12.11.10-14.11.10

4th Congress on Ecumenism: Ecumenism and Mission 
Madrid, SPAIN
Event organised by the Centro Ecuménico and the ACEMU Asociatión Centro Ecuménico. Download a brochure here. Papers will be published in Pastoral Ecumenica.

Events held in 2009

[February 8-14, 2009]  Iloilo, PHILIPPINES: 7th Congress of Asian Theologians, Central Philippine University

The main theme of Congress was "Doing Mission from the Underside: A Challenge to the Understanding of Mission since 1910." Theme presentations of this consultation will be published by Christian Conference of Asia in their next issue of CTC Bulletin. Congress of Asian Theologians is a common platform of Theologians from Asia sponsored by CCA, Institutions/Associations for Theological Education and Catholic Bishop's Conference of Asia. CATS Final Statement [pdf]

[February 16, 17 and 19, 2009] Toronto, CANADA: Mission and Power: Memory, Journey, Vision 

The Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries annually hosts an “International Visitor” providing Majority World voices to the Canadian Church. In 2009 there were three “visitors” representing voices from the Global South, Canadian First Nations, and Canada. At the 2009 Canadian Theological Students Conference these three entered into a series of ‘trialogues’. The visitors were the Rev. Dr. Elizabeth S. Tapia, a Filipina Theologian, Bishop Mark L. MacDonald, the Anglican Church of Canada’s first National Indigenous Bishop, and Rev. Dr. Russell Daye, a Canadian theologian and United Church of Canada Minister, who has also served as UCC International Personnel in Fiji. Over the course of the conference, in February of 2009, each of the three keynotes was a combination of a short lecture by one of the International Visitors, conversation between all three, and dialogue with the audience. The conference took the Edinburgh 2010 Theme 4 Mission and Power as its theme. Download a transcript of the 'trialogue' (pdf file) here.

[March 22-24, 2009] Seoul, SOUTH KOREA: Consultation on Mission Spirituality and Authentic Discipleship

Seoul, South Korea, is the venue for a consultation of study theme 9 on 22-24 March 2009. Presenters at the consultation, to be held at Youngnak Presbyterian Church, include the world famous mission historian Professor Andrew Walls. Details of participants and presenters can be found here. Papers are now available for download through this link. 

[March 23-25, 2009] Akropong-Akuapem, GHANA: 'African spirituality, Christian mission and discipleship' at Akrofi-Christaller Institute for Theology, Mission and Culture

West African leaders will meet at the Akrofi-Christaller Institute for Theology, Mission and Culture in Ghana on 23-25 March 2009 to discuss 'African spirituality, Christian mission and discipleship. The consultation, which will feed into the research for Edinburgh study theme 9, will be addressed by Emeritus Prof. J.H. Kwabena Nketia, Rt Rev. Dr. Cyril Okorocha, Rev. Prof. Isaac Deji Ayagboyin and other distinguished people who will bring papers and case studies. Details of the programme can be downloaded here. A report of the conference is available here.   

[March 23-27, 2009] Singapore: International Consultation on Church Cooperation and Partnership in the Mission of the Church in the 21st Century, Trinity Theological College

This consultation invites leaders from churches and para-church organisations in Asia to reflect on their experiences and concerns about cooperation and partnership. It aims to identify common questions and explore processes that will foster partnership and cooperation in mission, and it seeks to nurture conversations and trust among church
leaders. The programme includes 20 presenters from South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, including India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea and Japan among others. There will be plenary sessions on short-term mission trips, sharing resources, theological training and leadership formation.

[March 27-29, 2009] Birmingham, ENGLAND: Edinburgh 2010 - "Ivory Towers muddy grounds" - the mission realities of theological education. Consultation on Theological Education at the Queen's Foundation

An international consultation in preparation for Edinburgh 2010. Selly Oak Centre for Mission Studies. The Queen's Foundation for Theological Education, Somerset Road, Birmingham, England B15 2QH.

[May 23, 2009] Edinburgh, SCOTLAND: Edinburgh 2010: What Direction for Christian Mission? Church of Scotland General Assembly Event

Next year's Centenary of the Edinburgh 1910 Missonary Conference is providing to be a suggestive moment for many people who are seeking direction for Christian mission in the 21st century. As preparations are made for a major centenary conference, what clues are emerging as to the future shape of Christian mission? Moses Jayakumar, Andrew Anderson, Ndukwe Nwachukwe Eme and Daryl Balia form a panel to address this key question. For more information contact Jasmin Adam at jadam (at) cofscotland.org.uk.

