Alumni
CGCM in Winnigpeg
Research Professor, Jon Bonk, his wife Jean, and Casely Essamuah ('03), who is currently the Secretary of the Global Christian Forum met up in Winnipeg after celebrating full communion between the United Church of Canada and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
New Book: Indian Trinitarian Theology of Missio Dei
The Trinity, which has been left out for long as an esoteric mystery, has recaptured the imagination of theologians and elicited remarkable trinitarian formulations from across theological traditions. This contemporary development has forced the church to review its dogma, spirituality, and Christian practices through the lens of this central doctrine of the Christian faith. One of the important and essential upshots of the doctrine has been the reclamation of a theocentric and trinitarian understanding of mission as the missio Dei. In view of the modern renewal of the Trinity and the global expansion of Christianity, P.V. Joseph explores insights and perspectives from the trinitarian thoughts of St. Augustine and the Indian theologian Brahmabandhab Upadhyay that can inform missio Dei theology relevant for the Indian context.
“P. V. Joseph, in his landmark, An Indian Trinitarian Theology of Missio Dei, brings into conversation two of the most important themes in contemporary missiology; namely, Trinitarian missiology and the missio dei. The fact that his work highlights this theme throughout the history of the church makes this volume an indispensable addition to missiology. I heartily recommend it.”
—Timothy C. Tennent, President, Asbury Theological Seminary
“P. V. Joseph is an emerging and highly gifted Indian theologian whose work promises to make very significant contributions to a truly indigenous and contextualized Indian Christian understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity and the field of missiology. Joseph demonstrates keen analytical skills and a thorough grasp of both Western and Indian theological writings on the Trinity, as well as the ability to relate theology to missiology and the mission of the Triune God into the world. I commend his book to pastors, teachers, seminarians, and all who would like to enlarge their understanding of the Trinity in the context of our globalized, multicultural world today.”
—John Jefferson Davis, Professor of Systematic Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
“At a time when World Christianity is going through a theological crisis in which Trinity is replaced by a Christo monism and mission is reduced to membership drive, P. V. Joseph invites theologians everywhere to reclaim mission as the ontological vocation of the church rooted in the loving relationship within and proceeding from the Trinity. He ably brings in theological resources from St. Augustine of North Africa and Brahmabandhab Upadhyay of India who have taken both Trinity and missio Dei seriously in their writings. While offering a historical survey of Trinity and missio Dei, Joseph takes care to address the missiological challenges emerging from liberational movements, including the Dalit movement in India. Students of theology and mission will find this book helpful in understanding the rich contours of Trinity and missio Dei.”
—M. Thomas Thangaraj, Professor Emeritus of World Christianity, Emory University
Preserving History
“The global church works best when all her parts are engaged in sharing their stories,” said Patrick Obonde, director of missions at the Anabaptist Leadership Education Centre in Kenya.
On 17–19 June 2019, historians, pastors and archivists did just that at “Power and Preservation: Enabling Access to the Sources Behind Our Stories,” at Goshen College, Indiana, USA. An initiative of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism (ISGA), the conference had 16 presentations on the state of the historical sources and storytelling in African, Asian, North American, and Latin American Anabaptist churches and organizations.
Presenters addressed resources, access and commitment to preserving history in their contexts.
Although each raised unique concerns, common themes emerged.
- Oral history is a priority. Digitizing sources has great potential for preservation and increased accessibility, but it also requires significant financial resources.
- The love of power or fear of its loss can make access to historical documents difficult.
- A tradition of localism is a barrier to preservation. “Everyone feels comfortable with how things are,” said Ursula Giesbrecht, archivist of the Menno Colony in Loma Plata, Paraguay. “It is always difficult to move away from your customs.”
At the end of the symposium, the group drafted a statement that synthesized the themes addressed at the gathering.
“As followers of Jesus Christ our history connects us, reminds us of the Spirit’s activity among us, and calls us forward into the future,” it declares. “Archives play a crucial role in helping us to understand the inseparability of the stories of church and mission.”
This statement declares the importance of historical identity, the urgency of recording stories, and the necessity of access to sources in a healthy church community. The statement also recognizes barriers churches face in preserving and providing access to historical sources, and concludes with a list of commitments signed by 29 participants from 12 countries.
According to Roth, the idea for the symposium was born in conversations with Anicka Fast, a doctoral student whose research on Mennonite mission in DR Congo was inhibited by limited or restricted access to archives, and by the precarious condition of documents. Together with Bruce Yoder, who recently completed a PhD on the history of Mennonite missions in Nigeria, the organizers sought to broaden the discussion regarding preservation and access, and address how historical narratives shape the identity of the global church.
