Nevertheless, the definition of missional depends on the perspective of the person defining the mission. Like finding shapes in the clouds or describing meaning of the inkblots in a Rorschach test, regular ongoing disagreements and debate exist over the meaning of the word. Multiple international missionary councils and conferences from a plethora of denominations have met regularly since the beginning of the modern missions movement to define adequately the mission of God (missio Dei).
The mission of God is defined differently across denominational lines. In spite of its ambiguity, multiple evangelical denominations have included the term “missional” in their core values. Before “missional” becomes a core value of a church, some agreement upon its definition must exist. Additionally, there must be agreement as to what the mission of God cannot be. The mission of God cannot focus only upon social issues. Although poverty, political injustice, ethnic oppression, and economic liberation are issues that affect the mission of God, effecting change in social issues alone does not fully cover the mission of God.Ed Stetzer describes the random nature of the term, “To some degree how we define missional is determined by our pre-existing concerns about what is wrong, and what is right, with the church today.” David Hesselgrave, an evangelical missiologist, warns, “Indecisiveness as to the nature and meaning of mission led to continuing confusion and vacillation as to what the mission is and also as to the relationship between church and mission.” David Hesslegrave, “Will We Correct the Edinburgh Error? Future Mission in Historical Perspective,” Southwestern Journal of Theology 49, no. 2 (Spring 2007): 121-149
Additionally, Hesselgrave quoted Donald McGavran, one of the world’s eminent missiologists, about the threatened state of the mission. Hesselgrave reports that, late in his life, McGavran expressed concern that the mission of God faced a grave danger. He warned the danger of believing that “mission is primarily helping those great groupings of man¬kind who are less fortunate than we are.” Hesselgrave informed that McGavran proposed establishing a nationwide organization which courageously believed that the mission of God must stand on historic Christian doctrine. McGavran said, “What is needed in America and indeed around the world is a society of missiology that says quite frankly that the purpose of missiology is to carry out the Great Commission. Anything other than that may be a good thing to do, but it is not missiology.” McGavran died before he realized his dream. Hesselgrave agrees with McGavran’s definition of the mission of God. He believes that biblical Christian mission is “Great Commission mission. Christian mission is reaching the ‘two billion’ who have not yet heard the Gospel. Christian mission is ‘discipling the ethne.’”The term “missional” must understood from a Great Commission perspective. A genuine disciple will belong to the mission, be involved in the action of the mission, and be engaged in the process of the mission of God (missio Dei). However, poverty, political injustice, ethnic oppression, and economic liberation are not the final goals of the mission of God. These social actions, as they were important to Jesus, should also be important to Jesus’ disciples. However, according to Stezter, McGavran, and Hesslegrave, the mission of God is incomplete without an integration of the Great Commission; thereby, Christians should be leading people to a regenerating, saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and transforming them into the likeness of Christ by making them his disciples.
Therefore, every disciple is a missionary. The Bible teaches that missions activity is a vital part of discipleship to Jesus (Matthew 5:1-2; Matthew 10:1-42; and Matthew 28:18-20). All disciples are called to join God in his mission. The specifics of how one engages in mission should be tailored to one’s giftedness and abilities, but a disciple of Jesus will see that carrying the message of salvation to the world is a vital part of discipleship.
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