HIV Call to Action.pdfBiblical foundations for integral mission
Jacob Tachen - Caring for my Neighbour: The Challenges of the Biblical Social Ethic
Jacob Tachen: "This paper attempts to briefly identify the biblical basis of care for the neighbour. The biblical basis provides significant insights into the essence of Christian spirituality and foundational realities of Christian discipleship. The second part of the paper flows from the first, it draws out the implications of the biblical social ethic with a contextual underpinning. In other words, this paper contends that love (for God and neighbour) is the foundation of Christian ethics and motive for Christian living".
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Integral Mission - Best Practice Document
"In February 2003, a consultation was organized in Nairobi, Kenya, that brought together principals and academic heads from twenty theological institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa. The Integral Mission As A Church Mandate: The Role of Theological Institutions consultation sought to focus on the strategic role of theological institutions to see the church in Africa practice integral mission. ....
The participants felt, among other things, that there was need to develop a Best Practice resource on integral mission for the theological institutions. The hope was to provide theological training institutions in Africa with an integral mission reference point document. .... It is hoped that these barriers may be overcome so that theological training in Africa may be done in an even more effective manner than is presently the case. This Best Practice document is intended to serve as a benchmark, incorporating standards that an institution would seek to attain at a pace and period that is within its own realm of possibility."
INTRODUCTION
To a certain extent the church in Africa seems to manifest a dualistic faith that compartmentalises life into two major categories: the secular and the spiritual. There is general resistance to notions of Christians and the Church being actively involved in non-spiritual activities such as addressing physical, social, economic and political issues in society. This has resulted in minimal holistic Christian influence in society, despite the glaring socio-politico-economic and cultural challenges faced by the continent. This reality may be a result of lack of exposure resulting in ignorance to societal issues or an imbalanced theological perspective that does not incorporate social action. It is notable that the impact theologically trained church leadership has made has been primarily in regards to the spiritual dimensions of life. Little has been done to effect societal transformation and change the tendency towards a dualistic belief system. The challenge, therefore, is for the theological institutions to produce graduates that are contextually relevant and agents of transformation who impact both church and society.
Full text of Best Practice Document
Complete document produced by the February 2003 consultation.
ReportofworkinggponbestpracticeLimuruConsultation0604.doc