Church of / for Tomorrow

A new way of being a missional church in eastern Europe.

 

Dr. Vladimir Ubeivolc,  Dr. Johannes Reimer

 

Futuring the Church

 

In recent years, Western churches have become more and more of the danger of being swept away by growing secularism. Churches have lost and are still losing members by the millions.[1]  With the perspectives of today, any of the Western churches will have no future. Some have even roposed the end of Christendom. Rethinking church has started. The term “futuring the church” is making its rounds.[2] Thom & Joani Schultz´s question “Why doesn’t anyone want to go to church anymore?”[3] seems to invoke a whole world of fresh ideas: “Emerging Churches”,[4] “Everyday church”,[5] “Essential Church”,[6] “Multi-Site churches”,[7] and many, many other fresh expressions are flooding the market. All the authors seem aware that the old ways of the church are not working. George Barna even proposes “The second Coming of the Church.”[8] On the other hand the authors seem to agree that if the Church in the West has any chance to recapture lost territory, this will have to be done by a church with a mission.[9] In other words, the renewal of the Church is directly related to her understanding of mission.

Changing the perspective from West of Europe to the East, we may soon discover similar questions. The Euphoria of the years after the breakdown of the Soviet Regime with all its missional excitement seems past. The growth of the church has slowed down. For instance, in Russia, protestant churches have even diminished in size due to massive immigration of their members to the West.[10] The question how might the church develop in the East of Europe is crucial not only for Western Europe. Our paper addresses the question. How do we future the Church in Eastern Europe?

 

Missio ecclesiae – targeting the world for a kingdom future

 

What is the mission of the Church of Christ and how does she do what she is commissioned to do? The correlation between church and mission is the most vital issue the Church has pondering throughout the centuries. Bishops, priests, pastors, theologians and church lay activists to tried to reconcile this complex correlation. Major paradigm shifts mark the process.[11]

In Eastern Europe (EE)[12] the most important question for Evangelical churches[13] during the Soviet times was – how to be a Christ-like church under a regime of persecution? Mission was less a subject of consideration.[14] This changed considerably after the collapse of the USSR. Other the last two decades, the majority of conferences in EE have been on the topic of mission. At the same time, reflections about the essence of the church were quieted almost completely.

In our paper we wish to raise awareness of and to discuss the integral importance of both mission and the church. There can be no church without mission as well as no mission without a church. Mission is what “makes the church to be a church”.[15] And we do so by placing God’s mission, the missio Dei first and reflecting the very being of the church as an expression of God’s trinitarian nature.[16] “The Trinity, understood as perichoresis,[17] helps us to understand “how we in a church indwell each other and dwell together in the flow of love, mutuality, intimacy, and submission.”[18] At the same time this flow of love is directed to God’s beloved world (John 3:16). It is the future of the that God, the creator, is concerned about. Reconciliation of the world with Him and the establishment of his kingdom on Earth is the aim of his mission (2Cor. 5:18-20). And God’s mission finds its focal point in Jesus Christ. He is both the foundation and the method of mission. The church is his project (Matt. 16:18), his body (Eph. 1:23), sent by him as the father has sent him (John 20:21). And the Lord of this mission is God’s Spirit (2Cor. 3:17).

Wherever the church reflects her mission, she will have to do so kingdom-centred and world-related with a mind of Christ and under the leadership of the Spirit of God. Her mission is embedded in God’s own mission targeting the world for a kingdom future. We call such a church missional. A missional church, as we understand her “… is a local congregation of believers in Triune God, who realize their mission through the Holy Spirit and who have covenantal relations between themselves. Missional community based on missio Dei and its mission is holistic. Holistic means being involved in those spheres: 1) prophetic presence; 2) witness and/or evangelism; 3) social responsibility, realized in social actions and social ministry.”[19] Those aspects, of course, include many different practical possibilities. A missional church is formed by the Spirit of God at work in the ordinary people of God in a local context.[20]

How does a traditional church in EE become missional and, therefore, effective in society and culture even in days to come. How do we future the church?

