Celebrating 100 years of missional fog

Paul Johnson asks,

Imagine you can ask any question to eighteen leading writers, thinkers, and speakers who have significantly influenced the “missional church” in American evangelical thought.

That’s what he did on behalf of the Evangelical Missions Quarterly (subscription required).

This line in his report got my attention:

Surprisingly, only nine of the eighteen leaders identified the Great Commission and the making of disciples as the essence or heart of the mission of Christ.

Anybody else catch the irony?

Paul’s conclusion:

It appears that the missional church movement has split into two competing factions. Those who advocate for placing the Great Commission as the mission of Jesus Christ for this age are the strongest proponents for prioritizing the making of disciples. Those who identify the mission of Jesus Christ with the overall reign of God in the world and missio Dei, do not, for the most part, promote either the Great Commission or disciple-making as a central priority to fulfill Christ’s mission.

He asks,

Where do we go from here? Well, that’s another good question to explore.

My point would be that western Christians have been exploring mission for a 100 years and still aren’t going anywhere.

UPDATE: Eighteen Leaders Discuss the Mission of Jesus Christ Today