Although the percentage of Christians in the world remains steady, the regional demographics of Christianity have radically changed. In the past decades, the church has shifted from the majority of Christians living in the global north to the majority of Christians living in the global south. Even though this demographic shift is well documented, there remains a mismatch between global Christian structures and global Christian demographics. The church on mission is to reflect the unity in diversity of our triune God. To reflect this unity, a rebalancing of voices is needed, allowing for an exchange of learning across regions, generations, genders, and issue advocacy groups—including sharing between the church, workplace, and academy so that the mission matures and truly moves from everyone to everywhere.
Acknowledging this misalignment, this conversation prayerfully explores what a global polycentric church is and what polycentric mission structure looks like. It addresses the question: How might Christians in the church, parachurch, and workplace collaborate to reach and disciple others where diverse voices are heard, and global mission moves from everyone to everywhere?
Listening to the Current Reality
Although it has been decades since the geographic center of the Church of Jesus Christ moved away from the Western and Northern Hemispheres, corresponding changes in sending and supporting systems and structures have not followed suit. 140 contributing participants had the following observations of the current global reality:
- Efforts at Contextualization (ie adapting the message of the gospel to different cultural and social contexts) are still inadequate. This inadequacy is reflected in less-than-optimal organizational and personal relationships where culture, geography, age, and gender are pertinent issues.
- There is room for and the need for more contemporary, unifying mission strategies.
- Discipleship (ie making disciples) is not sufficiently held as a core aspect of mission.
- Addressing global challenges such as poverty, injustice, and the needs of marginalized communities should remain ongoing.
- Advances in evaluating impact will enhance effectiveness. Mission research must evolve and be appropriately applied more broadly.
- Opportunities for cross-cultural mission engagement with people in movement, both as recipients and messengers of the Gospel (eg, diaspora peoples, international students, etc.), are not consistently seized.
- Further development is required to explore the intersection of business and mission, including leadership development.
- The specter of colonialism has the power to obfuscate clear mission strategizing. “Mistakes” of the past dampen enthusiasm for continued and innovative cross-cultural engagements.
- There is inadequate uptake of existing educational opportunities. These can include evolving ideological and theological understandings of mission. There is also space for new training models that recognize specific needs (eg, those of pastors, academics, national leaders, denominational heads, business entrepreneurs, students, migrants, etc.).
- The role of the Holy Spirit, both in issuing a call to mission as well as empowering mission efforts, is too infrequently recognized and often undervalued.
- Sending and receiving dynamics that recognize the importance of reciprocity, including the needs of sending churches and receiving contexts, merit greater investigation and articulation.
- The recognition of the existence of power imbalances is underdeveloped.
- A lack of coordination and communication frequently undermines even the best collaborative efforts.
- Resource constraints are real.
- Technology has a place.
Creative and courageous collaboration in these areas will move polycentric mission forward. The hopeful tone characterized by the interactions of the Gap’s listening group demonstrated widespread appreciation for the value of partnerships.
Imagining a Preferred Reality
Polycentric mission is not yet fully a reality. It is an ideal that will require many things to change to see it come to pass. However, similar to how Jesus asked us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,” our eventual hope is what we should aim to start realizing now. But this means we first need to know our eventual hope/goal before knowing how to act in the current situation.
First, what do we hope for? If the gap is truly closed, there will be cooperation across divisions, whether ethnic, generational, socioeconomic, gender, etc. Some have expressed, “This level of unity and cooperation would only be realised if Jesus had returned!” However, since Jesus has not yet returned, the Church will be known for reconciliation and friendships across borders (C.S. Lewis in The Four Loves did say that philia—friendship love—is the greatest of the loves; and V.S. Azariah in his famous speech at Edinburgh 1910 had a plea from the Majority World to the Western world: “Give us friends!”). There will be awareness, reciprocity, intentionality, resourcing in both/multiple directions, unity, and sacrifice. The four selves of self-sustaining, self-governing, self-propagating, and self-theologizing will all be in effect, without anyone siloing themselves. These new partnerships will bear fruit in new strategies being developed and excellence in mission organizations related to generosity, adaptability to rapidly changing landscapes, management, missionary care, no duplication of efforts, innovation, and stronger relationships.
Second, where do we already see signs of this hope in our world? Specifically, in areas like small countries initiating mission (eg, Lebanon), parachurch organizations collaborating (eg, Africa International University and Wheaton College), reverse mission (eg, Brazil sending missionaries to Germany). More generally, we see technological advancement being leveraged effectively, large-scale missional gatherings (like the Fourth Lausanne Congress), Western missionaries “working themselves out of a job” and raising local nationals to do it, new mission models (eg, decentralization, merging, marketplace), and minority diaspora groups planting in their new homes. Trends we are seeing include grassroots movements springing up, Gen Zers running mission and building bridges with people of other religions, churches sharing buildings and resources, recovery of humility and servanthood and prayer, local churches leading initiatives (missions is empowered through the laity and not just through professional parachurch organizations), and global mission organizations being led by people from the Global South.