 

Ecclesia semper reformanda

 

Futuring the church means to name issues and themes the church has to get involved with if she expects to be relevant for the world tomorrow. The church is an eschatological realm[21] – states E. Voegelin. But the eschaton she belongs to is already present even if not fulfilled. The church is, according to Lesslie Newbigin “sign, instrument and foretaste of the kingdom of God.”[22] She is and yet she is becoming. Christ is present in her midst and yet she expects his second coming. Her nature can, therefore, never be grasped in historically set categories. She is always an ecclesia semper reformanda est, a church in continuous need of reformation as Karl Barth rightly pointed to.[23]

Eastern European Evangelicals often overlook the eschatological nature of the church. Their ecclesiology builds on a traditional reading of Scripture, emphasising a strongly defined view on what church is.[24] The different images of the church in the New Testament are simplistically harmonized in what is believed to be the true and only image. A careful reading of the New Testament texts reveals a plethora of images and prohibits a simplistic New Testament based ecclesiology.[25] Our denominational variations in ecclesiological understandings all come about because we prefer certain texts over and against others.[26] Ecclesiologies build on such presumptions are usually tradition sensitive and tend to neglect future as a defining category, or see future as a far removed eschatological event without clear contours. Future is expected to come and future determines confessional narratives and the appeal for the right living, ethics and morals, but does not shape present reality. Confessed theology and mission practice do in such a construct seldom work together. EE-churches are (a) notoriously neglecting the involvement with their respected societies and instead preoccupy themselves with confessional issues, (b) strongly interested in theological systems of understanding and (c) naively copy issues raised in other predominantly Western parts of the world.

At the same time the society in EE begins to go through cataclysms, which may change them in near future considerably and with them the church in place. Just consider the situation in Ukraine today. Does the church provide answers to the cry of a troubled population of what the future holds for them? Rarely.

So, what is church of / for tomorrow? How do we future the church in EE? We suggest to start with redefining, re-thinking the local church by applying not only a traditionally historical perspective, but also by recognizing her role in serving contemporary society with a clear focus on the future. The church cannot stay away from active life by justifying its absence through tradition and silent theology and remain an important player in societal processes. In the same time, to echo the world’s methods of combating problems is also not a way of doing Church’s mission.

We need to correlate church and her mission to future and this might lead us to think about the church from two perspectives.

 

3.1. A sign and foretaste of the kingdom – church of tomorrow

 

We need to think the church as a church of tomorrow. Such a church is as Lesslie Newbigin puts it “a sign and a foretaste of God’s kingdom”. She is “shaping the things to come”[27]. Her theology and consequently mission is done from a perspective of tomorrow. And as such she is a prophet to the society she exists in. For this reason the Spirit of God furnishes her with spiritual gifts (as knowledge, wisdom, prophecy, etc.), and natural abilities (such as analytical and synthetic thinking) so she is enabled to understand and shape her identity and mission in contemporary life from the perspective of tomorrow, becoming truly missional. And a “Missional church is, on a deep level, about theological imagination – a different way to see and experience life in the church and the world.”[28] A theological imagination is that which derives her images and language, her motivation and her forms from the kingdom of God, a kingdom of peace, a kingdom of shalom.

In a church of tomorrow life is shaped by God’s kingdom of shalom. Shalom is not only the final goal for God’s mission[29], but also an intermediate goal for every Church’s activity. Shalom should come because of the Church’s mission and during the process of Church’s mission (John 14:27). In essence, Shalom becomes a goal and a method.[30]

God’s kingdom is about the totality of life. His peace covers all life on Earth, and so will the mission of the church. The church in mission of the kingdom is by definition holistic! Her prophetic vision covers all strata of human culture and society. And so she is and will be a continuous blessing for the nations, fulfilling her mission to disciple them (Mt. 28:19-20).

 

3.2. An instrument of the kingdom – church for tomorrow

 

The nature of the church as described above is always pro-active. Newbigin rightly calls her an “instrument of the kingdom”. She is not only a church of, but also for tomorrow. And as such she is an acting community, serving the whole humanity. Deriving her shape from the future to come she will attract the coming generation, young people actively to enrol in communal conversation and consequently become an active agent of formation of theology and transformation of praxis in both: the church and the society she serves.

