THE SYNNERGY SUMMIT - SPAIN 2015

The venue of the Summit

THE SYNERGY SUMMIT IN BARCELONA, SPAIN

Held in Barcelona, Spain from May 11 to 14, 2015, the Synergy Summit brought together Ministries involved in Global Outreach. This encounter was precede on May 10 by an optional training day for those who wished, focused on fundamental frameworks and key skills for those new to mission network and on capacity building for experienced network leaders. His gathering was to encourage these Ministries to network for greater efficiency. Why did the organizers of this gathering find it necessary to emphasize networking?

First, observation was made that we live in a complex world full of confusion and disconcerting. More and more people are stuck by poverty, wars and political unrest push entire populations to migration. Thus millions of people are scattered all over the world. The means of communication simultaneously explode and millions of people are connected. Technologies evolve in a fast and adoption of new technologies as well.

Then in 1974 over 200 people from over 150 nations gathered in Lausanne. It was the first time they were asked to discuss issue of global evangelism. This has led to the multiplication of global movements of mission and the Lord blessed. Coordination and training are therefore needed. It was then urgent to put at the disposal of each other at the planetary level, skills and resources. For this, it was necessary to give the vision, persuade the stakeholders to join together, to focus collaboration and partnership, given that combined actions were better than working alone.

Several topics were discussed, including Unleashing Participation Trough Member Engagement, Unleashing Results through Specific Objectives etc. Many speakers shared their experiences in their specific fields and the opportunity was given to participants to get together in interest groups and partnerships were thus born. Many strategic issues were discussed in relation to what is happening in the world, including the Muslim world and the persecution of Christians.

The Christian world is moving. Missions, Movements and Christian Works increasingly realize the need to put aside doctrinal differences and work together in the current global context for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

The summit, whose main objective were:

1) To inspire, show examples of how God is at work across networks to advance the Gospel

2) To connect the networks and provide opportunities for shared learning and inter-network collaboration

3) To equip, offering new ideas and ressources to enhance the effectiveness of mission network,

Can be considered a complete success since most of these objectives were met in light of  the results obtained through contacts and appointments made by most of us for effective collaboration and partnership in future projects in the coming years. We are looking forward to next Synergy Summit 2017 for the evaluation of these collaborations and partnerships.

THE GLOBAL DIASPORA FORUM MANILA 2015

By the end of the meeting: a picture of the group

The Global Diaspora Forum Manila in Philippines

The Lausanne Movement held in Manila, Philippines, from March 24 to 27, the Global Diaspora Forum. This meeting brought together leaders of the global Diaspora Missions and aimed to discuss the contents of the collection on Global Diaspora Missiology. This collection has been prepared by experts from all continents, we were invited to read, take notes and make comments providing our critics and our additional information in relation to our field experiences. At the end of the session, a comprehensive compendium on the Diaspora missiology will be published by the Lausanne Movement and will be freely available in all evangelization missions in the Global Diaspora.

Having ascertain that the world is moving, with the development of transport and communication means, the global population is experiencing even greater migration than ever in the past. When we examine the Word, especially the New Testament, we realize that most of the evangelization of the world known at that time was made by the diaspora. The disciples were scattered from Jerusalem, the mission entrusted to them by Christ to go and make disciples of all Nations to the end of the earth took shape with the forced dispersal due to persecution.

 An analogy can be made with current movement of migration for various reasons, starting with the economic difficulties, to persecution for several reasons including religious. This created an extraordinary opportunity for evangelization of people who could not be reached in their land of origin or nations. Hence the need to rethink missiology adapted to new data: Missiology of the Diaspora. That is why this book will be titled: “Scattered and gathered: A Global Compendium of Diaspora Missiology.”

For three days our work in committees, workshop and plenary sessions focused on the development and refinement of this compendium in order to make available to Global missions, a powerful and valuable tool. It was a real marathon to consider in three days, in commissions, workshops and discussion groups, being dispersed in different rooms, going up and down floors to find ourselves in plenary session at last, to hear different reports, add our experiences and write the final report subject by subject. Up early in the morning and sleep late in the night, I had to cancel the mission in Indonesia which was scheduled for the weekend there, in order to be able to get my Sunday evening flight to Europe.

But also, we have made some interesting encounters with leaders of the missions of the whole planet and appointments have been made for future collaboration in the areas of evangelization to the Diaspora and by the Diaspora, especially in Korea, China and in the same area of Southwest Asia. May the Lord be glorify and His will be done!

