Press Releases
CMS Director outlines new policy at Armagh Conference
Newly appointed Director of Mission for CMS Ireland, Mr Ian Smith, today outlined the future policy for the organisation in a keynote address to the Mbrace Conference at Armagh City Hotel. His address focused on the need to engage every member of the Church of Ireland in a sense of mission. Mission is not something out there that we support, it is something that every Christian is to do.
TEXT OF ADDRESS
As we begin this conference, I am blessed to be able to share with you something of what we believe God is saying to us as CMS Ireland. We are experiencing part of a process that God has been leading. We testify to the fact that we are not just pursuing good ideas but that these have been borne out by prayer and checking with Scripture. We believe that God is calling for us to witness and engage in Mission in new or revitalised ways. We want to be faithful to all that God has called us to.
This is an exciting moment. We anticipate that God is calling us all in CMS Ireland. But more than that, this is a call for all who recognise that our faith is dynamic: that we were saved by Jesus at Calvary and that He calls us by name – individually – to be His people together as the Body of Christ on earth. It involves a life of obedience to the One who was obedient – even to death on the Cross.
At MPOWER we consulted and we listened to you and to God.
Our Report reflected this. We heard what you said in the light of that consultation.
Our Strategy Document was agreed by the members of CMS Ireland as well as our global partners in the Gospel. You committed yourselves to this.
Today we have reshaped the Society so that we can go forward in obedience to the call of God. We need you to affirm this as we are all commissioned tonight.
Let’s think about this Mission for a moment. Firstly let us recognise that this is something to which we are all called. John Wimber famously said that the Christian army was characterised by draft dodgers. Is that why we find the Church under resourced? Another reason might be that people are hearing a message that doesn’t engage them. Why is that and what do they hear?
If Christian discipleship is doing the things of Jesus why do people so often ridicule church as boring or irrelevant? Are we missing something?
For many in the church today mission is something to support. It’s something that others do on their behalf. They give money – maybe pray as well – to ensure that they are helping a cause. But friends, the Gospel of Jesus is more than a cause…it’s our reason to exist!
Have you ever wondered why, having defeated the powers of death at that first Easter, Jesus didn’t bring in the second coming straight away? Why bother with all that Ascension and Pentecost stuff? Why the Church too? It would have been easier if we could have had matters rolled up all those years ago.
The clues are in what Jesus said just before His ascension, just before He sent His Holy Spirit. He called His disciples to go into all the world with the good news. But why? They were to baptise and teach people to do all that He had commanded them. Summaries of Jesus’ mission are scarce but a good one is in Matthew 9 v35. The disciples were to teach, preach and heal.
Well that was OK for the disciples…but what is a disciple? It’s someone who is a follower of a Master. A Christian (Christ-one) is called to be obedient to the call of Jesus. That is in teaching, preaching and healing. We sometimes refer to it as holistic mission. Mission by word and deed.
For many in the church, and that will include YOUR church, being a Christian means assurance of salvation. Hallelujah – our sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus. But what else are we called to? Sit regularly in church? Go to study groups to learn more about he Bible? No it’s MUCH MORE than that.
We are all called to live the Gospel – its values and its commands – and there can be no draft dodgers. That means that I am no longer my own. I have been bought by the blood of the lamb. Not just saved!
CMS was born out of the Clapham Sect (who also included a good number from Yorkshire – including William Wilberforce). They were evangelical Anglicans, passionate about living a life that was committed to God. But they were also foundational in the campaign to abolish the slave trade – something that they succeeded in 200 years ago. A Slave was a chattel. Owned. Did whatever the Master required. But this was forced. It was inhuman.
In contrast, by dying on the Cross, Jesus has given us the option of living for Him. His life through us. By allowing His Spirit to indwell us we will find that our values are different from those around us. That becomes scary. We are like aliens, immigrants, living as pilgrims in a strange land. I Peter refers to us as ‘resident aliens’. That’s what we are. Everything will be changeable around us – except our Rock in Jesus.
