Evangelism highlighted at 2019 Global Mission Conference in Dominican Republic

“We try to combine evangelism with social action,” said Bishop Moisés Quezada Mota in explaining the approach of Episcopalians in the Dominican Republic, one of the fastest growing dioceses in the Episcopal Church. “We are a new humanity that Christ has shown in the church. We are the living gospel of Jesus Christ that has come to life in the church so we can take the message to others and show the light to people.”

Quezada was speaking in a panel discussion at the 2019 Global Mission Conference that his diocese co-hosted with the Dominican Development Group, April 3-5, in Boca Chica, Dominican Republic. Organized by the Global Episcopal Mission Network (GEMN), 120 people from all over the Episcopal Church were wrestling with the role of evangelism in the church’s global mission under the theme, “Sharing Jesus: Mutual Witness in Global Mission.” The bilingual conference included simultaneous translation between Spanish and English.

“While you are doing medical mission, economic development, gender empowerment, constantly seek, name and notice Jesus’s loving presence,” said keynoter the Rev. Stephanie Spellers, canon to the Presiding Bishop for evangelism, reconciliation and creation care. “Put your Jesus lenses on wherever you go. Whenever you see God, name and celebrate that, invite other people to celebrate with you, and let God do the rest.”

“When we go into different cultures or spaces where Christianity is not the norm, if all we have is Christian superiority, that is not going to fly,” said Spellers, who recently traveled to South Africa. As she shared her own story of seeking “a love that does not disappoint,” she declared, “This is a story I can share with Muslims, with atheists. If you haven’t figured this out, take time to identify the difference Jesus has made in your life.”

“People in South Carolina often say they are ‘highly favored,’” said Bishop Bill Skilton, former suffragan of the Diocese of South Carolina. “Part of our problem as a church is that we have stopped at being favored, and we haven’t tried being the flavor – the salt. You’ve forgotten your calling to become fishers of people and you’ve become aquarium keepers.” The mission conference was held at the Dominican diocese’s Bishop Skilton Conference Center, named in honor of his service as a missionary and, later, assistant bishop on the Caribbean island.

The Rev. Anthony Guillén, director of ethnic ministries for the Episcopal Church, noted how simple greetings can be evangelistic: “When we ask, ‘How are you?’ in the U.S. the response is usually, fine, tired, busy, okay. In Latin culture, the response is always with ‘Gracias a Dios’ added, meaning, ‘Because of God, I am fine.’ There is already a consciousness of God in our lives, proclaimed unashamedly.”

In addition to plenaries by keynoters Delgado and Spellers, an array of 18 workshops addressed outreach to under-evangelized people groups, gospel enculturation, the history of Anglican evangelism, digital evangelism, ‘The Way of Love’ in global mission, missional encounter with Islam, mission and community at the upcoming Lambeth Conference in 2020, locally empowered economic mission, asset-based community development, interfaith reconciliation, Hispanic evangelism, missionary vocational discernment, and site-specific discussions of mission in the Sudans, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. The Rev. David Copley, director of the Global Partnerships unit at the Episcopal Church Center, updated conferees on the work of that group.

 

 

“In GEMN’s 24 years of annual conferences, this is the first conference to focus specifically on evangelism,” I said as president of GEMN in opening the conference. “With the growth of the world church and the intensifying focus on poverty alleviation, the world mission community sent evangelism to the back of the line. As the church as a whole is reviving its commitment to evangelism, we in GEMN feel it’s important to re-integrate evangelism with global mission.”

Conference participants responded enthusiastically to what they heard. “So many of the mission teams that come down here to the Dominican Republic are afraid to talk about their faith,” said the Rev. Emilio Martin of the diocese, “but mission is based on faith.” “If you’re only doing actions and not words, you’re leaving out half the story,” said the Rev. Veronika Travis of St. Luke’s Church in Alexandria, Virginia. “We’re hamstringing ourselves if it’s only actions and not words.”

 

“Evangelism isn’t a dirty word for me,” said Anna Sutterish of the Diocese of Ohio and a senior at Bexley Seabury Seminary as she highlighted generational differences in Episcopal attitudes toward evangelism. “I’m 29 years old and I have no problem with evangelism.”
Responding to the common question, “Isn’t evangelism disrespectful to non-Christians?” Spellers said, “It’s disrespectful to shove religion at people, to proselytize and denounce other pathways to God. But if you speak with generosity, curiosity and gratitude, then people respond more positively.”

The conference concluded with visits to congregational and medical mission sites on the island. Generous patrons of conference receptions were Bexley Seabury Seminary, the Diocese of Connecticut and the Dominican Development Group.

GEMN’s Mission Formation Program preceded the conference, this year enrolling a record 14 participants to spend a day exploring biblical foundations, mission theology, cultural dynamics and the practicalities of catalyzing mission vision and mutuality with companions around the world. The four participants graduating from the two-year program shared their projects. The Rev. Isaias Ginson of the Diocese of Long Island, who served as a missionary in the Pacific, recounted his field research on religious rites among indigenous peoples in the Philippines. The Rev. Dr. Grace Burton-Edwards of the Diocese of Georgia shared her work on GEMN’s curriculum based on “The Way of Love.” Mrs. Christine Mercer of the Diocese of Alabama told of her work in enabling Honduran women to economically manage their monthly cycles without missing school or work. The Rev. Dr. Jim Boston of the Diocese of Oregon shared his work on a memoir about working in GEMN since its inception in 1994.

The Global Episcopal Mission Network links dioceses, congregations, mission organizations, seminaries and individuals throughout the Episcopal Church to “proclaim, inspire and ignite the joy of God’s mission.”