General Conference 3

Ok, more on General Conference.  We just finished the morning session of the second day where we were addressed by Dr Ivan Satyavrata, from Kolkata, India. He is an amazing combination. he earned his Th.M at my alma mater, Regent College and then his Ph.D from Oxford. In his native India, he has been a frontline street minister, author, a Bible College President, pastor of a large urban church and overseer to over 350 churches in the surrounding region.

So, here in brief form is an outline of what he brought to share with us. It was so good to hear his perspective on world missions speaking as a true leader of the church worldwide.

Quoting the words of the Great Commission, Ivan focused on the critical and tragically overlooked word ‘as’. Our failure to recognize the significance of this term has led to fundamentally flawed views and practices of mission.


Briefly, he outlined three flawed views or paradigms that have influenced and shaped how the church has done mission in the past two centuries.

Namely:

1. Colonization Key words: Subdue, conquer, subjugate.

2.Commercialization Key Words: Efficiency, ‘bang for the buck’, ‘souls per dollar’.

3. Corporatization Key words: Marketing, packaging,



In developing a biblical approach to mission, in other words “As the Father has sent me, so I send you…” Ivan gave us three key words or concepts modeled in the life of Jesus.

Intimacy. All mission is rooted in intimacy with God. Without this it becomes drudgery. It is powerless.

Servanthood. Mission is laying one’s life down in costly service for another. A memorable quote as he distilled an interaction between E.Stanley Jones and Gandhi. “ The Basin and Towel will prove irresistible.”

Friendship. With God and with each other. “That we love one another” . There is no room for a competitive, divisive spirit. He underscored the value of being part of a ‘Fellowship’ of churches and being in an intentional relationship.