When I hear of Christians supporting mission I wonder why they haven’t got it. They listen to lies that tell us that we have a Christian life and a secular life. That we should give up to 10% to support the Church. Friends – I believe that the time has come to rattle some cages.
I am English – you might call yourself British, Irish, Kenyan, Zambian, Nepali, Egyptian, Rwandan, Burundian or Ugandan. But that is insignificant when compared to the fact that we are Christ-ones. I belong to Jesus. I follow Jesus. I do what Jesus says. I go where Jesus calls. Or I try to. All of me should be His. All of you should be His.
In CMS Ireland we are looking to work with churches and individuals across the land who will engage with the call to mission. There are many who want to fund raise, but is that what Jesus calls us to? Funding needs to come from commitment to Jesus.
Don’t mishear me. CMS Ireland needs vast amounts of revenue if we are to do what is our calling from God. But wouldn’t it be better if that came from God’s people connecting directly with God’s work? We give whatever is needed because we are part of the vast movement we see as the Body of Christ on earth. Of course this is not just funding – it is intercessory prayer and it is practical involvement. What kind of Christian holds back their involvement when pretending that they are fully involved. Think of Ananaias and Sapphira in Acts 5.
In CMS Ireland we see that it is imperative to share this way of being Christian. For many it will mean allowing God to disturb their comfort zone. We are offering many opportunities for people – young and old – to cross cultural boundaries. They may be going to work in an uncomfortable place (and it might be in Ireland) for a long term, a short term, or as a volunteer. They may want to go as part of our teams. Some younger Christians particularly find that such teams are the starting point for a whole new wave of Christian discipleship.
We have realigned our work in response to the MPOWER process. We have appointed five RMPs to work across the world. They connect mission situations both near to home and far afield. We are investing in discipleship within Ireland both by the development of new resources for adults and young people, as well as going into churches to offer mission accompaniment programmes.
For us this has been a HUGE year of change. Do not underestimate this. On the ground our Northern offices in Belfast have transferred to new premises fit for the purpose of running a 21st Century Mission Movement; and we are embarking on a refurbishment programme in Dublin to make our base there much more useful. We have our RMPs who from October will be spreading out across Ireland seeking out opportunities to help churches to grow in their expression of the Gospel. They will be challenging Christians in lifestyle choices, and they will be connecting to our partners in other places. And you took the risk of appointing me to deliver what Cecil Wilson, my much-valued and loved predecessor, has crafted.
Within all this we have affirmed our commitment to Partnership. A long-standing CMS principle, we believe that working with others on an equal basis is the best way to achieve what God calls us to do. We consider that this should be based on a long-term relationship with the church and are glad that our initials (CMS) announce that we are doing mission through the church. The fact that we are a voluntary society reminds us of the long-held view that we are able to be both a part of the church, but independent enough to be able to speak and act prophetically. We trust that God will continue to bless us as we continue with these principles.
Friends, time doesn’t allow us to expand these thoughts. Mission is risky. It means that things will change continually as we adapt to the changing context of the world around us. Stand still and rigor mortice will set in – as we can see in some church situations. New Christians and older ones too are attracted to doing something dynamic for God. Let’s not short change them by merely asking for support. Let’s call them to involvement.
Mission can be messy. People will fail. Sometimes we will get aspects wrong. For those who are houseproud beware – you’ll find sick on the carpet!
So, as we enter this day, let’s be aware that we are part of the world church. Look around you at our brothers and sisters from different places (even Portadown). What can we share?
Today there are seminars. There are youth and children’s resources to obtain, and there’s a bookstall. We want to stimulate your thinking and look at issues – some of them are those with which we have yet to engage as CMS Ireland. But they are mission issues.
I look forward to meeting many of you in the next few months as I visit every part of Ireland. Let’s see if we can work together and find ways that we can really know that we are walking in the Way of God. Amen?