Anglican Mission History
As taught in the Anglican / Episcopal tradition
Learning from the legacy of the CMS, SPG, and the expansion of the Gospel across the globe.
What does it mean for a church that is traditionally "established" and geographically bound to a specific nation to participate in the global missio Dei? This is the central question that Anglican Mission History seeks to answer. Within the Anglican tradition, mission is not merely an external activity of the church; it is an essential attribute of the church’s very being. The history of Anglican missions is a complex tapestry woven from the threads of evangelical zeal, colonial expansion, liturgical consistency, and a burgeoning realization of the "Everywhere to Everywhere" nature of the modern global church. To understand this history, one must look past the simple dates of missionary society foundations and into the deep theological currents that have shaped how Anglicans understand their place in God's redemptive plan for the world.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** the key historical phases of Anglican mission, from the early colonial societies (SPG) to the evangelical-led movements (CMS).
- **Distinguish** between the "Three-Self" formula of Henry Venn and earlier colonial models of church planting.
- **Explain** the Anglican concept of "Mission as Translation" as articulated by Lamin Sanneh and Andrew Walls.
- **Articulate** the biblical basis for mission using the specific Scripture anchors of Acts 13, Romans 15, Matthew 24, and Psalm 67.
- **Trace** the shift in the Anglican Communion’s centre of gravity from the Global North to the Global South during the 20th century.
- **Defend** the importance of the "Five Marks of Mission" as a holistic framework for Anglican witness in the contemporary world.
- **Compare** the Anglican "Via Media" approach to mission with other denominational strategies (e.g., Roman Catholic or Pentecostal).
- **Apply** the historical lessons of Anglican missiology to a local parish context, focusing on the relationship between liturgy, local culture, and evangelism.
Scripture
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