[May 25-31, 2009] Wuppertal, GERMANY: United Evangelical Mission consultation on mission theology

Almost one hundred years after the World Mission Conference in Edinburgh, this event brought together mission theologians and practitioners from UEM member churches as well as from partner organisations CWM and CEVAA to consider the theological challenges of mission today. Through exchange and dialogue, participants enriched and questioned each other to sharpen the focus on mission in the respective contexts. Download a list of papers presented as an MS Word file here.

[May 26-28, 2009] Nairobi, KENYA: 'Christian Communities in Contemporary Contexts: Eastern African Perspectives', Carmelite Center Karen

Study theme 7 of the Edinburgh 2010 process is the focus of a meeting of East African mission theologians. They will meet at the Carmelie Center Karen, Nairobi on 26-28 May to consider Mission in the 21st Century with a special focus on Christian Communities in Contemporary Contexts. The conference is organised by:

Dr. Philomena Mwaura, Kenyatta University (Convenor)
Dr. John Padwick, Organization of African Instituted Churches (Secretary)
Prof. Jesse Mugambi, University of Nairobi
Prof. Esther Mombo, St Paul´s University, Limuru
Prof. Mary Getui, Kenyatta University
Rev. Dr. Godfrey Ngumi, Kenyatta University / Carlile College
Rev. Benard Kamau, Carlile College

46 church leaders, theologians, scholars, clergy and lay people attended the event from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia. The final programme (MS Word) is available here. The conference statement (MS Word) is available here.

[June 17, 2009] Newport, WALES: Urban Refreshment

The Urban Mission Development Project invites to a day of prayer and conversation about Christian Presence in Towns and Cities in Wales. For further information please visit the Urban Mission website at www.urbanmission.org.uk. An event flyer and booking form can be downloaded here.

[June 21, 2009] Accra, GHANA: EMS Focus Programme launch

EMS is an international fellowship of 28 churches and mission societies in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East committed to worldwide mission and cooperation of churches. On 21 June in Accra it launches its Focus Programme 2009-2012 with the theme, 'Giving account of our hope - Christian witness in a pluralistic world'. EMS hopes this will contribute to the Edinburgh 2010 study process, especially to study theme 2.

The international activities which make up the programme include 'reading the Bible through the eyes of another', a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, 'theological training in the presence of the other' and networking migrants' centres within the EMS fellowship. Download details of the Focus Programme here.  

[June 8-11, 2009] Seramban, MALAYSIA: Mission as Reconciliation in Pluralistic Contexts, Seminari Theoloji Malaysia

This event will draw theological educators, church leaders and mission agency leaders from Sri Lanka and 10 ASEAN countries and link with the Edinburgh 2010 study theme on Christian Mission Among Other Faiths and the transversal on Healing and Reconciliation. The statement from this conference is now available here. For photos see the seminary website here.

[June 22-25, 2009] San José, COSTA RICA: Consultation on Mission and Power in North-South relations

This three day by-invitation-only consultation brings together a small group of Christian historians from Latin America and North America under the auspices of Conference of Faith and History and the Institute for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education in Latin America. Papers presented included:

• Nationalism, Marxism, and the Christian Reformed Church in Cuba (Daniel Miller)
• Hospitality and Power: Historical Method with the California Mission Indians (Rick Kennedy)
• The Waorani of Amazonian Ecuador: Christianity at the intersection of Competing Worlds (Kathryn Long)
• Mission and Power in the North-South Theological Dialogue (Daniel Salinas)
• Protestantismo y poder en América Latina. Minorías religiosas, laicismo y cultura política (Carlos Mondragón)
• Inquisición, Imperio y Protestantismo en Nueva España (S. XVI) (Lourdes de Ita)
• Hagiography and Missions History as Discourses of Power: Criollo Identity and the Lives of Santa Rosa de Lima (Ronnie Morgan)

Papers are being posted weekly on the LATF website www.ftl-al.org and people are being invited to interact on the issues raised.

[June 22-27, 2009] Matanzas, CUBA: Cuba conference on Mission and Evangelism, Matanzas Theological Seminary

The Cuban Council of Churches combines in 2009 the 500th anniversary of Calvin, the commemoration of the first Cuban Evangelical Celebration (10 years ago) and the 80th anniversary of the Havana Congress which in 1929 took up the concerns of Edinburgh 1910 for Latin America. For further details, click here. The conference has produced a final statement, which can be downloaded here (MS Word file). For a report of the conference, download the MS Word file here. See the report in Spanish, and with photos, at this link, http://www.cuba-theological-seminary.com/2009-summer-spanish/newsletter.htm.