Jesus consequently emphasized the role of young people. At the height of his ministry he takes a child and puts it in the midst of his disciples and says: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matt. 18:3-5). Inviting Youth to take her part of ownership in contextualized mission of the church opens new chances for the whole church and her mission. “A Community theology invites listening and becomes open to being surprised by God’s purposes rather than our good intensions,” states Alan Roxburgh.[31] Futuring the church means re-orienting her towards the next generation. All generations (actual and yet to come) are object and subject of mission. But the direction in which the church develops can only be defined by those who own the future.

This does not mean that people of older generations are neglected. It only means that they do not dominate anymore. Church for tomorrow creates an environment for peaceful cooperation of all generations without breaking their values, preferences and methods by putting the kingdom of God first. All generations are equal in theological dialogue and mission.  Therefore, the Church for tomorrow unites all generations to reflect and shape theology as well as actively be involved in mission.

 

Missional community in Eastern Europe

 

Eastern European Evangelical churches are known by their active evangelism, church planting and interest in theological education. Most of this is done traditionally. Concepts of holistic mission and the missional church are just subjects for round tables, articles and discussions in narrow circles.[32] Even more, as it stands currently, the concept of a missional church faces a number of challenges and resistance from denominational leaders, as well as from local pastors and lecturers of theology.[33]  If missional church points to the future of the church in EE, it seems important to rethink obstacles and perspectives for missional communities in Eastern Europe.

 

4.1. Obstacles for missional churches in EE

 

There are a few barriers, which should be mention here.

 

Quietist influence as theological background[34]

 

It is very hard to overestimate the role of German Mennonites and Pietists in spreading the Gospel in southern Ukraine, Russia and Moldova. Mennonites entered the Russian Empire in search of peace and freedom for their communities, leaving behind hostility in Prussia. And the Russian Government offered them an inclusive colonial self-governed life, freeing them from literally most public responsibilities under one and only condition – they were strictly prohibited to proselytize Christians of other denominations.[35] Under such circumstances due to the highly witness oriented theology, in which words play secondary role and the life style is the most important tool in sharing Gospel, Mennonite communities soon developed to what historians call “the quiet in the land”[36]. Quietism always seeks to underline personal piety by at the same time avoiding as much as possible contacts to society. Similarly, the German Pietists arrived in Russia in search for better life, believing in an immediate return of Christ.[37] They also did not emphasise mission, but rather personal piety and strong preparation for Christ return. The Russian Government assigned fruitful land in the South of the country to the colonists and soon they developed into a flourishing agriculture better than any other model in Russia.[38]

German peasants and artisans, whose life was attractive for Russian, Ukrainians and Moldavians, established first non-Orthodox communities in a number of parts of the Russian Empire, in some instances even encouraged by the Central government. From the very beginning Eastern Europeans were evangelized through the Gospel shown to them by a non-conformist church and than discussed in small house fellowships.[39] The converted were even called stundists and they followed consequently their German disciplers. One hundred years passed since, but until today living an alternative, non-compromising life in society is passed down from generation to generation.[40] This has in times of tension between church and state lead to a state of being “quiet in the land” in terms of social involvement in society, prophetic presence and evangelism. Today quietist tendencies in EE theology appears as one obstacle towards an effective missional future.

 

Soviet past

 

Evangelical Christian churches in EE were born in a generally hostile state and they are deeply influenced by the 70 years of living in an aggressively anti-Christian environment of the Soviet Union, suffering from persecutions and restrictions.[41] The only way of acting as a church was gatherings in religious buildings or hiding in the underground. During the Tsarist and Soviet times, Evangelical Christians were deprived of being involved in active societal life. Such activities as evangelism and public worship were prohibited. Churches could not raise their prophetic voices, nor engage in transformation of community. Any kind of social actions, even diaconic assistance to their own members, were strictly forbidden. But the church amazingly developed ways to share the gospel by sharing life. Mission as witness inherently enwoven into their DNA by the Mennonite and Pietist Quietism provided an enormous strength to overcome the times of trouble and even grow in numbers.[42] But the strength in times of persecution turns around today an obstacle for growth. Churches are free today to engage in society, but instead many of them stay mentally in a mode of yesterday.

