The Theology of Missions

The issues of syncretism and context in mission have been well explained and
missiology obtained the features of intercultural theology.
________
Missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to proselytize or
perform ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and
economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent
members abroad, derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning "act of
sending" or mittere, meaning "to send". The word was used in light of its biblical usage;
in the Latin translation of the Bible, Christ uses the word when sending the disciples to
preach The gospel in his name. The term is most commonly used for Christian
missions, but can be used for any creed or ideology.
Christian Missions
Missionaries by Religion
A Christian missionary can be defined as "one who is to witness across cultures". The
Lausanne Congress of 1974, defined the term, related to Christian mission as, "to form
a viable indigenous church-planting movement". Missionaries can be found in many
countries around the world.
In the Bible, Jesus is recorded as instructing the apostles to make disciples of all
nations (Matthew 28:19–20, Mark 16:15–18). This verse is referred to by Christian
missionaries as the Great Commission and inspires missionary work.
Historic
The Christian Church expanded throughout the Roman Empire already in New
Testament times and is said by tradition to have reached even further, to Persia
(Church of the East) and to India (Saint Thomas Christians). During the Middle Ages the
Christian monasteries and missionaries such as Saint Patrick (5th century), and
Page 33 of 137