Dubuque Missions Conference

I spent two days this week at a missions conference at University of Dubuque Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. One of the speakers, Hunter Farrell, was very good. He is the missions executive for the Presbyterian Church.

He talked at length about a Dallas Consultation on world mission that took place in January 2008. This group decided to embrace some of the diversity that exists in mission that is taking place with some twentysix groups affiliated with the Presbyterians in one way or another. And instead of asking who is doing the mission, they were trying to shift to what principles does the mission employ.

Farrell passed out copies of the Dallas Declaration which can be found at http://www.pcusa.org/calltomission/about.htm This link describes the event, participants and provides a copy of the document produced.

In one of the plenary sessions Farrell presented an synopsis, that he called What does Christ's Way of Mission Look Like?

• It is sensitive to the local language, culture, and religious traditions (Incarnation)


• It is a mission to the whole person (body, mind and spirit)


• It is a sustainable mission with continued impact over time. (relational)


• It is a mission of partnership -- including the gifts and abilities of the local partners.

On the one hand, all this looks pretty basic. But on the other hand to get in one place at one time several groups who have been critical of one another, and then to have these representatives come up with a set of common principles, does indeed seem to be evidence of the Holy Spirit at work.

This is only the second year that Dubuque has sponsored a missions conference. It was worthwhile, local and inexpensive. Doesn't get much better than that.