Introducing in 2021 the new

Centre for Missional Engagement

“Our pioneering task is to transcend mission and to discover fresh impulse and renewed vision for witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Michael W Stroope
Transcending Mission: The Eclipse of a Modern Tradition 

For details of upcoming webinar with Prof Michael W Stroope

The Need

Global-regional-national-local opportunities for engagement in God’s mission continue to increase as the contexts continue to change. MST & Eastern College Australia desire to equip missional practitioners, mindful that the realities of post-Christendom, post-colonial – and now, post-Covid-19 – contexts are overlaid with inherited assumptions, theological justifications, organisational systems, processes and language that are dominated in part by the older Christendom paradigm. The Centre for Missional Engagement (CME) will provide a forum to meet, discuss, learn together, engage in thought-leadership, and envision new and renewed directions and languagearound missional thinking and organizational leadership.

The Context

Missional leaders and practitioners are beginning to consider their need to re-conceptualise their understanding of mission, and to engage in conversation, research, study and networking aimed at reflecting upon, and reframing the conversation about missional life and leadership.  This includes the need to consider the terminology used in mission—what is adding value and what is a distraction. Significant shifts are taking place that affect mission leaders and these include:
 
  1. the content of mission changing from, ostensibly, ‘evangelism and discipleship’ to a much more holistic integration of Christian identity, with significant implications for how the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel is infused into far broader domains of life, including vocation, social change, education, relationships, stewardship, justice, community and creation care

  2. the means of mission shifting from well-equipped specialist mission agencies to multifaceted and collaborative partnerships, with significant implications around organisational systems design, and generational and cultural changes in leadership language

  3. the context for mission moving from a focus on ‘sending’ (traditionally, from ‘the West to the rest’) to ‘everyone-to-everywhere,’ with new models and approaches of partnering and collaboration with the church as God’s primary instrument for mission; and

  4. the attitude in mission moving from Western-Enlightenment-Christendom to a complex post-Christendom outlook; and

  5. the language of mission is diversifying from primarily being held in English to a plethora of languages of the world. All of these shifts affect the prevailing understanding of mission for practitioners of mission and mission agencies.

The Aim

The need and context are the backdrop for the purpose of the Centre. It is an intentional place and space that is agile, paying particular attention to how missional engagement in inspirational and global spaces is brought into focus in all aspects of life and ministry. It is where fresh thinking and redefining and reassessing mission in Australian and regional contexts is encouraged and developed.

Centre for Missional Engagement

Team

Dr Kirk Franklin

Lecturer in Missional Leadership and Centre for Missional Engagement
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Dr David Ng

Lecturer in Intercultural Studies and Program Leader for Master of Missional Leadership
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Tim Meyers - Executive Principal

Rev Tim Meyers

Executive Principal
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upcoming webinar

Reframing the Conversation, Re-setting Our Course for the Future of Mission

WHEN: Tuesday March 30th
9am-11am followed by Q&A
WHERE: Online
COST: Free

Prof Michael W Stroope will be addressing these topics:
  • Setting the foundation for the inspiration and reasons to reimagine Christian witness
  • An overview of the problem and concerns from various perspectives about the terminology of Christian ‘mission’
  • Addressing the problem with possible solutions as a way forward
There will also be:
  • Responses from some registered delegates
  • Questions and answers session

Register Now

Guest Speaker:
Prof Michael W Stroope

Guest Speaker: Prof Michael Stroope

Dr. Michael W. Stroope joined the faculty of George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University, Waco, Texas USA in 2001 after 21 years of missionary experience.  His publications include Transcending Mission: The Eclipse of a Modern Tradition (InterVarsity Press/ Apollos, 2017); “Reimagining Witness Beyond Our Modern Mission Paradigm,” International Journal of Frontier Missiology 36.4 (Winter 2020), 1-6; and Transcending the Modern Mission Tradition (Regnum Books, 2020).

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Contact Us

Want to get in contact with the Centre for Missional Engagement. Then email us at cme@mst.edu.au.

CME IS A CENTRE FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AT MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY & EASTERN COLLEGE AUSTRALIA