Mission - Commissions
The Department of Mission & Evangelism is greatly supported by the various Mission Commissions appointed by the ACC , to which they are responsible and report regularly. So far four (4) commissions have served the department since ACC was constituted in 1971.
The ACC is responsible to set up commissions as appropriate in any depart of the ACO. A commission is established to accomplish a specific task and normally serves within a specified period or when the task is accomplished. Like other ACC commissions, the Mission and Evangelism commissions have Communion wide representation.
The following is a list of the Commissions that have served the Mission and Evangelism department:
MISAG I (1981-1986
The first Mission Commission of the Mission and Evangelism department, called Mission Issues and Strategy (MISAG I), was set up by the New Castle upon Tyne ACC-5, with the mandate
- to review mission issues and strategy
- to identify exceptional needs for mission & development
- to find ways and means of collaborating with other Christian bodies in mission & evangelism
During its term MISAG I had accomplished the following:
- challenged as inadequate the inherited pastoral model of mission from the Church of England
- reviewed the PIM and identified the lessons learned
- recommended a data collection process to enable a transparent exchange of resources of people & money across the Communion
- called for a gathering of the mission boards of the ‘North’ with the churches of the ‘Global South’ to consider the data gathered, build trust and provide for a more co-ordinated mission strategy
MISAG II (1987-1992)
The Singapore ACC-7 established the Mission Issues Strategy (MISAG II) at its meeting in 1987. Its mandate included
- evangelism in pluralist society
- theological education
- ecumenical concerns
In its final report, Towards Dynamic Mission, MISAG II highlighted
- theological reflection on mission in contemporary context
- identified ten (10) principles of partnership
- theological education for mission
- exchange and encounter
MISAG II recommended a gathering of the global south representatives…More
MISSIO (1994-1999)
MISSIO was appointed by the ACC-9 at its meeting in Cape Town in 1993 with a mandate to
- review the mission of the Church
- encourage partnerships among churches and agencies
- oversee implementation of the Decade of Evangelism which was inaugurated by a resolution of the 1988 Lambeth Conference…More
IASCOME (2001-2005)
The 11th ACC meeting in 1999, Dundee in Scotland, established the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Mission and Evangelism (IASCOME), whose tasks included:
- Oversee mission relationships – facilitate companion links & sharing of resources for mission, Anglican networks for mission & evangelism
- Reflections – Gospel & culture, transformation, Gospel in context of poverty, conflict & displacement
- Priority of Mission and Evangelism – to see mission & evangelism as gospel imperative and not as optional activity, encourage the momentum of Decade of Evangelism.
- New structures – encourage & support new and appropriate mission movements (structures), liaise with South to South Movement
- Ecumenical expressions – monitor & learn from ecumenical mission relationships
IASCOME ended its term after presenting its final report (Communion in Mission), to the ACC-13 at Nottingham, England in 2005. Communion in Mission is an important resource for the Communion, which incorporates it’s interim report Travelling Together in Mission.
The next Commission is expected to be established by the ACC-14 in 2009…More
Mission and Evangelism Advisory Team
Meanwhile, an advisory group, Mission and Evangelism Advisory Team (MEAT), a UK based group, is supporting the Department, especially in the preparation for the Lambeth Conference.
MEAT Members:
Cathy Ross - CMS
Benjamin Enwuchola - Chaplain to the Nigerian Community in UK
+Graham Cray - Canterbury Diocese
John Clark - Former IASCOME Member
Karen Hill - Mothers Union
Mark Oxbrow - CMS
Stephen Lyon - Partnership for World Mission (PWM)
Tim Woods - USPG