 

Context of discouragement

 

Geopolitical situations of such countries as Moldova and Ukraine during the centuries were due to the battles of greater empires and unions: Russian, Ottoman, Austrian-Hungarian, Polish-Lithuanian and Soviet Union. Today the US, EU and Russia again compete on the back of the countries mentioned. For generations people in EE countries have depended on other nations for their decisions, because their freedom is limited. Frustration and passive attitude to any kind of initiatives has become tradition. Discouragement dominates life. Even revolutions did not bring to those countries freedom. Communism added another point to this region, which is noted by Susan and Ronald Shapiro: “Communism never found a way to motivate people to work hard. It appears that people are lazy and inert by default…”[43]

People in churches have the same mentality as the rest of society. Innovation as category of life is rather rare. This has effects on mission. Has a certain approach to mission been used for years, then the same type will be expected to be in use in the future. The main question in most of churches – who will take responsibility if things go wrong? It does not mean that people are passive and do not have initiatives at all. It means that people are very active when problems touch their family, but when they are involved in bigger processes, they believe that somebody from outside should come and resolve their problems. A missional church, however, can never be done from the outside of the context.

 

Western influence

 

When Soviet Union collapsed, Evangelical churches were not in vacuum. Immediately Western mission agencies and denominations came to EE. Most of them suggested their services; came with their vision, theology and financial support. The majority of EE Evangelicals were open and naive in relations with their Western brothers[44]. They gladly accepted any kind of theological education, or church building given to them, or conference the Westerners invited them to. The Western organizations did not coordinate their activities among themselves, and soon they started to compete for the best native workers, the fastest growing church, etc. The situation continued for more than ten years. In the beginning of the 21st century, the situation changed, because local leaders realized the differences among Western agencies, and started to make their own choices. And financial support became the regulating factor. Where people face real poverty, and any project turns into an agony of raising funds, it is very hard to be objective in evaluation of real motives: money from the West dictated vision or vision attracted money. In any way Western support turned mission into business operation. True missional orientation became a problem.

How does the church in EE overcome the obstacles in place to become missional? Let us look at possible perspectives.

 

4.2. Perspectives for missional churches in EE

 

There is a hope for missional communities in Eastern Europe, and this hope has some solid foundation. Let us consider some perspectives.

 

Solid missional history

 

The evangelical movement in EE looks back to an amazing time between 1917-1929, which historians call the Golden Years of the Eastern European Protestantism, in which the church experienced an unprecedented numerical and spiritual growth. Stories as for the Russian Tent-Mission, or the mission in Sibiria and Central Asia[45] stand on its own. Her leaders such as Ivan Prochanov and Ivan Voronaev developed an integral and missional understanding of mission and mission praxis. The founded community centred projects, influenced politics and economy and finally became a challenge to the communist regime. Few Evangelicals know the story. Recovering this missionary memory is crucial in shaping an independent EE missional identity.[46]

 

Emerging local theology of mission

 

There is a growing number of leaders EE churches who are not satisfied with the present situation, and who understand the need in change and who are active in different areas of society and church. Not all of them have a profound theological foundation, but they are open.[47] They are eager for a theology which includes both doing and being and a missional praxis transforming society. The first attempts of Eastern Europeans to reflect mission and church independently and formulate local theologies of mission encourage.[48]

 

Networking

 

Contacts with international missional communities or theologians of mission can help to shape local / regional EE theology of mission. Today Eastern Europe has become a region with the most open doors from societies or governments. Ukrainian, Moldavian, Romanian laws give incomparable freedom for any kind of churches, including Evangelical communities. Missional leaders should look with great attention to this region of the world, where there is a high potential of leaders and in the same time – visible need, which could be covered by missional churches.

 

Missional praxis developing

 

There are some exciting indigenous missional projects in place worthwhile to be reflected. Our example comes from Moldova. Of course, the given example is not perfect, it is far away from the ideal and it is still in the process of formation. At the same time, it shows that changes in missiology can bring changes in mission practices and lead towards changes in local congregations.