In conclusion, we imagine that a properly polycentric mission will mean interdependence. People will not try to do everything on their own (no more “superhero missionary”) or tell others, “I don’t need you.” Love will abound, and the body of Christ will accomplish together what we cannot do alone, to work in obedience to the Great Commission. Essentially, Jesus’s vision in his High Priestly Prayer in John 17 will come to pass: unity and mission give rise one another: when we are unified, it is a missiological sign to the world, and when we seek to accomplish global mission, it necessitates that we work together across boundaries. Polycentrism will give dignity to all humanity (especially in the marginalized and persecuted church) and submit all of us to the Creator.
Creating a Way to Close the Gap
The following eight priorities represent a good summary of the responses to closing the polycentric church and mission structures gap:
1. Promote Collaboration and Partnership: This is obvious, but not easy! It requires overcoming skepticism regarding effective collaboration, breaking barriers, building trust and fostering genuine partnerships all in a spirit of unity and shared responsibility.
This may be accomplished by the following:
- Creating structures that promote transparency, accountability, and trust;
- Focusing on theological and missiological foundations;
- Facilitating dialogue and engagement among diverse stakeholders;
- Generous sharing of resources;
- Fostering relationships based on humility, mutual respect, and valuing one another.
2. Address Power Imbalances: This is a well-known and recognized challenge. Recognizing and addressing this significant issue, giving voice to those with limited resources and moving towards more equitable partnerships requires major shifts in the historical church and mission leadership mindset.
This may be accomplished by:
- Sharing and relinquishing control over resources, data, and decision-making;
- Greater inclusivity and representation of all voices in a spirit of mutual submission and service;
- Empowering local leadership and ownership.
3. Offer Training and Equipping: Providing adequate training and equipping for all involved in church ministry and mission work is vital. Becoming life-long, on-the-job, and mutual learners is also required for all involved. This must be contextualized, both in terms of content and methodologies.
This may be accomplished by:
- Developing theological education and ministry training that integrates theory and practice and is relevant and engaging;
- Making educational and training materials available in diverse languages.
4. Address Resource Constraints: Ensuring equitable access to resources and funding is an urgent need, and the issue of financial inequalities and disparities has to be examined. This must include developing sustainable funding models for ministry in every region of the world. Waste and misuse of funds must be stopped. Effective, efficient and appropriate use of funds is needed.
This may be accomplished by:
- Having the open and hard conversations about changes to economic and funding models, seeking to promote greater equity;
- Exploring innovative ways to mobilize and utilize resources;
- Teaching and demonstrating a spirit of generosity and resource sharing;
- Developing more equitable models for resource distribution;
- Creating or strengthening processes for financial transparency and accountability.
5. Foster a Culture of Humility and Repentance: This has been and continues to be urgent, a spirit of humility and repentance within the church and mission leadership everywhere. Acknowledging past mistakes, particularly colonial mindsets and inferiority sentiments. Overcoming pride and self-sufficiency, and assuming a posture of listening and learning from others.
This may be accomplished by:
- Have open conversations about this need at global gatherings;
- Research, write and publish well-informed content that promotes repentance, reconciliation and renewal;
- In unity, seek God’s guidance and direction in all collaborative endeavours.
6. Address Generational Issues: Engage younger generations, empowering and equipping younger leaders. Foster intergenerational collaboration, ensuring that the voices and perspectives of younger generations are heard and valued.
This may be accomplished by:
- Appointing younger leaders to appropriate leadership roles and supporting them;
- Making educational and training programs relevant to younger generations;
- Creating intergenerational relationships and mentorship within entities and ministries.
7. Address Cultural and Contextual Issues: Ethnocentrism and cultural biases greatly hinder collaboration, showing the need for cross-cultural understanding, respect, and deconstruction of harmful stereotypes and prejudices. Missional strategies need to be adapted to cultural and contextual realities.
This may be accomplished by:
- Integrating intercultural learning developed with materials and case studies from a wide range of cultural contexts;
- Promoting a deeper understanding of diverse cultures and worldviews in our own entities and in global church and mission networks.
8. Emphasize Discipleship and Spiritual Formation: Deepening discipleship and spiritual formation within the church will equip believers for holistic and collaborative missional living. Fostering a deeper understanding of God’s mission and what the church is, emphasizing the importance of prayer and spiritual renewal will build bridges across cultures.
This may be accomplished by:
- Publishing more Bible teaching on discipleship from varied contexts;
- Encouraging all believers to grow deeper in Christ and to commit to prayer as they share the Gospel and disciple new believers.
