Partnership in Mission

Partnership in mission is a laudable concept in the §furtherance of God's mission. It has a §distinguished history despite the difficulties §experienced in making it a functioning reality. It §had the potential to enable sending and receiving §churches to experience fellowship, humility and §dignity in relationships. However, the issue of §power in the 'older' sending churches has been an §intrusive factor in preventing the theory from §becoming a reality. In the case of the Church of §Scotland, increasing problems presented the §opportunity for partner relationships to become §authentically interdependent. Unfortunately, §vulnerability on the part of the Church of Scotland §World Mission Councilnhas led to a return to the §colonial/dominator approach to partnership. §Opportunities for repentance, self sacrifice and the §growth of fellowship have been spurned to the §eventual coist of the church of Scotland. The §analysis should help to understand the current §challenges in world mission, and should be §especially helpful to scholars and students of the §history of mission and thoses interested in §understanding the contemporary church situation.