Mission Petition Rationale

Introduction:  Our mission should start with faithful words and action. Individuals must choose discipleship for themselves. No one can “make” them disciples. By God’s grace, others may be inspired to discipleship by our witness.

The current version of ¶ 120 from the 2016 Book of Discipline.

• ¶ 120. The Mission—The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Local churches and extension ministries of the Church provide the most significant arenas through which disciple-making occurs.

The proposed revised version.

• ¶ 120. The Mission—The mission of the Church is to teach and demonstrate the love of God for all so others may be inspired to join us as disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

The link to the full text of the proposed changes appears below this Rationale Summary. It is followed by a more detailed analysis and referenced appendices. 

A Rationale Summary

The following paragraphs explain the following:

• The reason the mission statement needs to be changed

• The rationale for the new language

• The reason this change is compatible with scripture

The reason the mission statement needs to change

The phrase “make disciples” is misleading language based on unjustified translations

The phrase “make disciples” has implications that rationalized violent and evil actions on the part of Christians throughout the history of the Church. The word “make” was used to justify forced conversions and the murder of people who failed to convert throughout colonization of earth by Europeans. Even the Methodist Church supported the removal of Native American children from their families to “make” them civilized Christians.

The word “make” also overlooks the fact that discipleship must be chosen by the new disciples themselves. No person, nor the church as a body, can “make” someone a disciple.

The biblical justification for removing “make disciples” as an appropriate translation of Matthew 28:19 is given below.

The mission of the Church is not just proselytizing

The second reason the mission statement needs to change is it connotes “proselytizing” without any mention of our mission to follow the way of Jesus as described throughout the gospels.

The current mission statement contains a second sentence that is not part of the mission

The third reason for the change is that the second sentence of the current mission statement is an explanation. It is a comment with which we agree, but is better placed in ¶ 121. Rationale for Our Mission. The phrasing has been changed to remove the word “make”.

The rationale for the new language

Following the way of Jesus as a prerequisite for seeking new disciples

It is difficult to summarize the Christian life in a few words, but we have chosen “to teach and demonstrate the love of God for all.” Because of our love for God, we support the church by our witness (teaching) and our service (demonstration). We understand the love of neighbor refers to all people everywhere. Just as Jesus went to those lost in the eyes of the world of power, so must we.

Seeking to let God inspire new disciples through our faithful words and actions

The phrase “so others may be inspired to join us as disciples of Jesus Christ” summarizes the way we believe both Jesus and the early church gathered new disciples. An argument for why “inspire” is the most appropriate word to describe how the church is grown appears below. This also emphasizes that we are not only inspiring disciples but being disciples ourselves.

Retention of “the transformation of the world”

“For the transformation of the world” is retained from the original mission statement to emphasize that we seek to change the world for the better. Our belief, unstated in the mission text but explained in the rationale, is that we must transform the world to one more just, kind and faithful.

The reason this change is compatible with scripture

Teaching and demonstrating God’s love for all

Our mission is not simply church growth. Our highest priority is to follow the greatest commandments to love God and to love neighbor. (Matthew 12:30-31) The current mission statement does not address “living lives worthy of our calling.”(Ephesians 4:1) 

God’s love for all, as proven by the life and death of Jesus, is a common theme throughout the New Testament (Romans 5-8). There are no conditions except acceptance of this love. (Galatians 3:28)

Inspired to join us as disciples

The current language in the Mission Statement comes from Matthew 28:19. The word “make” does not appear in the original Greek. It uses the verb “disciple” instead. This certainly implies the spread of the gospel to new people, but we must look to Jesus and the early church for how to accomplish this.

Jesus invites disciples, but they follow him because God inspires them to do so. (see especially John 1:40-42) They do not follow because he orders them. At least one person invited to follow Jesus did not do so (Mark 10:21-22).

The apostle Paul also obtains new disciples by teaching the blessings of becoming disciples. But he points to God as the one who “gives the increase.” (1 Corinthians 3:6) 

The English word “inspire” evokes the Holy Spirit working in all people. (Job 32:8 and 2 Timothy 3:16)

The proposed language means by teaching and living according to the gospel, God may inspire others to become disciples. 

Click here to read the entire Mission Petition Rationale