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Mission in Europe: What next?
Mennonite mission in Europe dates back more than 50 years to the period following World War II. Mennonite relief work largely through the Mennonite Central Committee gave way to mission work by a handful of North American Mennonite mission boards. One was Mennonite Board of Missions, a predecessor agency of Mennonite Mission Network. Over the past half-century, well over 100 workers have served in more than a dozen countries. Through these ministries, churches have been planted, gospel-rooted peacemaking has been taught and modeled, and individuals have come to faith in Christ and modeled lives of Christian discipleship. Praise God! Today 40 mission workers from North America serve with Mission Network in Europe, from Spain in the south to Sweden in the north, from Ireland in the west to Ukraine in the east. Their ministries include:
How might European ministry look 10 years from now? Will there still be useful roles for mission workers from outside Europe? If so, what will those roles be? In a mission strategy weekend that assembled 30 Europe workers, Mission Network staff and European partners in May 2004 at the Paris Mennonite Center, we formulated 10 recommendations for future ministry. Three are especially significant for discerning how Mission Network ministries in Europe might look in 2015. First, the immigrant Christian presence—especially from Africa and Asia—has been growing in importance in Europe in recent decades. Indeed, it has been estimated that more than half of the Christians gathering weekly for worship in Europe are non-Europeans. These immigrants and their churches often have a difficult time relating to the long-established, declining churches in Europe, yet they will represent a tremendous source of Christian renewal throughout Europe in the coming years. Mission Network workers and ministries are committed to both encouraging and equipping leaders for these churches in the years ahead. Second, while remaining committed to long-term worker presence as the foundation for meaningful ministry, we also recognize growing opportunities for Christian service assignments of one or two years for young and older adults. These assignments will continue to be with churches and organizations that have been Mission Network partners and that share our values and commitment to holistic Christian ministry. Third, the networks of Anabaptist churches and groups that have developed in both the United Kingdom and Spain in recent years will continue to require encouragement and resources in the coming decade. Relationships and gift-sharing with Mennonite Church USA congregations through Mission Network will be an essential ingredient in helping them reach their growth and development goals. Yes, Europe will remain one of the most challenging global mission frontiers for Mission Network in the coming decade, but it will be an exciting and creative frontier. The focus of our efforts in the future will be to establish and strengthen local churches and their leaders for ministries that engage secularized, post-Christendom Europeans with the good news of Jesus. Also in this issue: Features Related articles Regular features |
