Missiology: An International Review

The popular assumption that increasing the number of women in the leadership pipeline will increase the number of women in senior roles in global mission organizations requires urgent re-evaluation. This article offers a historical and sociological perspective on the leadership pipeline together with findings from a study in one large global mission organization. Insights from senior leaders reveal that although calling and confidence are key factors for women pursuing senior leadership, these alone do not address the complex pressures and barriers causing “pipeline leaks.” Strategies to support women in intercultural leadership are advocated, urging mission organizations to reconsider their structures along with systems to better sustain women with a call to leadership.

This study examines African immigrants’ role in cross-cultural missions in the United States, focusing on their motivation, challenges, and strategies. A key motivation is the perception of America’s spiritual decline and Africa’s rise as a Christian hub. However, obstacles arising from both African immigrants and American society hinder their missional efforts. In response, African missionaries devise means in an attempt to engage Western communities. Partnerships between African and Western Christians further highlight the polycentric nature of missions. The examples of two African Anglican clergy support insights from the literature and highlight the many understudied African clergy serving in American Anglican denominations. Further qualitative research on African clergy in both mainline and migrant churches is recommended to enhance understanding of their impact on cross-cultural missions and missiological scholarship.

Christian Development Organizations (CDOs) in India face increasing constraints as Hindu nationalism, anti-conversion laws, and restrictions on foreign funding limit their work. This article examines how CDOs can adapt to such pressures by analyzing three key expressions of Christian development: secular organizations, faith-based organizations, and local churches. Secular CDOs maintain a non-confessional public identity while embodying Christian values through service and integrity; faith-based organizations openly integrate faith with legal compliance to enable public witness; and local churches leverage relational networks for holistic community engagement. Drawing on literature, policy analysis, and case studies, the article highlights how these strategies allow CDOs to sustain development efforts despite growing regulatory and ideological challenges. The study argues that strategic ecumenical cooperation and global solidarity are essential for protecting religious freedom, pooling resources, and strengthening resilience. From a missiological perspective, the article contributes by connecting CDO practices to theological witness, showing how mission can be faithfully embodied even in constrained and hostile contexts. By exploring the tensions between faith, development, and political restrictions in India, this article advances discussions on contextual theology, organizational hybridity, and mission practice in restrictive settings.

The foundation of the mission of the church, frequently described in terms of the task presented in New Testament commission texts or as necessary consequences of other biblical texts, is better described in terms of its relationship to the triune God. Proper recognition of how the church relates to the perfect, triune God requires first recognizing that all the works of God are indivisible, second that the biblical witness requires us to appropriate certain aspects of that work to the three persons of the Trinity. Following these dogmatic guidelines gives better purchase on biblical metaphors for the church as the people of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit, which serve to train the church in the manner in which it carries out its mission of witness to the world.