God's Church for God's World: A Practical Approach to Partnership in Mission

By identifying key theological, cultural, and practical issues for mission partnerships, this book aims to provide best practices for missions to thrive around the world.

In an era where partnership and communion seem to be under threat, this book re-imagines mission partnership in a diverse and pluralist world. Building on the work of the Center for Anglican Communion Studies (VTS) and the Mission Department of the Anglican Communion Office, the book identifies and addresses key theological, cultural, and practical issues that need to be addressed for mission partnerships to thrive. Key among these issues is listening: listening to one another is a profound challenge given socio-economic differences, power differentials, and linguistic divides.

Drawing from mission experience, the authors offer best practices for discipleship as listening. Written across cultural differences, the authors hail from Zambia, the United Kingdom, Haiti, India, Latin America, Native American, South Africa, Turkey, the United States, and Lebanon. Each chapter invites readers to explore issues in their context through hearing scripture, hearing each other, and hearing the Spirit.

Robert S. Heaney PhD, DPhil is Professor of Theology and Mission, Virginia Theological Seminary, USA. He has experience in research, teaching, ministry, and consultation on three continents. Widely published, his most recent works include Post-Colonial Theology: Finding God and Each Other Amidst the Hate; The Promise of Anglicanism with William L. Sachs; and God’s Church for God’s World (Senior Editor). He lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

John Kafwanka is former Principal of St John’s Anglican Seminary, Kitwe, Zambia and now serves as Director for Mission, Anglican Communion Office. He is co-author of David Living-stone and Christian Mission & Ecumenism Today (Scottish Episcopal Church Diocese of Glasgow, 2014), and contributed to the books Called to Unity: For the Sake of Mission (Regnum, 2014) and Life-Widening Mission: Global Anglican Perspectives (Regnum, 2012).