Light to the World church (LttW) was planted in 1994 by Evangelical-Baptists after an evangelistic crusade, organized by Billy Graham association.[49] In the 90’s church was active in evangelism and discipleship. Beginning with 2003 the church’s mission began to change its focus and methods. Mission became more contextualized, flexible and open to accept a holistic and missional vision. In 2012 the church accepted a holistic approach in mission, and together with the Christian NGO “Beginning of Life” adapted a ‘Church of / for tomorrow’ model. There are six[50] different clusters in church. Each of them leads services in their own style and form. Every weekend there are around 400 people, attending church services, divided in different clusters.

The Christian NGO Beginning of Life (BoL) was founded in 2000 alongside LttW church as a non-governmental organization with a goal to fulfil God’s mission in areas where because of different reasons doors were closed for the Evangelical church itself. Since 2012 the leadership of church leads the BoL. BoL runs two programs:

  • Educational holistic program for teenagers and students, aiming to prepare them for independent life. The program teaches youth life skills, critical thinking, professional orientation and character development from a Christian perspective. There are around 250 students between 13 and 19 years old.
  • Metamorphosis – the program serves people who suffer from social injustice. This program consists of: (a) An Early Learning centre for Moms and kids; (b) A humanitarian aid centre; (c) A rehabilitation centre for victims of human trafficking and social exploitation; (d) A prevention centre Dream House for social orphans; (e) A Psychological Art studio.

BoL also runs a few small businesses with a goal to provide jobs for the most vulnerable women.

The growth of the LttW is remarkable. What determines her growth and acceptance in society? Leaders of the Church attribute the success to the following seven characteristics.[51]

  1. Equality – different levels of involvement into life of the whole local community / society as well as in the life of certain individuals.
  2. Consistency – when people or churches face different problems, they see only the upper part of the iceberg, but missional community takes responsibility for identifying the deeper roots of a problem and finds ways to resolve it.
  3. Flexibility – ability to change programs accordingly with the changed situation. Readiness to leave the comfort zone.
  4. Leadership adequacy – leaders are selected and trained according to their gifts and readiness, which leads to lack of autocracy. Different leaders are responsible for different decisions in their areas.
  5. Freedom in choosing forms for every project and cluster.
  6. Readiness to serve people outside the church, as well as inside. Ability to see children and youth as equal parts of church and assisting them in opening their potential.

Church of / for tomorrow, as developed in Moldova is an example of so-called net-churches, where different clusters work together not because of strong hierarchy or well-developed structures. Vision and relations unite them. R. McNeal using an example from Mike Breen’s missional community in England, underlines that “… people began to prefer larger gatherings for mission even more than their small-group experiences and started to hang out more in the clusters. Identity began forming around these mid-size groups, described by Breen as a sort of extended family. The communities began reproducing.”[52]

There are a few risks, which leaders should have in mind: every cluster can easy become an independent church; or competition between clusters can start; or different theologies can destroy unity, etc. At the same time, there are a few benefits, which are unlikely to get in other church models in EE: acceptance of people from different sub-cultures and language groups; involvement in ministry by a serious number of church members; transformation in society, as well as changes in lives of individuals; on-going process of church development, etc.

It is very early to say that this model of church and mission is the best. However, it is clear today that it has theological foundation, actual relevance and future.

 

Conclusion

 

This article presented a possible way to be a church and to do mission from the perspective of the Church of / for tomorrow model, in which Scriptures, Church history, actual experience, and an eschatological underpinning invite church prophets and analysts to forecast the church’s future in relations on changes in society and to shape a new form of church theology and practice, taking into consideration obtained results. Church mission should be holistic, and holistic does not mean just a combination of evangelism and social actions. Holistic church listens very carefully to the growing generations, maintaining balance in style of leadership. Holistic means not only a combination of projects; it means a combination of generations and of gifts. Missional church applies holistic mission in practice, providing at the same time a profound theological and missiological foundation for being and acting.

 

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  49. Ubeivolc, V. Mission of Evangelical churches in Moldova. End of the twentieth to the first decade of the twenty-first century. In Malancea M. and Ubeivolc V. (edr.) Evangelical mission in the Eastern European Orthodox contexts: Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine (Chisinau: Universitatea Divitia Gratiae, 2013), 130-137.
  50. Ubeivolc, V. Rethinking missio Dei among Evangelical churches in an Eastern European Orthodox context (Thesis is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wales, 2011).
  51. Van Gelder, C., Zscheile, D. The Missional church in Perspective. Mapping trends and shaping the conversation (MI: Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2011).
  52. Voegelin, E. Representation and truth. In The collective works of Eric Voegelin, v.5 (University of Missouri, 1952).
  53. Volf, M. After Our Likeness. The Church in the Image of the Trinity. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1998.