[July 1-3, 2009] Hertfordshire, ENGLAND: Sinking foundations: Why mission today? A meeting of churches and agencies in Britain and Ireland, All Nations Christian College

In preparation for the Edinburgh 2010 Conference BIAMS, the CTBI Global Mission Network and the evangelical Global Connections jointly sponsored a research project to take a snapshot of the theological understandings, motivation and practice of mission by British and Irish churches and agencies at the beginning of the 21st century. This Conference is part of the process of reception of that research and is also a key opportunity at the beginning of the 21st century to reflect on the theological bases for engagement in mission in and from Britain and Ireland. What is the relationship between what we do and the reasons under God that we give for why we do it? What is God saying to us and calling us towards? Further details available as a pdf file here.

[July 17-19, 2009] Bangalore, INDIA: Pre-centenary Edinburgh 2010 Study Conference, United Theological Seminary

Inter-religious relations is the theme of this conference at an institution (UTC Bangalore) which shares its centenary with Edinburgh 2010. Christian inter-religious relations will be considered from Islamic, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, subaltern, feminist and primal perspectives, and there will also be discussion of Christian relations with Marxist, humanist and secular ideologies and of perspectives and issues in mission and inter-faith dialogue. Scholars in the field will be drawn from India and several other countries. Find a photo of the event in our photo gallery.

[July 25, 2009] Santiago, CHILE: Consultation on Church, Mission and Power in Chile

With 33 participants from the local chapters of the Latin American Theological Fellowship in Valparaíso, Concepción, Osorno, Temuco, Valdivia and Santiago, the following papers were presented and discussed:

• La misión de Jonás y el poder salvífico de Dios: un aporte desde el Antiguo Testamento (Jaime Alarcón)
• El poder en la sociedad chilena (Loreto Fernández)
• Iglesia, misión y poder: los desafíos para la iglesia en Chile (Claudio Colombo)
• Iglesia, misión y poder: un alternativa emergente (Luis Tapia)

Papers are being posted weekly on the LATF website www.ftl-al.org and people are being invited to interact on the issues raised.

[August 6-7, 2009] San José, COSTA RICA: Regional Consultation for Mexico, Central America, Panama and Caribbean

With 60 participants from 10 different countries, the topic developed was Church, Power and Mission in Latin America Today. The use and abuse of power was dealt with both in relation to internal church relations, leadership and such and in relation to Christian presence in the broader socio-political sphere. Also, during this consultation, a letter was drafted condemning the coup in Honduras and calling for a peaceful solution to the conflict. Close to twenty papers were presented and processed in plenaries and groups. To mention a few:

• The use of power and spiritual abuse in the churches (Sharo Rosales)
• Power and advocacy (Nina Balmaceda)
• The church and the construction of democracy (Gustavo Román)
• Centrality of Scripture in an alternate vision of the church (Edesio Sánchez)

Papers (in Spanish) are available for download here. Visit the LATF website www.ftl-al.org for further information and interaction on the issues raised.

[August 12-15, 2009] Oxford, ENGLAND: European Pentecostal Charismatic Research Association, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies

The European Pentecostal Charismatic Research Association will meet this year at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, whose Director, Dr Wonsuk Ma is also Chair of the Asian Pentecostal Association. From 12-15 August Pentecostal scholars of mission will address each of the nine study themes of Edinburgh 2010. Programme details are available for download as an MS Excel file here.

[August 12-15, 2009] Oxford, ENGLAND: European Pentecostal Charismatic Research Association, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies

The European Pentecostal Charismatic Research Association will meet this year at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, whose Director, Dr Wonsuk Ma is also Chair of the Asian Pentecostal Association. From 12-15 August Pentecostal scholars of mission will address each of the nine study themes of Edinburgh 2010. Programme details are available for download as an MS Excel file here.

[September 8-10, 2009] Freudenstadt, GERMANY: Mission between power and powerlessness

Member bodies of EMW, The Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany, are meeting on 8-10 September in Freudenstadt, Germany to discuss 'Mission between power and powerlessness' in anticipation of Edinburgh 2010. Their deliberations will be faciliated by Rev. Jacques Matthey, who is Director of World Council of Churches programme 2 on 'Unity, Mission, Evangelism and Spirituality', Dr Daryl Balia, International Director, Edinburgh 2010, and Dr Michael Biehl of the Missions Acadamy, Hamburg, among others.

