Escobar

“COMIBAM, the largest coordinating agency of Latin American missions shows that the
number of Latin American missionaries in the year 2001 was 6,455. These figures do
not take into account the number of migrants from the majority world that carry on
missionary work in the countries where they move as migrants or refugees.”(15)1
“Catholics in Latin America are concerned by the fact that though half the Catholics of the world live in Latin America, only 2% of the Catholic missionary force comes from that region.”(15)2

argues that in many marginalized churches a stewardship for survival leads to greater voluntarism and lay involvement. (16)3

points to economic and social disparaties as an obstacle to partnership. (17)4

“Third, participation in global mission requires established and durable institutional
structures. Some young churches in the south are characterized by institutional fragility
and weakness which make difficult the existence of a continuous pattern of support and
care for the missionary effort. In the enthusiastic or charismatic phase of a movement
institutional structures are secondary and there is even a revolt against them, because
revival has broken the structures. However, structures are indispensable and again, they
have to be contextual. This contextuality is very important in relation to the frame of
disparity that we have observed above. The reproduction of support structures that reflect
the needs and demands of an affluent society requires drastic revision.” (17)5

wonders whether the IURD should be invited to Edingburgh 2010. (18)6

S Escobar, “Mission from Everywhere to Everyone: the Home Base in a New Century” Towards 2010 Homepage Available online at www.towards2010.org.uk/papers.htm [Accessed August 4 2008]