a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

esponse to different situations. The vision statement of most churches contains
the phrase ‘to reach the unreached in the villages.’ Twelve of the eighteen leaders
who were interviewed have admitted that they have focused on the rural areas in
the past. However, very recently, Pentecostals began to think of targeting the non-
tribal and the non-rural as well. There are indications of a change in focus to
include the cities as well in their mission. As discussed in chapter three, the
FFCI’s recently revised vision statement illustrates this shift in focus. 57 This
change to include urban communities in their mission was established when FBC
introduced the MDiv programme the following academic year with the purpose of
encouraging, ‘those involved, or anticipating involvement in Ministry, with a
special focus on Urban Mission.’ 58
The change has not been restricted to the rural-urban spheres, but there have been
changes in strategies. Due to intense persecution, most organizations have felt the
need to strengthen the believers instead of reaching new areas. This is not to argue
that they have completely moved away from the mission of reaching the
unreached. However, the elevated emphasis does not predominate now.
Theological institutes like FBC have changed the purpose of the programmes they
offer, as evident in the latest prospectus of FBC. For various reasons, the Bachelor
of Ministry (BMin) has been replaced by Bachelor of Theology (BTh). The aim of
BTh is to prepare people for ‘Pastoral Care in the Church,’ 59 over against the
57 In order to revise vision, mission and other aspects of the organization, a three-day SWOT
(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) Analysis programme was convened in 2003. I
was one among the team of seven from the organizations to do the analysis.
58 Prospectus 2006, 12.
59 ‘Pastoral Care in the Church,’ is understood as a ministry to existing churches.
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