Communicating a Prayerful Proposal
Collaboration has emerged as the essential catalyst in our shared pursuit of closing the gap in polycentric mission strategy. The L4 process has provided a platform for diverse voices, fostering meaningful engagement among global mission leaders. Through prayerful discernment and intentional collaboration, we are witnessing the emergence of Collaborative Action Teams (CATs) dedicated to addressing this gap. These teams are forming across various contexts, including Norway, Korea, China, and broader European and African mission networks. A commitment to a polycentric mission means embracing globally shared leadership in mission work, ensuring no single region or group dominates the decision-making process. Rather than being dominated by a single cultural or regional framework, our goal is to strengthen existing networks and create new pathways for mission collaboration that embody a truly globalized approach to the Great Commission.
One of the most promising developments is the intentional effort to connect mission pastors and regional church leaders in underrepresented areas. L4 participants from Norway, Korea, and China expressed a desire to deepen their engagement through structured collaboration. A key proposal emerging from our discussions is creating an African Asian mission collaboration WhatsApp group, where mission leaders can share insights, encourage one another, and develop actionable strategies for working together. This initiative aligns with the broader Lausanne Action Hub’s vision of fostering sustained partnerships that transcend geographical and denominational barriers. Engagement with underground church networks in restricted regions and mission leaders in neighboring countries has also been highlighted as a crucial aspect of advancing polycentric mission in challenging environments. By leveraging both online and offline platforms, we are committed to fostering a spirit of mutual learning and support among mission practitioners worldwide.
Our prayerful next steps focus on mobilizing these collaborations into actionable strategies. Over the coming months, we will emphasise two key commitments: prayer and obedience. Prayer is the foundation for all mission endeavors, ensuring our strategies align with God’s will. We seek to cultivate a culture of shared intercession, where mission leaders from diverse backgrounds regularly come together in prayer for wisdom, provision, and unity. Obedience, in turn, calls us to step out in faith, actively implementing the insights gained through these collaborations. This will include formalizing partnerships, curating theological resources on polycentric mission, and equipping local leaders with the tools to engage effectively in their contexts.
Looking ahead, we ask God to sustain and expand this momentum beyond the initial three-month phase. We envision these emerging CATs fully operational, actively engaging with the Lausanne Action Hub and broader mission networks. The continued exchange of resources, training materials, and contextualized mission strategies will be instrumental in solidifying a truly polycentric mission movement. As we commission one another to the Great Commission, we trust that God will continue to raise leaders who embody the collaborative spirit necessary to close this gap. The call is clear: Who will collaborate, on which opportunity, for what goal? We invite mission practitioners worldwide to join us in this sacred task, ensuring that the future of global mission reflects the diverse and interconnected body of Christ.
Acknowledgements
We recognize and thank Mechi Berti and Raynaldi Philipus, who were facilitators; Dr. Allen Yeh, content specialist for the Polycentric Mission discussion at L4; Larry and Stephanie Kraft; Dr. Stephen Mbobo and Prof. Rosemary Mbogo; and Décio de Carvalho, who wrote the related chapter for the State of the Great Commission Report.
Authors
Décio de Carvalho
Décio de Carvalho is Brazilian. He served with Operation Mobilization for 22 years, on the ship Doulos, as founding member and director of OM Brazil, and on a church planting team in Central Asia. He served as Director of RECOMI – Puerto Rico Missions Network, and Executive Director of COMIBAM.
Larry Kraft | Catalyst for Research and Strategic Information
Larry W. Kraft is a missionary with OC International. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and Fuller School of World Mission, Larry is an ordained elder in the US and Brazilian Presbyterian churches. He is OC’s Global Director of Research Emeritus and a Lausanne Catalyst for Research and Strategic Information.
Stephanie Kraft
Stephanie K. Kraft serves the Global Research Team of One Challenge. A dual Brazil-USA citizen, she is a UK Trustee of the Global Church Planting Network, an WEA-MC Associate, and is an ACC Coach with the ICF. She is married to Larry, a mother of two, and grandmother of three.
Allen Yeh
Dr. Allen Yeh is Dean and VP of Academic Affairs at International Theological Seminary located near Los Angeles, as well as the Creative Director of the Young Adult Initiative at Denver Seminary. He earned his B.A. from Yale, M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell, M.Th. from Edinburgh, and D.Phil. from Oxford. He is also the author of Polycentric Missiology: 21st Century Mission from Everyone to Everywhere (IVP, 2016) and co-editor (along with Tite Tienou, former Dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) of Majority World Theologies: Theologizing from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Ends of the Earth (William Carey, 2018).
Stephen Mbogo | Regional Director for EPSA
Dr Stephen N. Mbogo serves as the international CEO of African Enterprise International, a mission agency serving across Africa. He is also the African Regional Director of Lausanne in EPSA and the Chairman of Movement Day Africa. He is based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Rosemary Mbogo
Dr Rosemary W. Mbogo is the director of the Institute of the Study of African Realities, the research and consultancy arm of Africa International University, Nairobi, Kenya. An educator specialising in Christian higher education leadership and administration, she is married to Dr Stephen Mbogo. They delight in serving the Lord together.