Pamela Sari, whose PhD research examined Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (MWC member church in Indonesia), is hopeful about the future of Mennonite archives. “The church is truly gifted with leaders, missionaries, members, scholars, archivists who care deeply about its history. I pray that God will continue to increase our capacity to stay planted in the love and truth of Christ and his Word.”
—An MWC release by Laura Miller / Goshen College
Promotion
Kendal Mobley ('04) was recently promoted to Associate Professor of Religion and the Spiritual Life Center Coordinator at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC.
The 2019 Im Conference of Korean Christianity
Colonialists, Missionaries, and Nationalist in Korea and Beyond
The University of California Los Angeles held a conference for scholars in all Korea-related and world-Christianity fields, so they could present their researches on Korean Christianity, especially on the topics related to (1) Christianity in North(ern) Korea (2) Colonialism and Christianity, 1910-1945, and (3) Christianity, Nation Building, and US-Korea Relations, 1945-1965. Among those gathered were three scholars who passed through the CGCM. The host of the event, Dr. Sung Deuk-Oak, Dr. Yeonseung Lee, and Dr. Soojin Chung.
Amos Yong (’99) Becomes Dean Twice Over
Fuller Seminary announced that Amos Yong ('99) has been named to serve as dean of both the School of Theology (SOT) and the School of Intercultural Studies (SIS), marking a historic new structure for the institution, effective July 1. Under one dean, the coordination and integration of curriculum and degrees in SIS and SOT will be more conducive for student needs and learning. This revised structure provides the strategic cohesion Fuller needs in the next season of the life of the seminary. Yong’s previous role as the director for the Center for Missiological Research, his extensive missiological expertise, and his work as a theologian make him uniquely suited for this role as Fuller revises its curriculum to nimbly, responsively, and adaptively address changing needs of our students and the world.
Yong came to Fuller in 2014 from Regent University School of Divinity, where he taught for nine years, serving most recently as J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology and as dean. Prior to that he was on the faculty at Bethel University in St. Paul, Bethany College of the Assemblies of God, and served as a pastor and worked in social and health services in Vancouver, Washington.
In reflecting on this new role, Yong said: “I am honored and thrilled to get to work with colleagues in both schools and across the seminary as Fuller continues to press deeper into its historic commitments to provide quality theological education that engages the academy in ways attentive to and in service of the global church.”
Methodist Mission Bicentennial
Last week, the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, in collaboration with Candler School of Theology of Emory University in Atlanta, hosted a conference on “Answering the Call: Hearing God’s Voice in Methodist Mission Past, Present, and Future.” The conference celebrated Methodism’s mission heritage and looked to the future of Methodist mission.
Some of those present with ties to Boston University included (from Left to Right): David Scott (’07), Michele Sigg (’18), Dr. Dana Robert, Rich Darr (’05), Doug Tzan (’13), Lisa Beth White (’08), Ben Hartley (’00 & ’05), Jack Amick (’06), & Mikio Miyagi (’10).
Global Ecumenism
In December 2018, Rev. Dr. Casely Essamuah ('03), the Secretary of the Global Christian Forum, had an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. One of the books that Essamuah is handing the Holy Father is a copy of his dissertation, Genuinely Ghanaian: A History of the Methodist Church, 1961-2000.
Mutual Love
At the Global Christian Forum's third Global Gathering, Christians were called to peace, unity, and costly discipleship. The meetings were held in Bogota, Columbia, and three graduates who were part of the CGCM were speakers at the event (Essamuah, Zurlo, Padilla DeBorst). A full report is available in the WCF's newsletter.
Anabaptists in Nigeria
In 1958 a group of congregations in southeastern Nigeria solicited affiliation with the North American Mennonite Board of Missions (MBM), declared themselves Mennonite, and sought missionaries and assistance. MBM responded by sending missionaries and by providing assistance to Mennonite Church Nigeria (MCN) and others in the region. The collaboration between MCN and MBM developed during a period when partnership was becoming a primary paradigm in the Protestant missionary movement as well as in the Anabaptist tradition.
In his recent article, R. Bruce Yoder ('16) highlights five themes in the missiological discourse about partnership during the last half of the twentieth century and uses those themes to explicate aspects of the engagement between MCN and MBM during the same period. The themes are (1) collaboration, (2) context, (3) reconfiguration of mission structures, (4) bilateral and multilateral approaches, and (5) ambiguity. The first section examines partnership in the Protestant mission movement. The second shows that these themes also arise in Anabaptist mission discourse. The third section presents the case of Mennonite Church Nigeria and Mennonite Board of Missions, showing the partnership paradigm to be a compelling missionary vision while clarifying challenges that may require consideration of additional mission models.