Abstract
The driving force behind this anthology is Dr Dana L. Robert, the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor at Boston University and Director of the Center for Global Christianity and Mission. Her research and teaching interests encompass mission history, world Christianity, and mission theology. Collaborating with two doctoral candidates, Allison Kach-Yawnghwe and Morgan Crago, she serves as the editor of this collection of case studies, which vividly illustrate how North American Christians engage with people and contexts across divides and differences, bearing witness to the Christian faith through collaboration (p. 10). This book marks the inaugural volume in a series commemorating the centennial of the International Missionary Council (IMC), established in 1921 at Lake Mohonk, USA. The overarching project was initiated by the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches (WCC), seeking to honor the legacy of its predecessor, the IMC (1921–1961) (pp. 12-14).
One notable aspect of this work is its departure from predefined explanations of central concepts such as mission or collaboration. Instead, the vibrant case studies serve to explore and reflect upon their understanding in the current glocal context (“What does it mean to be in mission today?”; p. 10). While ecumenism continues to play a pivotal role, other forms of cross-border collaboration, such as intercultural cooperation, partnerships between Christians and secular actors, and projects and partnerships between churches and organizations, come into focus. The 13 contributions from authors of diverse ecclesial backgrounds are categorized into four sections: (a) Ecumenical Unity, (b) Mutual Partnerships, (c) Cooperative Projects, and (d) Decolonization of Borderlands. In the following, two contributions will be presented as exemplars.
The breadth of the explication of the mission concept is vividly demonstrated in the comprehensive research conducted by Dustin Benac and Christopher James (pp. 59–88), focusing on citywide church networks in North American cities. Their detailed examination of two groups, Transforming the Bay with Christ (TBC) and UniteBoston (UB), illustrates how they foster information exchange among churches and organizations, organize joint prayer weeks, and offer training for Christian leadership in collaboration efforts. Evangelicals and ecumenists alike draw upon the classic text of Christian unity from John 17:21 to engage in joint service for charitable and justice-seeking endeavors, thereby “seeking the welfare of the city” (Jeremiah 29:7). The question of theological and geographical boundaries of unity remains a central challenge for such urban networks.
The case study by David W. Restrick (pp. 190–209) on the cooperative effort between local denominations and international networks to advance theological education for Mozambican leaders and seminary faculty illustrates the anthology's perspective extending beyond the North American context. Despite political constraints and limited theological resources in the Portuguese language, the need for theological education among evangelical and Pentecostal Protestants was effectively addressed through creative collaboration by Christian organizations in Brazil and the USA. This collaboration, where North American Christians played a subsidiary role, led to the establishment of a Portuguese-language master's program, which trained 71 women and men from 18 different denominations between 2007 and 2019.
In addition to the articles discussed above, the volume includes a vibrant array of diverse contributions: “Contemporary US Catholic Collaborative Mission” (William P. Gregory), “Mission and Theological Education among Latinx Christians” (Britta Meiers Carlson and Carlos F. Cardoza-Orlandi), “Sisterhood and Sistering: Restating Relationships in the Cartography of Missional Collaborations – Dallas Bethlehem Center, A Case Study” (Glory E. Dharmaraj), “‘A Rare Encounter in Mission History’: The Story of Partnership Between African Independent Churches and North American Mennonites” (James R. Krabill), “The Missional Collaboration of The Pentecostal Church of Chile and the United Church of Christ” (Christopher P. Ney), “Twinning Relationship and Missional Collaboration: A Catholic Parish in Uganda and in the United States” (Angelyn Dries, OSF), on “KAIROS – Contributing to Restoring Right Relations with Indigenous Peoples in Canada.” (Stephen Allen), “Partnership on the Evangelical Margins: Lausanne's Global Creation Care” (Tyler Lenocker), “A Prophetic Vision of Just Intercultural Community: The Canadian School of Missions and The Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning” (Jonathan Schmidt), “Engaging Our Diversity: Interculturality and Consecrated Life’: A Program of the Center for the Study of Consecrated Life (CSCL) at Catholic Theological Union at Chicago” and “Ministry at the Margins: Outreach to the LGBTQ + Roman Catholic Community in San Francisco” (Amanda D. Quantz).
Overall, the contributions in this volume highlight several key features of vibrant missionary activities: the emphasis on locality alongside an awareness of being rooted in global networks, the importance of building relationships, a commitment to interculturality, and the interplay between personal spiritual growth and engagement for social justice. The diversity of the contributions, their vivid narratives, and the honest engagement with critical challenges such as denominational-theological differences and lingering paternalism underscore the strengths of this book. However, given the predominantly positive tone, it begs the question of whether the deliberate selection of successful collaborations sufficiently reflects the reality of segregation within the North American Christian community due to ethnic tensions and political polarization.
For those interested in mission, creative collaboration, and Christian unity in a post-Christian era and an “ecumenical missionary paradigm” (David Bosch), this volume offers a fascinating perspective on numerous refreshing examples within the North American context and beyond. Interested scholars and students will not only gain a concise insight into existing collaborations but also recognize the hope for new creative possibilities that can shape the future direction of cross-border mission. The volume invites exploration of the current landscape of missionary work as collaboration and its potentials and challenges in a changing religious and societal environment.
