From June 3 to 11, 2010, over 300 delegates will gather in Halifax, N.S. for the Anglican Church of Canada’s national meeting, General Synod, held once every three years. This web forum is a place to discuss the major topics that will arise at General Synod—from governance to sexuality. You are invited to join the conversation.
Get ready. The Marks of Mission are going to become a major force in shaping the future of the Anglican Church of Canada. At General Synod, members will learn how the church’s plan for the next ten years, Vision 2019, is shaped by a Marks of Mission framework.
So what are the Marks of Mission all about? In 1984 the Anglican Consultative Council identified four distinctive actions which it named Marks of Mission, with a fifth mark being added in 1990. The marks are straightforward and easy to comprehend. They are
- To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God
- To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
- To respond to human need by loving service
- To seek to transform the unjust structures of society
- To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth
The first mark is often identified with evangelism, i.e. intentionally telling people about the God of love, God’s son Jesus, and the promises of redemption, salvation and eternal life. The second mark is the ongoing initiation of new members into the church, thus ensuring its continuation. The third mark is the work of compassionate service to those in distress and need. The fourth mark is the often-confrontational work of transforming social systems that perpetuate oppression, exclusion, and systemic racism. The fifth mark is the work of caring for the earth that God has created and upon which we depend for our continued survival.
The Marks of Mission have been promoted throughout the Anglican Communion since 1984. They are seen as a useful resource to help local missioners define their particular calling and focus their tasks.
In 2007, the Anglican Church of Canada proposed a sixth Mark of Mission, one relating to peace, conflict transformation, and reconciliation. This proposal was based on the realization that given the extent and severity of conflict in many parts of the world, Christians need to turn their attention to the work of peace and reconciliation. The recommendation for the sixth Mark of Mission was accepted by the Anglican Consultative Council at its meeting in 2009, though the exact wording has yet to be proposed.
It is worth noting that all but the second mark are actions undertaken mainly in the world beyond the confines of the church community. God’s mission is to the whole of creation. As agents of God’s mission, we too need to focus outward and be active in the world. This does not deny the importance of the church, because as active missioners, we need the nurture and support of a strong community of believers. But mission is first and foremost about being sent out into the world to act as God’s agents, to be “leaven and salt.”
Canadian Anglicans, faced with declining membership in most dioceses, may feel they lack the energy for the work of mission. However, it is important to remember that without mission, the church will decline further. As the Swiss theologian Emil Brunner said, “A church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.” And, as Bishop Simon Chiwanga added, “When the burning ceases, there is no fire, if mission ceases, there is no church.”
What’s the burning fire of mission in your church, locally or nationally?
