Becoming a missional church : the case of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Southern Africa (ELCSA)

Abstract

The topic of my study is: Becoming a missional church- the case of Evangelical Lutheran Church in South Africa (ELCSA). The lack of missional astuteness and intelligence emanating from Christendom mind-sets and agendas is detrimental to the growth of the church and is creating missional chaos and paralysis; this is what I am struggling with in my study. The challenge I am grappling with is that the ELCSA as a church has been exposed to a variety and multiplicity of missional cultures and mission settings through a diversity of missionaries operating from different missional landscape and backgrounds. The various and differing missional histories has created inconsistencies in the theological foundations that underpin and add force to her missional outlook and maturity. As the church considers becoming a missional church, there is an imperative need to radically revisit her traditional ecclesiologies in order to develop a clearer understanding of her missional vocation. The missional direction of the church is in quandary, partly because of the leadership failure to manage the contradictory and inconsistent missional attempts and missional immaturity within the ELCSA. Leadership development and formation within the Lutheran training institutes in Southern Africa, which are crucial in church life seems inadequate from a curriculum perspective. Failure to understand and appreciate the current missional language will inadvertently confuse the church’s understanding of God’s mission in the world (missio Dei). The challenge facing the ELCSA will therefore be an imperative and absolute need to move from a church with mission to a missional church. The study seeks to further explore and investigate insights from the ELCSA’s mission history with a view of determining the missional health and checking whether the church has a comprehension and understanding of the concept and language of a missional church and missional leadership. In this study I will also attempt to answer two possible sub-problems of the study viz. How does the ELCSA create a missional leadership aptitude environment and how does the ELCSA implement the missional conversation(s) to the operating landscape of the church? This study will also contrast the attractional and incarnational mindsets I reflect in the conclusion the significance and importance of a missional church and highlight the characteristics or indicators of such a church by applying it to the ELCSA. Recommendations are indicated for consideration by the ELCSA and are not presented as an answer or solution to the challenge that the church is facing.