A Theology of Mission Mobilisation: An Introduction

Mobilisation is not a word found in the Scriptures (nor mission, for that matter). It has a broader usage, which we will explore further, but the term mobilisation has only recently been adopted in missiological circles as an umbrella term for all the stages that cross-cultural missionaries will undergo to be mobilised for the Great Commission, including raising awareness, assessing, training, deployment and beyond. These missionaries are often mobilised through mission agencies and parachurch organisations e.g., OM (Operation Mobilisation). Mobilisation is also becoming more frequently used to describe the process that churches go through to identify and support missionary candidates within their own congregations, often aided by the aforementioned mission organisations.

Despite the missiological definition for mobilisation being quite young, the process of mobilisation was happening in the early formation of the church. Ever since Jesus sent out the Twelve, or the 72, or all his followers with his missional command in Matthew 28, the church and its members have been mobilised to spread the gospel to all the nations. This is a process that may appear organic and indistinct in the pages of Scripture, but it is worth considering whether there are normative practices contained within that could acceptably come under the term of mission mobilisation.

Being part of a mission organisation and having a role in this very area of missions, I am keen to be led by God’s Word for how to proceed. Therefore, I have set to work out a theology of mission mobilisation that I hope and pray will inform our praxis for how to proceed in our mobilising of missionaries in a Christlike manner.

Preliminary Remarks

Before embarking on the theological reflection in earnest, it is prudent to state certain presuppositions that I have. Firstly, a follower of Christ who is being mobilised for mission is a separate entity to other followers of Christ, although the two are, in no way, mutually exclusive. Certainly, a key element to discipleship for every believer is the awareness of the need for world evangelisation and the role of every Christian in its fulfilment. But what I am trying to avoid here is the fallacy that all Christians are called to be missionaries. In the same way that all Christians are called to serve, but not all Christians are called to be deacons, the missionary call is specific to those who have been sent out by God (and the local church) for a particular purpose. I have written a previous post detailing my thoughts on this. Therefore, if there are only certain Christians called to be missionaries, then it is likely that they are mobilised in a unique way also. As a result, I will not be highlighting every form of discipleship in Scripture that I come across, but that which pertains to the mobilising of Christians for mission.

Secondly, I am not writing a theology of mission itself, but a theology relating to the specific practice of how one gathers, trains, and sends future missionaries to fulfil the Great Commission. To put it plainly, this is a theology for the ones who are mobilising missionaries, not the missionaries themselves (although these mobilisers may, of course, be missionaries). Therefore, I don’t intend to offer a definition of mission itself, or dwell on other examples of mission in Scripture (e.g., the missionary roles of the Triune God, the relationship between proclamation and demonstration) that do not relate to the task of mobilisation. On the other hand, there may be other texts from Scripture that do not refer to the process of mission mobilisation but, nevertheless, offer wise direction to the mission mobiliser as to prudent ways in which they can be more effective at carrying out their work. I will include these examples not as normative practices of mission mobilisation but as possible counsel.

Finally, my aim is to avoid reading the current context around mission mobilisation back into Scripture. This is difficult as the usage of the term mobilisation is modern in essence. As a starting point I will have to analyse the current definition that is available in missiology to lay out the parameters for what to search for in Scripture. However, what I hope to do is identify within Scripture the ways and means that the early Church mobilised their members for the mission of God and use these to build a biblical definition of mission mobilisation (if that term is appropriate) that may build on or jettison existing ideas.

Possible questions to consider

• What is mission mobilisation and is it consistent with the biblical mandate of the Great Commission?

• Whose role is it to mobilise followers of Christ for his mission?

• Are there normative practices in Scripture that can acceptably come under the term of mission mobilisation?

• Was there a necessity to mobilise the early church and its members compared to the need in the 21st century?

• How should the global Church practice seeking out possible missionary candidates?

• With the establishment of many mission agencies and parachurch organisations, what is their role in mission mobilisation?

• Are mobilising the church and mobilising individual Christians two separate processes, although not necessarily separate from each other?

What is Mobilisation?

There is a wide array of definitions for the word mobilisation, ranging from the militaristic mobilisation of troops to the movement of joints and muscles in the body, to the accruing of resources. This invites the question as to whether the term should also be applied to the missiological world. Does mobilisation sound too jingoistic for what the followers of Christ are aiming to achieve in world evangelisation?

However, some common themes run through these meanings, which may help to identify the elements of the term that we want to take forward regarding Christian mission:

1. Mobilisation is a definite call to action. Whether it is a limb that is activated or the mustering of soldiers, the implication is for action and movement. Similarly, missionaries are called by God for action and to move according to his plans and purpose.

2. There is unity in mobilisation. Soldiers do not act independently from their superiors or their comrades, they are united as one. Missionaries who are effectively mobilised are not lone rangers, and I hope to show biblical reasons for why this is not the case as well.

3. There is a goal in mobilisation. Resources may be mobilised for a project, an army is mobilised for battle and the missionary is mobilised to fulfil the Great Commission as commanded by Christ.

4. Mobilisation leads to an organised pursuit of this goal. Joints and muscles in the body are mobilised in very particular ways in order to be effective. Voters may be mobilised as one unit to act in a specific political district. Therefore, the mobilisation of missionaries implies that they are strategically organised and deployed so that they are best placed to advance God’s kingdom efficiently.

5. Preparation is an essential component to mobilisation. When there is an outbreak of a deadly disease, one would hope that prudent planning and carefully thought-out studies would be utilised as part of the mobilisation effort in disease prevention. Similarly, soldiers undergo rigorous training regimen before their operations. Mobilisation in modern Christian mission must not jettison important training and preparation when being deployed. Indeed, there are enough unfortunate stories of missionaries ill-prepared to go to the field, with disastrous (and at times fatal) consequences.

Whilst I would welcome other possible terms to describe the organisation and preparation of missionaries for their actions in fulfilment of the Great Commission, mobilisation seems to serve this definition well. But Scripture must have the final say for whether this truly fits, and what mobilisation in mission specifically looks like.

In Part Two, I hope to reflect on Scripture the role that God plays in mission mobilisation as the First and Primary Mobiliser.