Mission Support Structures: "Does it all have to be vertical?"

Reading the most recent volume of Mission Frontiers, I found an article by Dan Sinclair and Dick Scoggins to be especially helpful in laying out what may be the new wave of organizing for mission.  Their article, entitled "Introducing the ApNet: A 21st Century Approach to Apostolic Ministry," talks about our need to be open to new, more "flat" (less hierarchal) ways of organizing the various elements of missionary sending: from casting the vision, to recruiting and training, to supporting in the field and coordinating with sending churches.  It doesn't all have to be done by one entity, as with "Traditional Mission Agencies" (TMAs).  Sinclair and Scoggins see a future where TMAs are not discarded but rather supplemented by the emergence of new, more focused entities that work together in an "apostolic network."

This way of thinking has significant potential for the future of Presbyterian mission.  And it would involve significant change. 

The general principles represented here are informing the early organizational elements of the Presbyterian Global Fellowship. Check out the article here (it's a downloadable PDF file).

Then dream.  And pray.

Comments

[Renee Guth]

These general principles are also reflected in the vision statement and constitution of the New Wineskins Association of Churches at www.newwineconvo.com/papers.html. Re: mission networks, see our chapter 8 on Global Mission Network.

:-)

Blessings,
Reneee