Field Workers and Mission Leaders in Tension: Practical Ecumenism in the Shanxi Mission

What is it about?

The mission field has always been a rich source of case studies for exploring the interaction between theory and praxis in ministry. The question of wheth- er or not to cooperate on the ground with other missionaries is a recurring locus of contention, where abstract policies often come into conflict with the practical realities of the mission field. For some missionaries, the immediacy of the field context relativises previously held convictions or associations, ena- bling them to embrace a kind of practical ecumenism on the field. This ecu- menical cooperation typically expresses itself in combined worship, mutual care, and pooled ministry information, yet only rarely extends to shared minis- try projects. Utilising past and present examples from Protestant missions in China, this chapter will examine the tendency of field workers to relativise the directives and policies of their sending agencies in favour of a practical ecu- menism on the ground.

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Photo by Ling Tang on Unsplash

Photo by Ling Tang on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This essay demonstrates the tendency of missionaries on the field to pay more attention to representatives of other organizations working on the same field, than to the orders and opinions of the leadership of their own mission agency back in their passport country. The practical realities of cross-cultural living tend to trump abstract theological or organizational priorities. This has implications for how missions agencies manage their workers overseas.