A letter from Sherron George in Brazil
November 29, 2009
First Sunday in Advent
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” (Luke 2:9-10)
Dear Partners in Christ’s service,
In a world where there is so much fear, violence, death, illness and bad news, it is refreshing to stop and reflect on the good news of Advent and Christmas — Christ is born! Christ comes to us! In a world where so many people suffer from exclusion, discrimination, lack of opportunities and indifference, it is comforting to remember that this good news is for all the people on the planet. Mary and Joseph had no idea of the consequences of God’s mystery. They simply played the role God gave them in the divine plan. The shepherds never dreamed of the transforming impact of the good news from God. We are Christians, members of the global church, supporters and mission workers of Presbyterian World Mission because Christ was born. In a sense, all of us were born on that night! All of us are connected to one another and to God because of that night! The coming of Christ means that God’s reign has come and continues to come to us in our diverse historical settings. “God-with-us” comforts, encourages, challenges and changes us.
World mission networks are born
In my forthcoming book, Better Together: The Future of Presbyterian Mission (Louisville: Geneva Press, March 2010), I talk about five changes that God, working with Presbyterian World Mission, has brought about. One is mission networks:
Being a connectional church, one new idea we have tested is networking. Around ten years ago, the PC(USA) denominational mission agency invited congregations engaged in certain countries to form a country mission network. The idea caught on. Today PC(USA) congregations and judicatories with global partnerships have formed 37 country networks — from Cameroon to Central Asia to China to Cuba to Vietnam, Peru, Malawi, Russia and others. There are also non-geographical groups, such as the Kurd network, which is based on interest in a scattered people group, and a water network, which deals with this crucial global issue.
The World Mission Web site offers a definition for this phenomenon: “Mission networks bring together Presbyterians from around the United States who share a common international mission focus. World Mission networks facilitate building and maintaining healthy partnerships and provide a place for representatives of various PC(USA) partnerships to share information and coordinate their efforts. Each mission network centers around a specific country, people group, or program area of ministry and is composed of Presbyterians who represent international mission partnerships established through their synods, presbyteries, congregations, or other PC(USA) entities.”
World Mission Celebration 2009
In October I attended the PC(USA)’s World Mission Celebration in Cincinnati. Before the meeting of some 700 mission enthusiasts, many of the 37 mission networks met. It was wild and wonderful, a perfect example of the decentralization of mission today. Each network planned its meeting, invited the participants and marked its own schedule and agenda. There were also organized and serendipitous moments of cross-fertilization. It was especially crazy for my supervisor, Maria Arroyo, coordinator for South America and the Caribbean. She attended bits and pieces of the Cuba, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Haiti and Dominican Republic networks. I accompanied her to a short meeting of a few folks from the Peru network. They were planning next year’s network meeting. I first met them in Burlington, North Carolina, when the Peru Mission network was born. It is so good to see our networks develop!
The Brazil mission network is born
We first tried to birth the Brazil mission network at World Mission Celebration in 2007, but it never really materialized. With the help of retired mission workers from Brazil, Dick and Bibby Swayze, and lots of prayer, we gathered in Cincinnati 12 people from Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Minnesota, representing seven congregations and a presbytery. I committed to guiding them through the whole meeting. I invited a leader from the Cuba network and one from the Colombia network to drop in and share their birth stories. My good friend José Pezini, a Presbyterian Brazilian-American on the staff of the Outreach Foundation, who, like me, lives and works between two continents, shared his wisdom and excitement. Frank and Hope Arnold, retired mission workers from Brazil, were there. Because of “God-with-us,” the Brazil mission network was born! Frank Arnold and George Bates are the co-conveners. A first meeting with all congregations of the PC(USA) that work with the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil or the United Presbyterian Church of Brazil is scheduled for mid-June 2010 in Atlanta.
I have a Christmas present for you. Visit the new PC(USA) social network, Mission Crossroads. When you are officially signed up, then sign in and click on “Groups.” Visit some of the groups from many different countries. Be sure to include our new Brazil mission network.
Pray for our networks and for me. In your Christmas celebrations, rejoice in all we are and have because Christ has come.
Your partner,
Sherron George
The 2009 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 274
