission will always be messy. Some of it will work and some won’t. And for sure we won’t have all the theological underpinnings worked out in advance, and we’ll never work them out at all until we start. Its in the act of engaging in mission that we encounter new boundaries, and at those boundary points we do new theology.
One of my highlights today was spending time with Jacqui Wells, soon to retire after 34 years with BMS in Bangladesh and Thailand. What made it a highlight? To hear of Jacqui’s willingness to use her cross-cultural and language skills in further mission work in this country. Two clear opportunities are on the table and Jacqui has said yes in principle, once she has had what she calls a sabbatical for a few months. She deserves that, but I can’t wait to see her living out that missionary calling here in the UK, and elsewhere, over the coming months.
David Kerrigan
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