______________

[1] See statistics in Johannes Reimer, Die Welt umarmen. Theologie des gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebaus. Transformationsstudien Vol. 1. 2. Edition. Marburg: Francke Verlag 2013, pp. 16-17.

[2] Reimer, Die Welt umarmen, 18ff.

[3] Thom & Joani Schultz, Why nobody wants to go to the church anymore. And how 4 facts of love will make your church irresistable.  Loveland, Co: Group 2013, Titel.

[4] Eddie Gibbs, Ryan Bolger, Emerging Churches. Grand Rapids: Baker Academics 2005.

[5] Tim Chester & Steve Timmis. Everyday Church. Notingham: IVP 2011.

[6] Thom S. Rainer and Sam S. Rainer III. Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts. Nashivlle, TN: B&H Group 2008.

[7] Scott McConnell. Multi-Site  Churches. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing 2009.

[8] George Barna, The second coming of the church. Nashville, TN: Word 1998.

[9] See for instance Michael Herbst, Kirche mit Mission. Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neikirchener Verlag 2013, pp. 18ff.

[10] See the latest developments in: Johannes Reimer, Evangelische Freikirchen im postsowjetischen Raum. In: Jahrbuch des Gustav-Adolf-Werks. 84. Jahrgang, p.92f.

[11] See in this regard David J. Bosch’s great book on Transfoming Mission. Paradigm Shifts in Theory of Mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis 1991.

[12] When we talk about Eastern Europe, first, we have in mind the contemporary geo-political division. Such countries as Ukraine, Moldova, and Belorussia are under radar of our research. In the same time Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia have a lot in common with the first group. Probably, some conclusions could touch Russia. There are two factors, which give them many similarities: former past in communistic-socialistic block and Orthodoxy, which plays very important role in their history, mentality and modernity.

[13] ‘Evangelical’ churches´ in this paper reflect what has been called “East-Slavic Protestantism” including such churches as Evangelical-Christian-Baptist, Mennonite, Pentecostal and similar. See definition in: Johannes Reimer, Evangelische Freikirchen im postsowjetischen Raum. In: Jahrbuch des Gustav-Adolf-Werks. 84. Jahrgang, p.92f.

[14] In his doctoral dissertation entitled Mission als Zeugnis. Lage: Logos Verlag 2002, Heinrich Klassen caryfully examines scores of articles written on church and mission during the Soviet period, concluding that mission was no subject for most of the Evangelicals. Mission was live as witness. See also: Heinrich Klassen, Zeugnishafter Lebenstil als missionarisches Mittel. In: Mission im Zeichen des Friedenes. Beiträge zur Geschichte täuferisch-mennonitischer Mission, ed. by Heinrich Klassen and Johannes Reimer. Edition AFEM Academics Vol. 14. Nürnberg: VTR 2003, pp. 239-268.

[15] Emil Brunner, Dogmatik III. 2nd Edition. Zürich: Zwingli Verlag 1964, p.17.

[16] See for more: Johannes Reimer. Die Welt umarmen. Theologie gesellschaftsrelevanten Gemeindebaus. Gesellschaftstransformations-studien Vol. 1, 2nd Edition. Marburg: Francke Verlag 2013, pp.29ff.

[17] See in this regard Miroslav Volf, After Our Likeness. The Church in the Image of the Trinity. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1998, pp.204-205; Johannes Reimer, Die Welt umarmen, pp.152-159.

[18] M. Branson, ‘Ecclesiology and Leadership for the Missional church’ in C. Van Gelder (ed.) The Missional church in context: Helping Congragations develop contextual ministry (MI: Grand Rapids, Eerdmans Publishing Company / U.K. Cambridge, 2007), p.125.

