Becoming Cross-Cultural Christians



The 2012 Partnership for World Mission Conference was held from 5 – 7 November in Swanwick. Diocesan Link Officers from across the Church of England came together with representatives of Mission Agencies for three days of worship, discussion and sharing. The context for the conference was the publication of World-Shaped Mission, the report from the World Mission and Anglican Communion Panel which was debated and passed by General Synod in July 2012.

World-Shaped Mission advocates the need for deeper mutuality in our world church relationships through understanding mission as hospitality, and for a deepening awareness of our identity in the Body of Christ which crosses cultures and human boundaries.

There were three keynote speakers from the global Church:
The Revd Canon Grace Kaiso, General Secretary of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa
Revd Dr Evie Vernon, Director of the Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies
Revd Dr Peniel Rajkumar, Tutor at the United Theological College in Bangalore

The consultation considered these questions which are very pertinent to the life of our own multicultural diocese:
How can the conditions be created through which the church can realise its cross-cultural identity?
How can the global and local visions of church speak to each other?

The Diocese in Europe was represented by Deacon Frances Hiller. There was a moment of reunion with some old friends from the diocese pictured above: The Revd Canon Ian Hutchinson-Cervantes (left), formerly from St George’s Madrid who represented the Diocese of Chichester, and the Revd Canon Philip Mounstephen, formerly from St Michael’s Paris, now the Leader of CMS (Church Mission Society)

Comments

  1. G. from St George's Madrid (Spain)8 December 2012 at 00:22

    Lucky England. We miss Fr Ian enormously. It's good to see him so happy!. Que Dios le bendiga.

    ReplyDelete

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