Press Release: International Fellowship of Mission as Transformation (INFEMIT) PDF Imprimir Correo electrónico

INFEMIT’s Consultation on Mission as Transformation took place at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies (OCMS), Oxford, on 5th-8th March, 2010, to mark a point of reflection and transition in INFEMIT’s history. Twenty-eight delegates from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the USA discussed INFEMIT’s journey over the past 35 years, and addressed the current challenges facing Holistic Mission today.
The Consultation focused on INFEMIT’s vision for the future, the leadership transition, and the links between INFEMIT’s regional bodies (the Latin American Theological Fellowship, PIM ASIA, the European Fellowship of Mission Theologians and the African Theological Fellowship). The four-day consultation was structured around a series of papers and devotionals.
Dr Bambang Budijanto facilitated a participatory discussion process, which engaged delegates in personal, group and plenary reflection and dialogue.
The consultation set out the following objectives for INFEMIT:

·    Engage in intercultural fellowship and exchange models of church- based transformational mission.
·    Strengthen theological education and mission research programs and projects such as OCMS, Kairos, Akrofi-Christaller, CEMAA, CCM.
·    Build on the legacy of transformational mission in relation to the challenges of today.
·    Contribute the vision and theology of mission as transformation from the margins to other movements, institutions and networks.

It was agreed that the objectives would be achieved through inter-regional programs and projects, INFEMIT-wide Consultations every three years, and ongoing research and publications.

A Networking Team has been formed. The 12 representatives are from the Regional Fellowships (2 per fellowship for Africa, Asia and Latin America; one per fellowship for Europe, Caribbean, the Middle East, the South Pacific, and OCMS) and one US dialogue partner. The current Networking Team members are: Corneliu Constantineanu (Eastern Europe); CB Samuel and Bambang Budijanto (Asia); Joshua Banda (Africa); Ruth Padilla DeBorst (Latin America and chair); Victor Rey (Latin America); Wonsuk Ma (OCMS), and Al Tizon (US dialogue partner).

The Networking Team’s immediate responsibilities include proposing a plan for the leadership transition and the strengthening of the regional networks. An INFEMIT summit is being planned for early 2011. During this summit INFEMIT will reflect on the way God has used INFEMIT to mark global mission in the past 35 years, celebrate the passing of the baton to the next generation of INFEMIT leadership, and discern the new mission landscape of the 21st century and identify INFEMIT’s role in it.

1 April, 2010