Further information in German about the event is available in the pdf file here.
By kind permission of EMW, the yearbook of EMW (in German), which focuses on 'Mission zwischen Macht und Ohnmacht', is available for download (large pdf file) here.
Also by permission of EMW, Rev. Jacques Matthey's keynote paper, 'Mission und Macht' can be downloaded (MS Word file) here.

[September 14-16, 2009], Loccum, GERMANY

The German Association for Mission Studies (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Missionswissenschaft) held its conference this year jointly with the Protestant Academy (Evangelische Academie) at Loccum, near Hanover. About 90 scholars and practitioners discussed the legacy of Edinburgh 1910 and the meaning and practice of mission today under the theme, “Mission – backwards looking or on the rise? 99 years after the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh”. Download a report of the conference in English (MS Word file) by Dr Michael Biehl here. Download a copy of the programme (pdf file in German) here. Download a photo here.

[September 17, 2009] Toronto, CANADA: Fresh Voices, New Faces: Lausanne and the New Realities of the Global Church - Lausanne Canada Evening with Lindsay Brown.

Lindsay Brown has been the International Director of the Lausanne movement since 2006, and a key figure in the preparation of Cape Town 2010. For more information download the event flyer.

[September 22, 2009] Edinburgh, SCOTLAND: Book launch party at the Centre for the Study of World Christianity

New College and the Centre for the Study of World Christianity invite you to the launch party of the two latest books on Edinburgh 2010.

Edinburgh 2010. Mission Then and Now, edited by David A. Kerr and Kenneth R. Ross, is the first book to systematically examine the eight Commissions which reported to Edinburgh 1910 and gave the conference much of its substance and enduring value.

The World Missionary Conference. Edinburgh 1910 by Brian Stanley is likely to become the standard academic study of the epoch-making 1910 conference.

The Centre for the Study of World Christianity (formerly known as the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World) is the primary post-graduate focus of the School of Divinity's keen interest in the history and contemporary reality of Christianity as a world religion.

The launch party starts at 4.30 pm at Rainy Hall, New College, Edinburgh. Refreshments will be provided. To register for the event, please contact Jasmin Adam on 0131 2255722 or email at jadam (at) cofscotland.org.uk.

[September 23-27, 2009] Hyderabad, INDIA: Mission at and from the Margins": Colloquium at the Henry Martyn Institute

This event brings together about 20 scholars who have been working on issues related to Dalit Christian experience in Andhra Pradesh. As well as theological and historical approaches, their research includes ethnographic field work in local villages. They are attempting to recover the Dalit agency and agenda in Christian missions and draw the implications of this agency for the ecumenical imagination of church´s mission in the world today. The conveners of the study are: Rev. Joseph Prabhakar Dayam, Rev. I. P. Asheervadam and Rev. Dr. Peniel Jesudas Rufus Rajkumar. Further details of the study are available as an MSWord file here.
Download an illustrated report of the conference (pdf file) here.

[September 26, 2009] DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: LATF National Consultation

Topic: Church, power and mission in the Dominican Republic today. The same will be repeated in Peru and Brazil (dates to be confirmed).

[October 2-3, 2009] Melbourne, AUSTRALIA: Towards Edinburgh 2010: Witnessing to Christ Today

A wide group of Australian church and mission bodies are gathering on 2-3 October 2009 in two locations in Melbourne for celebration and reflection on Christian mission and ecumenism over the last 100 years. Speakers include Ian Breward, Ross Langmead, David Claydon, Peter Riddell, Graeme Mundine, Merrill Kitchen and Jason Kioa. For further details please visit the event website. An article on the seminar by Peter Riddell can be downloaded here. This article first appeared in Evangelicals now, a monthly Christian newspaper published in the Uk and distributed worldwide. Papers presented at the conference can be downloaded from our Resources page.

[October 3, 2009] Edinburgh, SCOTLAND: Roots and Fruits: Retrieving Scotland's Missionary Story

The third of three day conferences on the Scottish context of Edinburgh 1910 takes place at New College in Edinburgh. Hosted by the Towards 2010 network the conference seaks to explore the nature and results of Scottish-based involvement in mission worldwide. As speakers are invited: Rose Dowsett, Br. Stephen Smyth, Andrew F. Walls. For further information please contact Rev. John Wylie at info (at) towards2010.org.uk or visit the organiser's website.

