Migration and Globalization

Christianity has always been profoundly shaped by migrations. The recent complex and ambiguous movements labelled ‘globalization’ bring this longstanding reality into a fundamental characteristic of our time.
Just as Hebrew, Greek and the thought patterns of communities outside the Mediterranean world shaped early Christianity, so the living as neighbours of Africans, Asians, North Americans, Hispanic Americans and many other ethnicities and cultures shape the present and future of Christian mission in these islands.
This locates where we, together, seek to discern what God is doing in the world. Aware that cultural imperialisms and perceived self-superiorities continue to exist, we celebrate and affirm the value of distinct and diverse Christian expressions, as the New Testament Church did.
Mutuality
The New Testament vision of the Church is of one body with many parts. The interaction of ethnically distinct churches in mission will require each to attend to the conversion of its own culture, inspired and guided by the Spirit However, this conversion will not be complete without other cultural perspectives.
We believe God’s purpose is to create the body of Christ so that the distinctiveness of each member is maintained but mutually drawn together in unity of purpose. Thus the whole body will be enhanced and built up in Christ. No part of the Church can be complete without the others.

Oikumene

This process presents moments of opportunity to rediscover the nature of the Church and the ‘original’ meaning of oikumene. The word contains two distinct aspects: that of a household, and that of the inhabited world; thus, applied to the Church it speaks of a family of faith with sufficient diversity to embrace the whole inhabited earth.
This is the heart of the original Biblical vision of creation, restored and united in Christ. It must now be expressed in the concrete, historical and political situations of our time. The Church’s unity involves more than its institutional life but represents the identification with God’s purpose for the world. Through recovering the richness of the Church as a household/family, we are able to be globally connected through Christ.


The growth of ethnically distinct churches in Britain and Ireland offers the hope,
· To envision and motivate the Church to strengthen links between the different cultural/ethnic expressions of Christianity;

· To experience the worship, sufferings and spirituality of other cultural traditions;.
· To break down barriers and identify and remove obstacles to mutual participation.;
· To find foci for acting together in unity (on issues, and / in relationships);.

To strategize positive relationships at various levels eg. CTBI, dioceses, Provinces, synods, Districts, Global Day of Prayer etc.