[19] V. Ubeivolc, ‘Mission of Evangelical churches in Moldova. End of the twentieth to the first decade of the twenty-first century’ in Malancea M. and Ubeivolc V. (edr.) Evangelical mission in the Eastern European Orthodox contexts: Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine (Chisinau: Universitatea Divitia Gratiae, 2013), p.130-137.

[20] Introducing the Missional church, p.122.

[21] E. Voegelin, ‘Representation and truth’ in The collective works of Eric Voegelin, v.5 (University of Missouri, 1952), p.176.

[22] Lesslie Newbigin, Sign of the Kingdom. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1980, p.4,17.

[23] Theodor Mahlmann: “Ecclesia semper reformanda”. Eine historische Aufarbeitung. Neue Bearbeitung, in: Torbjörn Johansson, Robert Kolb, Johann Anselm Steiger (Hrsg.): Hermeneutica Sacra. Studien zur Auslegung der Heiligen Schrift im 16. und 17. Jahrhundert, Berlin – New York, 2010, p.382-441, here p.384-388.

[24] You can find more at V. Ubeivolc, ‘Mission of Evangelical churches in Moldova, p.130-137.

[25] Eduard Schweizer in his still valid monography on the Church in the NT rightly claimed that the is no unified structure and order of a church in the NT (Eduard Schweizer. Gemeinde und Gemeindeordnung im Neuen Testament. Zürich: Zwingli Verlag 1959, p.7).

[26] See in this regard a well written overview of historic and current ecclesiologies in place in Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Introduction to Ecclesiology. Ecumenical, Historical & Global Perspectives. Downers Grove, Il: IVP 2002. See the analysis of the missiological validity of the differnt ecclesiological understandings in: Reimer, Die Welt umarmen, pp.108-147.

[27] Michael Frost & Alan Hirsh. Shaping of things to come. Innovation and mission in the 21st century church, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson 2003:Titel.

[28] C. Van Gelder, D. Zscheile, The Missional church in Perspective. Mapping trends and shaping the conversation (MI: Grand Rapids, Baker Academic, 2011), p.147.

[29] J. Moltmann, The Trinity and the Kingdom: the Doctrine of God (San Francisco, CA: Harper & Row, 1981), p.212.

[30] M. Frost, The road to Missional: Journey to the Center of the church (MI: Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 2011), p.104.

[31] A. Roxburgh, S. Boren, Introducing the Missional church: what it is, why it matters, how to become one (Baker books, 2009), p.92-93.

[32] Look at Grams, R., and Parushev, P. (eds.), Mapping Baptistic Identity: towards an understanding of European Baptist identity, Listening to the churches in Armenia, Bulgaria, Central Asia, Moldova, North Caucasus, Omsk and Poland (Prague: IBTS, 2006).

[33] Look on the materials of “Forum 20: Twenty years of religious freedom and active mission in post-Soviet society” (Kyev, Duh I Litera, 2011). Especially the following articles: Alesi Dubrovski “Theological fundamentalism as breaking factor in developing of Evangelical churches in post-Soviet period” [Bogoslovskiy fundamentalizm kak tormozyaschiy faktor v razvitii evangelskih tserkvey postsovetskogo perioda], Anatolii Denisenco “Who is still scared by postmodernism?” [Kto vse esche napugan postmodernizmom], Konstantin Teteriatnikov, Church yesterday and today: why Evangelical churches remain marginalized in society?” [Церковь вчера и сегодня: почему евангельские церкви остаются маргинальными в обществе?], Konstantin Goncharov “Her Majesty Tradition” [ee velichestvo traditsiya], and a few others.

[34] For detailed analyses look V. Ubeivolc, Rethinking missio Dei among Evangelical churches in an Eastern European Orthodox context (Thesis is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of Wales, 2011), p.16-17; 118-125.

[35] It seems important to stress the fact that this did not mean, they were prohibited to missionize the non-Christians. The opposite is true – see in this regard Hans Kasdorf, 1991. Flammen unauslöschlich. Mission der Mennoniten unter Zaren und Sowjets 1789-1989. Lage: Logos.

[36] W. Shenk, ‘Forging Theology of mission from an Anabaptist perspective’, in Mission Insight 13 (2000).

[37] German Pietists around Bengel and expected Jesus to return in 1836 some place in the Kaukasus.

