Utumishi Blog

There’s a very important article in the October 2005 edition of the World Evangelical Alliance Connections magazine by Duncan Olumbe (good friend of iServe Africa) on African mission mobilisation.  Read the whole article here but here is a summary:

Reasons that have historically held Africa back in mission:

• Lack of graduates going into gospel ministry – often despised as a low-paying job for those with no other prospects.
• Mission viewed as a wazungu enterprise partly due to early missionaries not passing on a vision for mission and doing mission in a resource-intensive way that national believers could not replicate.

Why the “sleeping giant” is now waking up:

• Changing perceptions on the points above.
• Easier international communications and exchange of ideas.
• Mission conferences such as ‘Commission’ organised by FOCUS (IFES Kenya
• National mission mobilisation movements such as Finish The Task.
• Growth of indigenous mission agencies such as Sheepfold Ministries (good friends and close partners of iServe Africa).
• Some churches becoming mission focused and sending missionaries (e.g. an alumnus of iServe Africa due to be sent out by a church to North East Kenya in a month’s time).
• Some African professionals moving out of their comfort zones to less secure places to offer their skills in the service of the gospel.
• “Individual African brothers and sisters who have almost single-handedly pioneered mission service, often in very challenging contexts.” Their amazing stories often overshadowed by those of Western pioneers.

Challenges that need to be addressed:

• “How to handle the overwhelming response to mission” – so that those who are keen to serve do not “end up frustrated and gradually lose their passion for mission.”
• “We need to reject the “Get-Rich-Quick Syndrome”!” Often the motivation for mission and church planting is to found a well-paying business rather than to extend the kingdom for the glory of Christ and the good of others whatever the cost.
• High youth employment (especially graduates) presents a great opportunity in terms of a wonderful “human resource pool for mission mobilisation” but also presents the danger of young people drifting into mission simply because they have no other option rather than actively pursuing a God-given passion. “Recruitment procedures by African mission agencies need to take this factor into consideration.”
• Mission and mission mobilisation needs to focus on youth. In Kenya 75% of the population is under 30. Another growing issue will be how do we tap into the population of retiring professionals keen to give themselves in service?
• Need for equal and open partnerships between African and Western mission agencies.
• Need to expand beyond traditional connections with the Global North and West to form partnerships with mission in Asia and South America (an iServe Africa alumnus recently went on a short term mission trip to East Asia).
• “We need to honestly evaluate partnerships between Africa and the rest of the world.” To be honest about unhealthy ‘partnerships’ of “crippling dependency, irrelevant models, bitter fallouts, power games, choking paternalism, and misallocation of global mission resources… The global North needs to humbly accept and be open to what God is doing in Africa; not with the secret agenda of using Africa to further their (global North) agenda but to support Africa in seeking to fulfill God’s agenda. On the other hand, we African Christian leaders have to break the fetters of inferiority complex through seriously addressing the dearth of credible Christian leadership across Africa.”

iServe Africa is a response to some of these challenges and opportunities. And we’re recruiting for the 2012-2013 intake of apprentices right now. So if you know a recent graduate with a passion for the gospel and mission who wants to volunteer for a year and to grow in servant leadership and in faithful Bible teaching then please point them towards our website here where they can find out more about the programme and download an application form. Closing date 20 May 2012.