INTRODUCTION

David Ackerman

Every quadrennium, the Church of the Nazarene holds a Global Theology Conference. These conferences rotate among the denomination’s six world regions. The next conference will be hosted by the Asia-Pacific Region in Manila, Philippines, on February 21–23, 2028.

The Global Theology Conferences provide an opportunity for the worldwide church to engage in theological reflection on matters central to its mission of “making Christlike disciples in the nations.” They are also a valuable occasion for fellowship among leaders, scholars, and ministry practitioners. Through shared dialogue and reflection, these gatherings have fostered a deepened sense of unity, purpose, and direction amid the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of this global denomination. Papers from previous conferences are available in earlier issues of Didache: Faithful Teaching.

The theme of the upcoming conference is “missiology,” the theological study of the church’s participation in God’s mission in the world. This theme is both broad and significant. Many dimensions of faith and practice fall within its scope. It offers an opportunity to clarify and define the church’s understanding of mission while also examining the expanding practices and approaches that shape contemporary ministry.

Because of the theological breadth of this theme, the next two years will be devoted to preparing for the conference by soliciting papers from across the global church. Scholars and practitioners from a variety of cultural contexts will contribute essays designed to clarify key questions and identify issues that warrant further reflection and discussion.

One central question intended to stimulate this dialogue is: How can the Church of the Nazarene faithfully participate in “God’s mission” (missio Dei)—the conviction that mission originates in the triune God rather than in the church itself? Flowing from this primary question are several related inquiries:

1. What are we called to do—what is our mission?

2. Why do we engage in mission—what inspires our motivation?

3. Who are we called to be—what shapes our identity?

4. How do we participate in this mission—what guides our strategy?

In a time of rapid change in culture, communication, and access to knowledge, the church faces both new challenges and new opportunities. The Church of the Nazarene articulates three core values: Christian, Holiness, and Missional. How does the Church faithfully embody its identity as Christian and holiness while also being authentically missional? This question invites further theological and practical reflection.

Several special issues of Didache: Faithful Teaching will publish preparatory papers for the conference. The first set of essays in this issue lays a foundation for continued engagement. These contributions explore the questions above from biblical, theological, historical, and pastoral perspectives. Although these papers will not be presented at the conference itself, they are intended to stimulate global conversation and contribute to the theological groundwork for future synthesis and dialogue. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 INTRODUCTION, by David A. Ackerman

 FROM TRIUNE MISSION TO TRANSFORMATIONAL ECCLESIOLOGY: EXPLORING THE CHURCH’S ROLE IN GOD’S REDEMPTIVE WORK, Olga Druzhinina

 FROM CRUSADERS TO COMPANIONS: EUCHARISTIC HOSPITALITY AND THE MISSIO DEI IN ACTS 27–28, Michael Falgout

 CAUGHT UP IN WHAT GOD IS DOING: RECAPTURING A BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING OF MISSION, Dean Flemming

 THE NEXUS OF ACCOMMODATION AND PERFECTION AS THE HABITUATION OF SANCTIFYING GRACE, J. Russell Frazier

 MISSIOLOGIA POLICÊNTRICA: EM BUSCA DE CONVERGÊNCIA NO PENSAR, NO DECIDIR E NO AGIR NAS MISSÕES, Felipe Fulanetto

         POLYCENTRIC MISSIOLOGY: SEEKING CONVERGENCE IN THINKING, DECIDING, AND ACTING IN MISSIONS, Felipe Fulanetto

 ALL THINGS NEW: MISSION, WITNESS, AND THE WESLEYAN WAY, Timothy R. Gaines

 GIVE US FRIENDS: MOVING BEYOND THE AMERICANISM OF NAZARENE MISSIOLOGY, Daryl R. Ireland and David Wesley

 MISSIO DEI FOR ANCIENT ISRAEL, Thomas J. King

 COLONY, FRANCHISE, OUTPOST: THREE MODELS OF RELIGIOUS EXPANSION, Mitchel Modine

 A DISCIPLE-MAKING ECCLESIOLOGY FOR SOUTH ASIA: BIBLICAL FOUNDATIONS, THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK AND CONTEXTUAL APPLICATION, Prakash Nemade

 SANTIDAD EN MISIÓN: LA MISSIO DEI DESDE LA TRADICIÓN WESLEYANA Y SUS IMPLICACIONES PARA LA IGLESIA DEL NAZARENO EN AMÉRICA LATINA, Mauricio Constantino Ricaldi

         HOLINESS IN MISSION: THE MISSIO DEI FROM THE WESLEYAN TRADITION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE IN LATIN AMERICA, Mauricio Constantino Ricaldi

 MORE THAN THE SUM:  ECCLESIOLOGY AND MISSIO ECCLESIA IN THE WORLD, Nell M. Becker Sweeden

 THE RENEWAL OF THE SENDING CHURCH, Grant Zweigle