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The lecture, entitled “Opportunities and Challenges of Contemporary Christian Mission: Can Mission Be Learnt or Taught?” offered a critical reflection from the perspective of the WCC and the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism.
“Christian mission is undergoing a profound transformation in the contemporary world,” said Pillay. “This paper examines the opportunities and challenges presented by contemporary Christian mission and asks whether mission can actually be learnt or taught.”
Christian mission stands at a decisive moment in its history, reflected Pillay. “The world in which mission is practised has changed dramatically,” he said. “At the same time, Christianity itself has undergone a major geographical transformation.”
Mission is first God's mission before it is the church's mission, Pillay continued.
“This distinction is decisive,” he said. “It does not control the boundaries of God's activity, nor can it assume that God is absent wherever the institutional church is absent.”
The church is called to participate in God's mission, Pillay said. “Does Christian mission participate in God's work of bringing life?” he asked. “Missionaries are not simply sent to bring God to places where God is supposedly absent.”
Pillay preached during Ecumenical Vespers, offering a homily entitled “Unity in the Body of Christ.”
He expressed great joy to see different churches gathered in fellowship and prayer.
“Personally, I believe that we must never stop praying and walking and working together for Christian unity,” he said. “There is growing polarization in societies.”
Pillay reflected that our inability to live up to the calling of visible Christian unity should not diminish or blur the ultimate vision. “Let us continue to pray and work together so that the world may believe!” he urged. “Whatever the challenges we may face in preserving the unity of fellowship as Christians, we must not fixate on what separates us but on Christ who unites us and calls us to have unity in our witness to the world. Christian unity matters!”
Pillay concluded with the question: Are we willing to follow Jesus? “May this be our desire and intention as we share Christ`s love and hope in a troubled and suffering world,” he said.
