Newsletter, September 2002
To the members of the IAMS-Interest Group HEALING
and all who are interested and would like to join.
Dear Friends,
During these past months our plans for future study and research have gained some momentum, and definitely more clarity. We want our work towards and during the Kuala Lumpur IAMS Conference of 2004 to become a significant step in the world-wide process leading to the 2005 World Mission Conference organised by CWME, Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches. This conference will most probably be held in Greece and focus on:
“CALLED IN CHRIST TO BE RECONCILING AND HEALING COMMUNITIES”.
Dagmar Plum had an opportunity to go to Geneva and could meet with Jacques Matthey and Manoj Kurian on August 14. In preparation for this World Mission Conference in 2005, CWME is stimulating national or regional encounters of interested people in different parts of the world and would welcome the participation of IAMS members.
- In Africa a meeting will be held in Ghana from december 4 to 8, 2002, specifically geared to dialogue with people in healing ministries coming from Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions. Contact person: Jacques Matthey, CWME P.O.Box 2100, CH-1211 Geneva 2, e-mail jem@wcc-coe.org
- Efforts are being made towards having a similar meeting for French speaking Africa. Contact person: Jacques Matthey
- In Europe a conference: anglican-lutheran dialogue on new aspects in christian ministries of healing, will be held at Christian Jensen Kolleg, Breklum, Germany from 6-8 November 2002. Applications can be sent to: Christian Jensen Kolleg, Kichenstras.4, 25821 Breklum, e-mail c.jensen-kolleg@t-online.de
For other continents meetings are still in the initial planning phase:
- Manoj Kurian will try to bring some people together in Asia, possibly in the Christian Medical Centre in Vellore, India. Contact person: Manoj Kurian, CWME address, e-mail mku@wcc-coe.org
- For the Caribean E.Anthony Allen will also try to initiate something and hopefully become the coordinator: 8 Durham Avenue, Kingston 6, Jamaica, e-mail tonlit@kasnet.com
- A meeting with Spanish-speaking missiologists and practitioners is also envisaged..
- Undoubtedly some initiative will come forth in North America as well.
We realise that most of us are already highly committed and could not take on additional work. Yet we hope that at least some will be able to participate in regional/national encounters and in the cross-fertilisation that will take place there. Our personal research, interest, or urgent questions, might well be within the focus of these meetings and in that sense it would not be additional work, rather intensification or deepening of our own research.
Christoffer Grundmann has suggested as one of the themes for the IAMS conference: “Inviting or Fighting the Spirit(s)- the case of healing and exorcism”. Having made known his interest in this topic, he is challenging others, individuals as well as groups, to consider it. Those interested could contact him at e-mail Christoffer.Grundmann@valpo.edu
As the next IAMS conference will take place in an Islamic country Dagmar Plum would like to do some studies/research on the following question: “How did/does the relationship between medical mission sisters/Christian health workers and Muslims evolve since the time that Anna Dengel in 1925 laid the foundation for it in Pakistan by offering medical care to Pakistani people and women in particular?” Those interested in this question can contact Dagmar at d.plummmz@wolmail.nl
Looking forward to our meeting in Malaysia all of us would benefit from some or other sounding board, either regional, local or through e-mail, that would help us to come well prepared. This time we will not have an initial input to the sessions, but we expect the participants to come with a short paper, maybe only one page, or one statement, to the Mission Study group HEALING. This solid preparation will then lead to a wider cross-cultural exchange and exploration of what it means in different contexts and situations to be reconciling and healing communities, and of its implications for the Churches in today’s world. Such an exchange will undoubtedly contribute to and be supported by the general theme of the IAMS Conference:
INTEGRITY OF MISSION IN THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL: BEARING THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT.
We will keep you informed of any further developments, and invite you to do the same. Looking forward to an increase in interaction through our e-mail network, we wish one another and the communities to which we belong peace and joy in our quest for healing,
Godelieve Prové, convenor IAMS Interest-group Healing