2019 Leadership Summit Results

Dear fellow participants in God’s mission,

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Mission Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance is delighted to announce that the Leadership Summit planned for January 28-February 1 in Kuala Lumpur was held successfully and generated some important outcomes for the Mission Commission (MC). Fifty eight mission leaders from twenty seven different passport countries participated in three very full days of strategic conversation, with mornings opening with worship and Scriptural reflection (on unity, church and mission), and evenings spent together in a time of guided prayer.

Leadership Summit Overview

The Summit was designed to assess the purpose and contribution of the MC to global mission, reflecting on the MC’s identity and its historic accomplishments and then projecting into the future.

The Summit was designed to assess the purpose and contribution of the MC to global mission, reflecting on the MC’s identity and its historic accomplishments and then projecting into the future. We began with an overview of the history of the MC, with participants identifying when they first became involved and adding their perspective to our collective memory. For the afternoon of the first day we turned our focus to the ‘now’, using Appreciative Inquiry to discuss emerging trends in missions activity and the opportunities missions face in our contemporary global context. We then reflected on who the MC needs to be in light of these present realities.

The second day we explored vision and strategy. We picked up the issue of identity (a theme that permeated the entire Summit) and examined our vision afresh. We asked, “How do we re-identify ourselves in light of present realities?” In other words, “who do we want to be?”, “are we fit for purpose” and “what needs to change?” For the afternoon we shifted gears to look at “how are we going to get there?” A session on change management and strategy development helped to frame the discussion as we explored how we provide value to the global missions community as we outwork our purpose.

On day three we wrestled with structural and resourcing challenges. The questions relevant for our final day were “how can we best organise the MC to outwork our strategy to fulfill our purpose?” and “where will we source the raw material to do that?” We determined that the MC was a network of networks—a meta-network if you will. The MC’s central operations can remain small and lean because it is facilitative rather than directive. The MC adds value to the many other missions networks that exist—or at least that is our ultimate aim.

The most valued role of the MC is providing a neutral space for relationships to develop.

Throughout the three days of discussion the participants affirmed time and again that the most valued (and somewhat distinctive) role of the MC is providing a neutral space for relationships to develop between missions organisations, networks, movements and associations—without the MC pushing any particular agenda of its own. The final session on resourcing zoned in on this aspect of the MC as one of our primary assets—our community: people, people, people. We concluded that this is something we should leverage better to resource our purpose and vision.

The Kuala Lumpur Affirmation

Following the Summit, we developed an affirmation that summarises our conclusions concerning the MC’s identity and priorities…

At the Mission Commission Leadership Summit in Kuala Lumpur, January 28 –February 1 2019, we affirmed together that the Mission Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance is an inter-generational global community of missions leaders intersecting alliances, movements, networks, agencies, churches and ministries with the objective of strengthening their participation in God’s mission.

We agreed that relationships of trust, friendship and mutual learning are at the heart of the Mission Commission community, where we encourage one another to live and minister in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ and God’s mission.

We recognised that the Mission Commission does not promote its own agenda but rather facilitates the creation of safe spaces for the community to courageously reflect on missions issues at global consultations and roundtable gatherings, and through issue-focused networks, task forces, working groups and publications.

1. Refocus—Reimagine and clarify what we affirmed the MC to be, the principles that guide our community, and the structures that support its health and effectiveness for the sake of God’s glory in all the earth.
2. Reconnect—Continue to improve MC communication and visibility, with special attention to reinforcing our vision, purpose and ethos.
3. Reach Wider—Seek out and encourage new geographic and constituent involvement in the MC with inclusive generosity.
4. Receive Newcomers Well—Proactively welcome and orientate newcomers to MC events, including: missions leaders from new constituencies, church leaders, younger leaders, and donors/supporters invited to participate in the community.
5. Respect Each Other—Foster an ethos that protects the dignity of all MC participants and appreciates the contributions of diverse perspectives towards the advance of God’s mission in the world.
6. Respond Meaningfully—Undertake innovative collaborative action arising from our reflective conversations, process feedback well, improve evaluation processes, and operate the MC with transparency as regards the MC’s activities and outcomes.
7. Resource Together—The MC community is the best source of consistent MC resources (prayer, time, expertise, finance). We call on all Mission Commission Associates (MCAs) and other MC participants to invest in the wellbeing of the global MC community, to provide a stable resource base to build on, supplemented by specially sought project funds.
8. Re-engage Donors—Present our relationship-rich Christ-centred global missions community to donors as the MC’s greatest asset, and the outcomes of our collaborative conversations for the advancement of God’s mission as our primary “value proposition” (e.g. books, research, training material, missions consultancy, missions promotion, leaders encouragement etc.) as we seek to raise funds for special projects and other MC initiatives.

We call on all MCAs and other MC participants to invest in the wellbeing of the global MC community.

Motivated afresh by these eight commitments, the Leadership Team will keep momentum building while the Search Team seeks nominations and considers candidates for our next MC Executive Director. The aim is for the new Executive Director to be appointed prior to the 2019 WEA General Assembly in Bogor Indonesia in November 6 – 13.

Please pray with us that God will call out the right choice of Executive Director for the MC in this season and anoint them for service among us. [Praise God, this was answered in 2020]. Pray too for the Leadership Team as we continue to build on the momentum created from the Leadership Summit.

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.” (Isaiah 12:4 NIV)