Sharing of Grassroots Mission Concerns:  CNI and ECC Initiative 

The Church of North India and the Ecumenical Christian Centre, Bangalore jointly organized a seminar on “Sharing of grassroots mission concerns in India” from 16^th to 18^th February 2007 at the ECC, Whitefield, Bangalore. The 30 participants from all over India participated in it representing different churches and missionary organizations.  In his introductory remarks Mr. Sudipta Singh, Director, Programmes of CNI, drew the parameters for the consultation and invited all to be part of the wider ecumenism of the church. In the world of information and technology, Christians as a minority not only needs to know their rights but also to perform their national responsibility with a greater sensibility to the context. The Christians for the good of the society should use the Right to information act. In the context of globalization, our mission to the poor should help those at the periphery to move to the center. Further, the people in the rural areas are to be given a special care. So, there should be a dialogical programme for liberative action. He concluded by giving a call for a greater sensibility in our strategies for mission, careful use of vocabulary, and to be shrewd in our alliances based on experiences in Gujarat and Orrissa. 

Rev.Dr. M. Mani Chacko, Director, ECC, inaugurated the Seminar and delivered the keynote address. Dr. Chacko highlighted the increasing violence in the society, which needs to be analysed in depth. He pointed out the traditional understanding of mission and invited the participants to understand the need for a paradigm shift in mission for humanization of society and solidarity with the marginalized. He urged the delegates to build up communities and protect nature as part of common witness. For underpinning these initiatives one is to reflect on missional theology, missional Christology, missional ecclesiology and missional pneumatology. 

The topics covered in the Consultation were ‘A macro view of 300 years of Christian Mission’ by Rev. Dr. Siga Arles, ‘Socio-political, Cultural and Ethical Challenges in Mission’ by Mr. P. K. Zachariah, ‘Biblical Basis of Mission’ by Dr. David Joy, ‘Communication Challenges in Mission’ by Mr. Murali Christian, ‘Pluralism and Missio Dei’ by Rev. Dr. Thomas Ninan, and ‘Partnership in Mission’ by Mr. J. J. Rathna Kumar.  Then a thorough discussion was followed out of which the delegates were challenged to adopt the following statement. 

We, the 30 participants of the seminar, having deliberated on the grassroots mission concerns in India and having listened to stories shared by our friends who are working at the grassroots, adopt the following Statement. 

We affirm that there is need for a strong missional ecclesiology which is grounded in a Church of the people and which will embrace the prophetic mission of the Church.  A missional pneumatology is to be fully developed.  The emergence of the Charismatic Movement in the recent past is an eye-opener to the role of the Holy spirit in the context of mission. 

The role of the Holy spirit in mission towards the building up of a community of the Holy spirit, a community in which there is ethical sensitivity; openness to cultures and other religious traditions and freedom for all especially women to express their gifts needs to be rediscovered.  The Church’s mission in India is not an option but a mandate. A radical transformation of structure that oppresses people and the nature is necessary. 

The 300 years of mission history had significantly contributed to shape mission into its many dimensions. We still need to move further and initiatives are to be taken to widen the frontiers of mission by the Church 

Grassroots communication is inevitable in mission. It is one of the responsibilities of the Churches in India to prepare the missionaries to face challenges of the present context.  Programmes like communications skills training, capacity building of the grass root practitioners and cross cultural training need to be on the agenda of the Churches in India.  Our missionary approach needs to be radically transformed. This can be achieved only through proper training and open-minded approach. 

There is a need in understanding the Charismatic Renewal and Mission in a proper manner. The only guideline that can be effectively and meaning fully used is the Bible. Only through a proper interpretation of the Bible, the guiding principle can be shaped. This will lead towards a mission theology.  The Church needs to re-work her self-understanding in a pluralistic context in the light of the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  A shift from Christomonism to Trinitarian model and Great commission to Great commitment is inevitable.  Revolutionary change needs to take place in overthrowing hierarchical and exclusivistic approaches in mission. 

There is joy in working together. Therefore, Partnership in mission leads to building-up of God’s Reign on the Earth.  The understanding of partnering needs to be extended from mere money to prayer, crisis, welfare, celebration and reaching the unreached. 

Missionary support needs to be rooted in the minds of every Christian. The same shall be extended to the family, Church and the Society at large. Churches need to revitalize the mission movements in the Northern parts of India. 

Grassroots mission experience calls for a concrete support and care from the mainline Churches. The very fact that some one cares for the missionaries will boost the quality of work in the mission field.