Global Trends Analysis
Prominence of the Global South Church
The West no longer will be the territorial center of Christianity. The rapidly-growing Global South Church will increasingly critique Western approaches, develop its own theologies based on issues such as persecution, poverty and suffering, and in turn will reinvigorate the global Church towards a return to orthodoxy. Indigenous mission movements will use new and creative ways to build structures and raise funds from non-Western sources as the middle class grows within its largely Pentecostal churches. There will be some shifting from Western models in leadership development. More emphasis will be placed on practical, hands-on, and competency-based training and less emphasis on formal theological and graduate-level programs.
Implications for the Global Church: Local institutions, organizations, and initiatives need to be strengthened. Centers of excellence should be established which analyze and empower local, holistic models of leadership, management, discipleship and community engagement. Theological institutions should be encouraged to remain consistent with their cultural contexts to enable truly indigenous thinking and produce orthodox, original theologians. Funders have the opportunity to encourage the dissemination of Global South writings to bring out the richness of the whole Church. The spread of the “prosperity gospel” remains a serious concern.
Additional Resources:
The Legacy of Antioch: Partnering with the Church of the Global South. John Piper. DesiringGod.org, 2009.
on Mon April 26, 2010, 12:37 PM