Mission - Commissions - MISSIO

The Standing Commission for Mission of the Anglican Communion

Establishment of MISSIO

At the ninth meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in Cape Town (ACC-9), it was resolved (Resolution 43) to appoint a Standing Commission for Mission to succeed the second Mission Issues and Strategy Advisory Group (MISAG II) whose Final Report (Towards Dynamic Mission) was published in February 1992.  The new Commission was to be known as MISSIO emphasising our participation in the MISSIO DEI (Mission of God)

Mandate

MISAG II recommended, and ACC- 9 accepted the following mandate for MISSIO:

• To review mission issues with special reference to the theology of the mission of the Church in a pluralist society;  A theological reflection, “Sing A New Song” was published in 1996, and a substantial theological comment is included in this Final Report.
• To explore and develop strategies of evangelism and development to help the member Churches of the Communion in their task of mission;  A catalogue of resources available around the Communion and a collection of prayer material is available from the Mission and Evangelism Desk of the Anglican Communion Office or under resources.
• To review the ecumenical dimension of mission and to find ways and means for collaboration with other Christian bodies in mission; The Decade of Evangelism provided opportunities in many places for collaboration with other Christian bodies observing a Decade of Evangelism/Evangelisation.  The Mid-point Review of the Decade at Kanuga 1995 was a significant event.  See Anglicans in Mission, MISSIO’s Report of that event can be found in Appendix C.
• To continue to review the Partners in Mission process. The process is no longer used frequently at the Provincial level, but the principles have been used in audits at diocesan and parish levels.  Note the round table proposal in this report in Anglicans in Mission, which incorporates much of the process.
• To respond to the requests of member Churches of the Communion through the Standing Committee and to the Standing Committee's own requests for assistance in identification of needs and opportunities in evangelism and development; Networking between MISSIO members has led to exchanges of needs and resources.  A proposal for a wider network has been suggested in Anglicans in Mission (p.51 and Appendix B).
• To review the effectiveness of the Mission Audit as recommended by ACC‑6 and to report to ACC‑8; This task was overtaken by the commencement of the Decade of Evangelism.  The next Commission may need to revisit this proposal.
• To submit progress reports to the Standing Committee and to report to ACC.  MISSIO has complied with this directive from ACC.  In addition, there is now a member of the Standing Committee acting as a liaison person with MISSIO.  This person will personally present regular reports.  MISSIO has also forwarded proposals to ACC-11 for an Anglican Congress in 2003 and a Synodical and Voluntary Mission Agencies Conference in 2001. (See Anglicans in Mission)

Meetings

MISSIO met four times: 3-11 November 1994 at Singapore: 16-26 January 1996 at Ely in the UK: 5-12 September 1997 at Recife in Brazil: and finally 12-24 April 1999 at Harare in Zimbabwe.

Reports

MISSIO has reported to the Joint Standing Committee of the ACC and the Primates, and to the Lambeth Conference 1998.  This Final Report is submitted to ACC-11.

MISSIO, at its final meeting, continued to envisage a future Anglican Congress, now contemplated for the year 2003.  Before then, MISSIO hopes for a conference of Synodical and Voluntary Mission Agencies in 2001.  The valuable interaction between the members of MISSIO around the world needs to be experienced by a wider cross-section of the Communion.

MISSIO forwarded a proposal to ACC-10 (Panama) for a “Year of Jubilee in 2000” in support of international and ecumenical movements for the remission of the debts of the world’s poorest nations.  This report urges the Communion to follow the lead of the bishops at Lambeth 1998 in supporting the Jubilee.

The fourth meeting of MISSIO in April 1999 took place in Africa – a meeting point of the traumas besetting planet earth.  The HIV/AIDS pandemic, civil war, genocide, poverty, drought and famine are all experienced in one part or another of the largest continent.  But Africa is also the centre of revival and home to churches in growth mode, in contrast to many in the “North”.  Much of the Communion comes from Africa.  MISSIO was deeply humbled by the evidence of Church growth and by the deep commitment of African Christians.

This Final Report of MISSIO calls the Anglican Communion to continue to participate in the MISSIO DEI and to allow itself to be transformed by the presence of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, that we may become an effective instrument for the transformation of God’s world.  With this prayer, we offer the Report of our work and fellowship to our fellow Anglicans.

1. Membership
2. From the Chair
3. Engaging with the Local Mission Context
4. Recommendations
5. Executive Summery
6. Anglicans in Mission Main Documents
   1. Transformed and Sent: reflection on dimensions of Anglican Mission
   2. Decade of Evangelism
   3. Training Leadership in Mission
   4. Patterns of International Mission Structures in the Anglican Communion
   5. The Struggle for Transformation: A Case Study
   6. Prayers for the Mission of the Church
   7. Resources for Mission and Evangelism: Training and Tools
   8. Appendices
      • Appendix A. Memorandum Re Anglican Congress
      • Appendix B. Memorandum Re Network of Anglicans in Mission and Evangelism
      • Appendix C. Ten Priorities in Evangelism
      • Appendix D. Ten Principles of Partnership
      • Appendix E. Apology and Covenant Documents
   9. Bibliography

The Anglican in Mission documents are available as a pdf

 

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