Original Research

Missional postures and practices for South African Baptist churches

Desmond Henry
Verbum et Ecclesia | Vol 39, No 1 | a1817 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/ve.v39i1.1817 | © 2018 Desmond Henry | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 27 October 2017 | Published: 31 July 2018

About the author(s)

Desmond Henry, Department of Theology, North-West University, South Africa

Abstract

This article enumerates the importance of a missional posture in our Baptist cultural moment and details various issues related to the author’s definition of the concept missio Dei. Moving to contextual practices among South African Baptists, the author deals with missional practices deployed in the Baptist context from a participant observer basis. Important principles for the effective implementation of those missional practices across the evangelical denominational divide can be drawn.

Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article seeks to challenge the modern conception of church as attractional and presents an alternative model that aligns with the recent missional conversations by highlighting five missional practices for congregations to implement for the common good. The fields of theology, missiology and ecclesiology are impacted by this study as it uses the author’s contextual findings as participant observer.

Keywords

Missional; Baptist; South Africa; Missional practices; missio Dei; culture; Lausanne

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