Missional Leadership

It is becoming increasingly common to talk about Britain as a post-Christian or at least a post-Christendom society - that is, one in which the church has not only declined in numbers but also has moved in the position it has in society. It has, by and large, shifted from the centre to the margins, and thus needs to recapture its identity, not as part of the establishment but instead as a radical movement called to share in God’s mission as she proclaims and demonstrates the Kingdom of God. Cultural changes in the UK mean that today’s churches face the same challenges of engaging cross-culturally as do overseas missionaries. In other words, churches need to move from seeing their task as maintaining the status quo to seeing it as being missional.

In response to this, new forms of church are being explored. There is no single pattern here - these new forms are as varied and diverse as the cultures with which they seek to engage. Along with the rise of the charismatic mega-churches come Fresh Expressions, Church Without Walls, Emerging Church and others. Along with these new forms of church life, many church leaders face the challenge of seeking to transform existing “inherited” church in order to recapture their missional identity. This is not just about learning new techniques to communicate with post-modern culture. There are theological, missiological and practical dimensions to this. Indeed, what is required is a deep change as individual Christians and churches come to terms with life and mission in post-Christendom.

In response to the theological, missiological and practical challenges which are presented by the call to be a missional church, ICC has launched a specialism in Missional Leadership. This will help prepare those who share in leadership of churches exploring new ways of engaging with the variety of cultures in post-Christendom. As well as the core courses in Biblical studies and theology which all students take, those undertaking the specialism will take a designated pathway through the elective courses, covering themes including the Meaning and Mission of the Church, Church Planting, and Secularism, Pluralism and Christian Mission. As well as these courses, students will also do two placements in missional church settings, to enable them to develop their gifts in this area and to integrate their studies with their practice.