Navigating 21st Century Christian Missions in a Different Voice
A Memoir
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“Go and make disciples”: what does that mean to African Americans when those who introduced their ancestors to Christianity were at the same time their oppressors? How have African Americans found a home within a Christianity that nurtures them as individuals and as a distinct ecclesiological community? Given the changing nature of Christianity on the glocal (combination of local and global), national, and global levels, what is the ecclesiological responsibility and role of denominations, congregations, and leaders? It is to these kinds of questions that my life has been dedicated. My vision is to nurture, educate, and equip the Church, especially African American congregations and their leaders, to understand what it means to be who they are in today’s world and to participate in God's mission, considering the tremendous challenges and opportunities before us. Beyond my mission, the church in every socio-cultural context must learn to sincerely affirm the rich diversity of God's movement and witness among every ethnic community. I celebrate the various ways in which people and faith communities discover their authentic theological voice, engage in mission practices, and embrace their stories and journeys within God's larger narrative, often despite troubling mission histories. Raised in an active black church tradition in St. Louis, MO, I obtained my first academic degrees from institutions known as HBCUs—Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These institutions were pivotal in educating the African American community and honoring the African American legacy. The Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta, GA, is a consortium of six such institutions bringing together historically black seminaries from several Protestant denominations. I joined the faculty of ITC in 1994 and served as the professor of Missiology and Religions of the World. Source: Part One, “Diversity in Theology and Mission: Reflections on the discipleship and mission in and through the African American Faith community” in FOCUS, Fuller Theological Seminary, Winter 2008, Volume 16, Number 1, ISSN 1523-088X, page 5.
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About the Book
This book is not just a collection of essays; it is a timely response to a pressing question: “How do we treat people different from us?” My journey, reflected in these essays, span different times, cultures, and audiences. While my most challenging ministry experiences have centered on Muslim and Christian relations, readers are encouraged to examine their own lives, considering people or groups they have encountered and don’t understand, which requires them to exhibit a more profound understanding. In today’s world, where people are called upon to demonstrate their faith in thoughts, words, deeds, and lifestyle, more than ever, this book offers a guide for crossing the boundaries of human differences, expanding the concern for prophetic justice, theology, and Christian missions. The question, “How do we treat people who are different from us and are different in what they believe?” became very personal when I served as a mission co-worker in Juba, Sudan, with the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC). Although I loved working with the government’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (developing the curriculum for teaching Christian Education throughout the country and teaching in the Juba Girls Secondary School) and working with the SCC’s Women Programme, the Muslim public tended not to like me. Why? Because I rode a motorcycle, the only means of transportation available. It was acceptable for Sudanese men and Europeans to ride motorcycles, but not me - a woman from the West and of the African diaspora (i.e., Black). This experience marked the beginning of my journey to understand human differences, particularly the intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, religion, and culture. In the contemporary United States, present and future leaders must reflect on the Christian values of diversity, equity, and inclusion to faithfully bear witness to Jesus Christ’s liberating and transformative message. With this in mind, the essays in this volume, produced by the first African American to earn a PhD in missiology from Fuller Theological Seminary, School of World Mission (Pasadena, California), offer a unique and compelling perspective. They are not designed to influence Christian leaders on how to think. Instead, as a memoir, the intent is to stimulate and motivate readers to engage in holistic thinking and deep-level learning about our exciting and challenging, multicultural world from the perspective of missiology as intercultural studies.
About the Author
Rev. Marsha Snulligan Haney, PhD is a professor emerita of missiology and religions of the world. Her passion as a theological educator is preparing the present and the next generations of ecumenical, interfaith, and intercultural ministry leaders. With her extensive experience and knowledge, she uses African American religious experiences as a trajectory to connect faith, mission, and prophetic justice.