fredag 17 oktober 2014

Paulus' missionsmetoder

Igår var jag på ett mycket intressant seminarium på Missionsinstitutet på Örebro Missionsskola. Det handlade om Roland Allen - en tidig profet för missionell kyrka. Så här presenterades Allen i inbjudan till seminariedagen:

"Roland Allen (1868-1947) beskrevs av sin sonson som "Pionjär, profet och präst". Allen var högkyrklig präst i den Anglikanska kyrkan, missionär i Kina där han var med om Boxarupproret men fick avbryta sin tjänst av hälsoskäl, författare till några böcker som visade sig vara långt före sin tid men som tidiga pingstvänner tog till sitt hjärta och senare även till exempel. Den strömning som idag förespråkar "missionell kyrka" går i mycket tillbaka till Allen. Han var banbrytande profet och teolog för postkolonial missiologi och postkonstantisk ecklesiologi."

Vi fick lyssna till fyra intressanta föreläsningar. Göran Janzon (lärare på ÖMS) gav en översikt över Allens liv och författarskap och presenterade hans banbrytande missionssyn. Åke Talltorp (präst i Svenska kyrkan och den ende i Sverige som forskat på Allen) talade om Allens sakramentala kyrkosyn. Mikael Hallenius (lärare på ÖMS) talade om Allens betydelse för dagens samtal kring den missionella kyrkan.

Åke Talltorps avhandling Sacrament and Growth finns att ladda ner här.

Det var tre av Roland Allens böcker som lyftes fram som speciellt viktiga. Missionary Methods: St Paul's or Ours? från 1912, Missionary Principles från 1913 och The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church and the Causes which hinder it från 1927.

Jag läste den första av böckerna 1983 när vi höll på att plantera församling på Råslätt. Den påverkade oss en hel del och hjälpte oss att formulera en strategi för att missionera i Sverige på 80-talet. Jag har återkommit till boken många gånger i kurser om missionsstrategi och sammanfattat den på ett par sidor. Igår blev jag påmind om detta och idag lägger jag ut min sammanfattning här på bloggen. Roland Allens författarskap behöver uppmärksammas och det här är ett sätt. Den här kursen har jag bara haft i internationella grupper, så därför är texten på engelska. Jag reserverar mig för att det i vissa fall kan vara min tolkning och bearbetning av Allens tankar, men det är inspirerat av honom och det mesta kommer direkt från boken.

Paul’s Missionary methods

Paul planted churches in the four Roman provinces of Galatia, Macedonia, Achaia and Asia from 47 to 57 (Acts 13-20). He had a missionary strategy.

1. Teamwork - The apostolic team
Paul always worked with a team. The first team consisted of Paul, Barnabas and John Mark, the second of Paul, Silas, Timothy, Luke, Titus and others. Men and women became his co-workers. The team was also a training place for new workers. The team was a model fellowship and functioned with complimentary gifts. Not even Paul can do the work himself. (Acts 13:4-5, 15:39-16:3, 10-11, 19:22)

2. Strategic points
Paul chose important cities as centres for evangelism and mission. He planted churches in strategic cities and gave them the responsibility to evangelize the surroundings. (Acts 16:12, 19:1, 9-10, 1 Thess 1:7-8)

3. Preaching to target groups
When Paul came to a city he first tried to reach open people. Often he first preached to the Jews and god-fearing gentiles. He was seeking the open-minded. Then he was preaching to all as he got opportunity. (Acts 13:5, 14:1, 16:13, 17:2, 10, 17)

4. Signs and miracles as part of the preaching.
The power of the Spirit in signs and wonders was important in the missionary work for several reasons. a) The miracles attracted hearers. b) Miracles were universally accepted as proofs of Divine approval. c) Miracles were illustrations of the character of Christianity. d) Miracles illustrated the doctrine of salvation. (Acts 14:3, 8-10, 16:18, 19:11-12, 20:9-10, Rom 15:18-20)

5. Preaching the gospel - evangelizing
Paul’s way of preaching is very interesting. His attitude is full of sympathy, courage, respect, confidence and humility. His message is simple and clear, and full of the basic content of the gospel. The presentation is adjusted to the hearers knowledge and understanding. (Acts 13:16-43, 14:11-18, 17:22-34)

6. Teaching - church planting
Paul is training and teaching the first converts. He founded independent self-supporting churches.  He trained and appointed leaders. The churches were not dependent on the apostolic team for leadership. (Acts 14:21-23, 15:36, 16:40)

Paul passed over a tradition of teaching to the new church, the content of the Gospel, two sacraments, the Old Testament, rules for Christian life.,

He left the churches quite quickly. His converts became missionaries. The churches became self-propagating. (1 Thess 1:7-8)

Four necessary things for establishing churches:
  • Basic teaching on faith and life (1 Cor 4:17, 15:1-4)
  • Two ordinances - baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 16:14-15, 32-34, 1 Cor 1:14-17, 11: 23-26)
  • Elders - chosen from within the new church (Acts 14:23)
  • The Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17)
 7. Baptism and Ordination to leadership
The local fellowship had a say in testing candidates, both for baptism and eldership. Elders were chosen from within the fellowship.

8. Finance
His financial policy was part of his method.
  • He did not seek financial help for himself and did not receive money from those he preached to (Acts 18:3, 20:33-35, 1 Cor 9:3-18, 1 Thess 2:9, 2 Thess 3:7-8).
  • He sometimes received support from other churches (Acts 18:4-5, Phil 4:14-18, 2 Cor 11:7-9).
  • He took no financial help to those to whom he preached.
  • He did not administer local church funds.
9. Authority and discipline
Paul did not rule over the new churches, but served them and appealed to them from his spiritual authority. He left the responsibility of discipline to the local church. (1 Cor 5:1-5, 2 Thess 3:11-15). The churches were self-governing.

10. Unity
Paul’s idea of unity was spiritual, the important thing was spiritual unity expressed:
  • It could not be maintained through uniform practice.
  • It could not fail to issue in vital agreement.
  • It could not be enforced by compulsion.
  • It had to be expressed in outward unity.
Paul’s policy for creating unity:
  • Paul refused to transplant the law and the customs of the Church in Judea into the Four Provinces.
  • He refused to set up any central administrative authority from which the whole church was to receive directions.
Paul’s way of teaching unity:
  • He taught unity by taking it for granted.
  • He used to the full his position as intermediary between Jew and Greek.
  • He maintained unity by initiating and encouraging mutual acts of charity.
  • He encouraged the constant movement of communication between the churches.

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