[38] The master mind behind the Mennonite Commonwealth in Russia was Johann Cornies, geniously gifted man, highly recognized by the Tsar. See in this regard: Johannes Reimer Johann Cornies. Der Sozialreformer aus den Steppen Südrusslands. Nürnberg: VTR Publications 2014.

[39] This side of the story is well researched. See for instance: W. Kahle. Evangelische Christen in Russland und der Sovietunion. Kassel: Oncken Verlag 1972; Dietrich, John Toevs, Tsars; Heinrich, Löwen. In Vergessenheit geratene Beziehungen. Frühe Begegnungen der Mennoniten-Brüdergemeinde mit dem Baptismus. Ein Überblick. Bielefeld: Logos 1989.

[40] Heinrich Löwen, Russische Freikirchen: die Geschichte der Evangeliumschristen und Baptisten bis 1944. Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft, 1995.

 

[41] Ubeivolc, Rethinking missio Dei among Evangelical churches, p.24-38; Johannes Reimer, Persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union. In: Sorrow & Blood. Christian Mission in Context of Suffering, Persecution and Martyrdom, ed. by William D. Taylor, Antonia van der Meer and Reg Reimer. Pasadena: WCL 2012, pp.205-212.

[42] See in this regard: Heinrich Klassen, Mission als Zeugnis.

[43] The Curtain Rises: Oral Histories of the Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe (North Carolina: Jefferson, McFarland & Company Inc. Publishers, 2004), p.204.

[44] W. Sawatsky gives an excellent description what happened in the 90-s in his article ‘Return of mission and evangelization in the CIS (1980s – present) in Sawatsky W. and Penner P. (eds.) Mission in the former Soviet union (Neufeld, 2005), p.94-119; Johannes Reimer, Mission in Post-Perestroika Russia. In: Missionalia 1/24, 1996, pp.18-39.

[45] See for more: Hans Kasdorf, Flammen unauslöschlich. Mission der Mennoniten unter Zaren und Sowjets 1789 – 1989 (Beiträge zur europäischen Kirchengeschichte, Band 2), 1991. Johannes Reimer, Evangelisation im Angesicht des Todes. Die Geschichte der russischen Zeltmission. Lage: Logos 2001; Johannes Reimer, Seine letzten Worte waren ein Lied: Martin Thielmann Leben und Wirken des Kirgisen Missionars. Lage: Logos 1997; Johannes Reimer, Bis an das Ende Sibiriens. Aus dem Leben und Wirken des Ostjaken-Missionars Johann Peters. Logos: Lage 1998.

[46] See in this regard: Johannes Reimer, Recovering the Missionary Memory. Russian Evangelicals in Search of an Appropriate Missiology. In European Journal Theology 22.2 (2013), pp.137-148;

[47] Beginning of Life, being a medium size organization according to the Moldavian standards, gathers around 50 leaders for shaping missional churches without financial support.

[48] See for example: Peter Penner, ed. Mission in the Former Union, Schwarzenfeld: Neufeld Verlag 2005; by S. Rahuba, M. Cherenkov and K.  Teteriatnikov, eds. Forum 20, twenty years of religious freedom and active mission: Results, problems, perspectives of Evangelical churches in post-Soviet society. Kiev: Association for spiritual renewal, 2011; New horizons of mission, in: Euro-Asian theological journal. Odessa: EEAA 2012; M. Malancea and V. Ubeivolc, eds. Evangelical mission in the Eastern European Orthodox contexts: Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine. Chisinau: Universitatea Divitia Gratiae 2013; P. Penner, V. Ubeivolc, eds. Novye Gorizonty missii. Tsherkassy: 2015.

[49] N. Teplitskaia, Church Serves to the People: history of the „Light to the World church in the city of Kishinev“ [Tserkov sluzhit lyudyam: istoriya tserkvi “svet miru” goroda Kishineva] (Kishinev: Light to the World church, 2015), p.9.

[50] The data is provided for September 2016.

[51] V. Ubeivolc, Interviews with the leadership of LttW and BoL. Unpublished paper. Kishinev: Archives of LttW 2015.

[52] R. MCNeal, Missional Communities: The rise of the Post-Congregational Church. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2011, p.40.

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