Mission drift

Torbjörn Toll and Klas Lundström. In front the Grading committe: Sven-Erik Brodd, professor of Church studies, Uppsala university; Kjell-Åke Nordquist, professor of International Relations with special focus on Practical Peacebuilding and Human Rights, University College Stockholm; Martina Björkander, Associate Professor in Practical Theology and post-doc researcher at the Polin Institute at Åbo Akademi.

On Friday I attended an academic event at University College Stockholm. (In Swedish: Enskilda Högskolan Stockholm – EHS). A friend and colleague, Torbjörn Toll, defended his doctoral thesis:

ACT Alliance and the Refugee Crisis: Ecclesiology and Tensions in Refugee Assistance

It is always interesting to attend such an event. It goes without saying that the defence only is a small part of the doctoral project. To become a doctor in Sweden you need to spend at least four years of full-time studies. The defence usually takes two hours. Still, it is part of the examination. As the respondent you are expected to answer the questions that the opponent puts and show an ability to discuss your findings with the opponent. Faculty examiner Klas Lundström, Associate Professor of Missiology, Johannelund School of Theology in Uppsala served as opponent this time.

The reason for writing about the defence is that I have not had the time to read the thesis. Therefore, I base this blog post on what I heard at the defence. One concept was new for me: Mission drift. Torbjörn mentions it in his introduction when he formulates his research questions. He describes the tensions that are defined as …

… practical challenges that may, or may not, show a discrepancy “between what a church claims to be and what it is in reality.”

And then he explains what “mission drift is”.

Tensions may be an indication that Christian aid agencies are suffering from a mission drift and loss of Christian identity.

When I google on this concept I end up in a book with the name

Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches

It was published in 2014 by Bethany House Publishers and the authors are Peter Greer, Anna Haggard and Chris Horst. Their explanation of the concept on the website of Peter Greer is:

Too often, as Christian organizations grow, the Gospel often becomes cursory, expendable, or even forgotten. Again and again, leaders have watched their ministries, businesses, and nonprofits professionalize, expand, and lose sight of their original goals. Even churches can stray from their calling.

My impression is that Torbjörn, who lives in Ethiopia with his family, has an understanding that the churches in Ethiopia – especially the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus – takes part in aid work driven by their Christian faith. But there are tensions between the churches, which have a mission to “reach every person with the gospel and the sacramental life of the church” and the development-aid organisations, that have a slithglty different agenda. Which is understandable when the funds come from states and other secular donors. 

I will need to read the thesis in order to find out more about how Torbjörn describes this tension and what the possible way forward is. I guess the tension will always be there. It is important, however, to have this conversation. Otherwise, the risk for mission drift will be obvious. 

Towards the end of the event even the audience were allowed to ask questions. I especially appreciated that Ezra Gebremedhin, associate professor in Church History, Uppsala university, said a few words. Ezra is born in Ethiopia and has for instance been the General Secretary of the Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. He is 90 years old. He was the only person who referred directly to a Bible passage. He spoke about the parable about the Good Samaritan as a way of bridging the gap and appreciate the tension between the sacramental life of the Church and the calling to serve in a humanitarian way. 

Thorbjörn defended his thesis with vigour and conviction. After a short break with refreshments for all the visitors, the result was revealed. Torbjörn Toll is now Doctor of Theology. Congratulations!