tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post3020790687132028915..comments2024-03-22T08:29:51.173-05:00Comments on UM & Global: What Options Do Central Conferences Have in the Face of Reduced American Subsidies?David W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-64737730861115912562019-07-16T09:00:22.644-05:002019-07-16T09:00:22.644-05:00Editorial correction: COSMOS not COSROW in second...Editorial correction: COSMOS not COSROW in second paragraph.<br />Robert HarmanRobert Harmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14846547721123021765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-27510293928632695292019-07-15T15:26:46.679-05:002019-07-15T15:26:46.679-05:00David,
Sad to have to consider the impact of chang...David,<br />Sad to have to consider the impact of changing institutional realities upon mission relationships. In Africa it is dejavu all over again. <br />When the option of autonomy was presented to the annual conferences in Africa by the COSROW process discussed in previous postings, the Bishops of those conferences spoke with a common mind.<br />“We support the maintenance of the Central Conference relationship. We believe it is a better way toward genuine autonomy.<br />We feel we must work hard to become true stewards of Jesus Christ so that we can shoulder our responsibilities in carrying out the mission of Jesus and his church in Africa with a greater degree of self sufficiency.<br />We do not wish to foster paternalism and we resent being called ‘product.’ We now want to produce as well in order to minimize or end the humiliation of wretched beggars and burdens on the World Division. When we strive toward relative selfhood of the churches in Africa, we will be able to serve the church with dignity, integrity, and self response, and thereby achieve true partnership in mission.<br />We ask that African churches be allowed larger freedom to plan and implement their own indigenous leadership in cooperation with persons in mission, that they use personnel and financial resources to their best judgment and adopt and implement policies without hindrance.” (Daily Journal Board of Global Ministries October 1974)<br />The bishops were expressing their desire to achieve fulfillment of the vaunted trifold mission objective of self direction, self propagation and self support. Now, more than a half century later, another moment for visionary leadership approaches as the realization of that foundational and yet elusive third principle of self support remains unfulfilled and threatened by the disruption or ending of the Central Conference relationship. May this generation of African Church leaders grasp the benefits of “serving the church with dignity and integrity” that a self supporting ministry realizes by ending dependency and building “true partnership.” And may willing partners in affluent donor conferences not walk away from the ongoing struggle to maintain a stewardship of financial resources in the weakest of the world’s economies based upon sharing rather than control. <br />Robert Harman<br /><br /><br /><br />Get Outlook for iOSRobert Harmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14846547721123021765noreply@blogger.com