[October 30-31, 2009] Auckland, NEW ZEALAND: From Edinburgh 1910 World Mission Conference to Edinburgh 2010 - Witnessing to Christ Today: Perspectives from Aotearoa/ New Zealand

ANZAMS (Aotearoa-New Zealand Association for Mission Studies) invites you to a mini-symposium at Laidlaw College (Auckland Campus). A selection of papers will be presented which will discuss some of the themes of next year's Edinburgh 2010 centenary celebrations. Among those presenting will be Ross Langmead (AAMS Australia), John Roxborogh, Steve Graham, Rosemary Dewerse, John Hitchen, George Wieland, Hugh Kemp and Peter Lineham. For further information contact Ian Dally at idally (at) laidlaw.ac.nz or download event flyer. Papers from this event are now available to view or download here.

[November 27-29, 2009] Bangalore, INDIA: Edinburgh 1910 and Beyond

The Ecumenical Christian Centre, Whitefield, Bangalore, hosts a three day seminar on the challenges and prospects of 100 years of Ecumenism in India. Papers presented at the seminar include: 'Edinburgh 1910 and beyond: A critical assessment of 100 years of ecumenical movement', 'The role of Vatican Councils towards Widening the Frontiers of Ecumenicl Theology in India', and 'Ecumenism and inter-faith harmony in India' (selection only). For more information visit the organiser's website or contact Rev. J. R. Paul Singh, Deputy Director of the Ecumenical Christian Centre.

[December 2-3, 2009] Rome, ITALY: Edinburgh 1910-2010, Urbaniana University

Urbaniana University is one of six Roman Catholic institutes nominated by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity to work with the Edinburgh 2010 study process. Their conference on 2-3 December in Rome will be addressed by Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the PCPCU, and Cardinal Ivan Dias, Chancellor of the University. Presentations will be made by prominent Catholic missiologists, including Prof. Francis Anekwe Oborji. MSWord file of the programme here.

[December 5, 2009] Arbroath, SCOTLAND: A Day of Prayer with Father Gerard Hughes

Spend time with others praying towards/for June 2010's International Mission Conference in Edinburgh on the topic 'Witnessing to Christ today' ... and beyond! For more details, contact jadam (at) cofscotland.org.uk.

Events held in 2008

[January 23-25, 2008] SOUTH-AFRICA: Mission in Humility and Hope: Stories of Hope-giving communities in Southern-Africa

Southern African Missiological Society Annual Congress held at University of North West (Potchefstroom) in partnership with Towards Edinburgh 2010. For further information see: Conference programme [word].

[April 8-11, 2008] SINGAPORE: Asia Emerging Leaders Summit II: Defining Asia´s New Leadership Paradigm

This event brought together some 80-100 young leaders from all over Asia for 4 days of equipping, strategizing, praying, networking and reflecting on current and future leadership challenges for leadership in Asia. Prospectus [word]

[April 23-27, 2008] CZECH REPUBLIK: Living as a People of Hope

 A conference for European Christian Leaders organised by RELaY European Christian Network. Conference Brochure . Themes:  Making Sense of the times - equiping for harvest - preparing for the return of the Lord. Speakers: Peter Herback and P. Raniero Cantalamessa.

[May 31-June 7, 2008] GREECE: IV Congress of the World Conference of Associations of Theological Institutions (WOCATI)

The congress was held in Neapolis, Thessaloniki, and Volos (Greece) from 31 May to 7 June 2008 has resolved to hold a conference as part of the Edinburgh 2010 process, possibly in South Africa in 2010. For more details see WOCATI Press Release.

[August 16-23, 2008] HUNGARY: IAMS Human Identity and the Gospel of Reconciliation

International Association for Mission Studies (IAMS)  XIIth Quadrennial Conference: Human Identity and the Gospel of Reconciliation. Agenda for Mission Studies and Praxis in the 21st Century in Balatonfred, Hungary. For more information see www.missionstudies.org.

[September 29-October 3, 2008] TAIWAN: Asian Mission Conference

This Conference was organized by Formosa Christianity and Culture Research centre, Taiwan, in collaboration with Methodist Theological Seminary, Seoul, Korea and Christian Conference of Asia. The title was "Beyond Edinburgh 1910- Asian Reflections on Mission". Some of the papers presented in this consultation have been published in the recent issue of "Theologies and Cultures" [Vol.V, No. 2, December 2008, sub-title of the issue: Revisiting Mission from the Colonized Land].

Towards 2010 Events 2002-2007

The initial driving forces behind the Towards 2010 project were The Church of Scotland and the University of Edinburgh - under the leadership of Rev. Prof. Kenneth Ross. From 2002 a Scottish committee began hosting a series of events in Edinburgh relating to each of the Edinburgh 1910 commissions. The Towards 2010 website gives details of the eight events held 2002-2007.