Next year in Korea

Next year, in 2013, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will find itself holding its next global Assembly in South Korea, the country which some suggest still sends more missionaries per head than any other country in world. So ... mission will definitely be on the agenda.

But Korea not only holds records for the large number of cross-cultural missionaries it has sent out in recent decades, it also faces contined criticism over some of its methods; criticism that comes not least from within the WCC. When Koreans took a leading role in the Tokyo 2010 conference (marking the centenary of Edinburgh 1910) there was no shortage of those prepared to stand up and point a finger at the weaknesses of Korean mission ventures. They were accused of failing to take culture seriously enough, refusing to learn the language of their host community, using their financial power in inappropriate ways, and of failing to learn lessons from the mistakes made by European missionaries in the previous two centuries. Some of this criticism is justified but much is not. In many places Korean missionaries have lived sacrificial, inculturated lives, which have "given birth to much fruit". I had breakfast with one such on Tuesday this week and am proud to have others as good friends.

However there is one point on which we do need to challenge Korean mission movements, as indeed most of those in Europe and the US. They are still heavily committed to the twentieth century model of full-time, long-term, fully-supported missionaries. How appropriate is that in the twenty-first century? Which brings me - at last - to this week! On their way to Korea the WCC (or to be precise, their Conference on World Mission and Evangelism -CWME) are meeting, this week, in Manila - 200 plus church leaders, and their primary focus is mission and evangelism. There can be no more appropriate stopping off point on the way to Korea than the Philippines. Why? Because of the wonderful creativity of the churches of the Philippines who have trained and equipped hundres, perhaps thousands, of migrant workers as missionaries - some going to the least easily reached countries in the world.

I hope those attending the CWME this week, including my Korean friend who bought me breakfast a few days ago, get time to listen to the story of the Philippines Mission Network - and go on their way to Korea challenged and inspired.

What are archbishops for?

In church this morning we prayed for a new archbishop, one who will serve the diocese of Canterbury in south east England, head the Church of England, and provide a point of focus for the worldwide Anglican Communion - to name just three of the many roles that this person will be expected to fulfil. But as John led our prayers this morning I found myself thinking, "But realy, what are archbishops for?" I think I know why we need pastors, ministers or vicars, and bishops sort of make sense, but archbishops?

Over the past couple of days I have been reading the comments of leading religious commentators on the ten years of Rowan Williams' leadership as Archbishop of Canterbury. Whilst many have praised him for his intellect, his wisdom, his humility and his persistent and painful search for understanding and reconciliation within a fractured Anglican Communion, others have spoken of his failed leadership saying he lacked the ability to "bash heads together" and provide much needed "powerful personal leadership".

Personally I am a great admirer of Rowan Williams and I am quite excited about his move to Cambridge where he will regain the freedom he needs to truely become the prophetic Christian leader he is - the freedom to provoke, question, inspire and lead by humble Christian example. Praise God he has decided to escape the shackles of archbishoping before he becomes too drained to offer what we so much need - spiritual leadership.

As I prayed this morning for the man (it will be a man, at least this time round) who will be chosen to lead 70 million Anglicans, I found myself muttering, "In the steps of Jesus ... please God preserve us from head bashers and powermongers ... give us a man of humility, wisdom and prayer, a man who knows that archbishops, even Archbishops of Canterbury, are no more than the rest of us, simple followers of Jesus, trying to keep close to him and his ways.

Thank you Rowan for ten years of your life, years of pain, struggle and misunderstanding. Now may your leadership blossom in freedom.