THE MANI TEAM MEETING IN NAIROBI 2015

 

The MANI steering team

The MANI Leadership meeting in Nairobi KENYA

The Movement for African National Initiatives (MANI) Steering Committee, following the postponement of the Africa Heads of Churches Summit, gathering Unions and Federations of African Churches, previously expected in Accra, Ghana, from 9 to 13 February 2015, met the same dates in Nairobi Kenya, to organize the upcoming event of this movement an review some principles of its operation. Our meetings as usual begin with prayer, praise and meditation daily, before starting discussing or reporting on the subjects of the agenda.

As Introduction we analysed the situation in Africa regarding everything she undergoes to this world. We cannot ignore the social and economic changes affecting the life of the Church in Africa: changing our original plan because of the Ebola disease is one of the illustrations; what happens in Central African Republic and around Lake Chad with the Islamic sect Boko Haram, the persecutions of Christians in the Horn of Africa and Sudan are others. More than ever, Africa is feeling the impact of everything that happens in the world. It is in this perspective that we met in Nairobi to discuss about how to attain our objectives: to reach unreached peoples of Africa by the Gospel. For all this we have to listen and depend on the Holy Spirit, especially for the challenges that await us in Africa. We need help in our continent, not that of a man, a State or government, but of the Holy Spirit. Whatever the challenge, this is what we need and the Holy Spirit will strengthen and encourage us.

Two key points were on the agenda; 1) the postponement of the Accra Summit 2) the organization of the Consultation of our Movement in Addis Ababa in March 2016. But we also analysed the problems encountered in each MANI region after a report from every concerned leader. We also considered a policy or a plan to mentor regional leader’s successors.

The postponement of the Accra Summit:

The Very Rev. Dr Yaw Frimpong, coordinator for the Accra meeting, began by thanking all those who contributed to this organization despite its postponement. The Ebola issue did not only scare Africa but also the whole world. The epidemic is about to be controlled and Rev. Dr Yaw thinks we can maintain the Summit in the same venue. But a discussion took place between those who think we should move to Addis Ababa and hold the meeting shortly before the MANI 2016 Consultation and those who think it is wise to keep the meeting in Accra. Another suggestion was to swap the two; it was quickly eliminated because they are organizational and individual commitments that would have generated more problems instead of making it easy. We finally adopted to maintain the Summit in Accra, given the commitment of the local churches for this project and the existence of an organizing committee who did a remarkable job and reminded us that the meeting was not cancelled but postponed; besides, a budget was ready and the funds had already begun to be raised, it would be a waste to deprive us of this already available expertise. Therefore the Summit will take place from 8 to 12 February 2016 in Accra, Ghana.

The MANI Consultation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

After that, we reviewed the progress of the preparatory work for the organization of the Addis Ababa Consultation. Proposals concerning the various possibilities were submitted by the MANI Horn of Africa Coordinator as thumbnails. Ultimately we adopted the proposal of holding the opening and closing sessions in the premises of the African Union (AU) and the working sessions in those of the EIT/ETC. We have reviewed the participation quotas by region. Only 10 participants were retained for the Diaspora Region, at my request we obtained 8 more bringing it to 18 delegates.

Each of the Region coordinators or MANI representatives made his report in which he exposed the actions, the challenges or difficulties encountered and future prospects.

The succession plan for the leadership of the movement

The question was raised as to what direction takes the MANI at this precise moment of its existence. Should we shift into an organization or strive to remain a movement? Our movement has reached a level which we cannot continually operate as we currently do. In this, Brother Reuben, Continental Coordinator said that we are not an organization like the Lausanne Movement or like the COMIBAN, our counterpart in Latin America, which have structures. God is faithful, if we put our trust in Him He is!

The MANI is a movement based on a vision. We got to a point where we must certainly take it to another level. Reuben was designated as successor to Ross because he was the one most to carry the same vision and bring the movement to another level. He said in order to prepare his succession he needed to mentor one to three people during two to three years. For it is not a matter of a succession to the same thing as he does, but a continuation to bring the movement to a higher level. Moreover we should not forget we are catalysts, not competitors. We must be careful not to put ourselves in competition with those in the field.

The MANI is not just a Continental Coordinator, but a team with regional coordinators and local partners as well as foreign ones, such as Emerging Leaders, Strategic Prayer, Church Planting, CAP, Missions to Muslim with especially “Vision 5:9” etc. working in their own areas and networks and contributing simultaneously to expand the MANI network. We must be aware that the time has come for new leadership and pray that the Lord will establish one according to His project. The environment has hanged. Our continent is characterized by a rise in fundamentalism and especially Islamic fundamentalism as the world has never known. Listening to God and covering all with our prayers, we need someone who will bring MANI to where God wants to take us.

We will return to our respective countries and nations. Then we have to examine where we are with our vision, becaus after all, it is all about what is happening in Africa: let's identify our resources, what remains to be done and human resources ready to accomplish the task. Once done, we must be able to present to the Church and say "this is what happens..." May God help us!