From the Editorial
In 1908, the London Missionary Society put on an exhibition titled “The Pageant of Darkness and Light” to highlight the spread of the gospel to the four corners of the world. Many would have been introduced to a poem attributed to John Oxenham titled “In Christ there is no East or West.”
In Christ there is no East or West,
in Him no South or North;
but one great fellowship of love
throughout the whole wide earth.
Oxenham’s powerful imagery speaks of the global spread of the church. And while many who attended the conference may have thought that this was a new phenomenon, a deeper examination of world history reveals that the Christian faith spread in all directions from the very beginning.
In this issue of Mission Round Table, we introduce some of the directions in which the church grew from an early age.
No matter whether it is relating to Christians from other parts of the world and different church traditions or co-workers who differ from us in the way they communicate the gospel or treat others, let us learn what we can to understand each other and cooperate in ministry. May we be known as people who act out Oxenham’s exhortation:
Join hands then, Brothers of the Faith,
Whatever your race may be!
Who serves my Father as a son
Is surely kin to me.
Contents
A Historical Overview of Coptic Contribution in Missio Dei – Riad Ghobrial
Orthodox Mission in Evangelical Perspective – Mark Oxbrow
Global Christianity and Global Mission – Walter McConnell
Redemptive Analogies: Jesus Christ and the Buddhist Bodhisattva – Nathan Martin
Galatians 2:11–21 Paul Rebukes Cephas (Peter): How to Confront Another Christian – David Eastwood
Book review – Intercultural Discipleship: Learning from Global Approaches to Spiritual Formation
