Indigenous peoples and mission – summary of consultation
Representantives from Church of Norway, NGOs involved in mission, and academics have been gathered in Tromsø 18-19 January 2018 discussing the relationship between the indigenous peoples and church and mission.
A brief summary follows:
We, the participants of the discussion in Tromsø wish to acknowledge that:
• all of humankind is created in the image of God (Gen 1,26)
• traces of God can be found in all places and among all
• peoples shall and are called to participate in the praise of God (Rev 7,9-10;21,24.26)
• as Christians we are all one in Christ (Gal 3,28).
• our diversity as peoples is part of the diversity in God´s creation
• all of humankind are in need of Christ and the Church is constituted to bring Christ to all peoples
• while as followers of Jesus Christ we have a vocation to bring the gospel to all people, we have no right to impose our culture on other people, or consider one culture as superior to another
• Our christian faith both affirms and challenges different aspects of all cultures
We want to encourage our churches and organizations to
• recognize God in all cultures and creation
• focus on sharing the gospel in a holistic way through forgiveness of sins, struggle for justice, reconciliation and healing
• join the often impoverished indigenous peoples in the struggle for livelihood, their own perception of history, maintain their roots and identity, and self-determination of governance and planning their future
• peel off the layers of colonialization so that the gospel can be received and implemented in a way that is relevant in different cultures among the peoples
• focus on the struggles of indigenous youth with their identity as Christians, struggles that are caused by the churches’ role in assimilation and cultural oppression
• recognize, name and counteract the dynamics of the abuse of power and structures of inequality
• continue to work in coalition with indigenous peoples in ways that empower and liberate
• strengthen indigenous peoples ownership of Christian faith
• learn from genuine and life-affirming aspects of indigenous cultures, and let them enrich the various churches´ understanding of Bible and faith
• take steps to assure that Christian mission is a humble, accompanying and empowering presence among indigenous people
We encourage indigenous communities to
• take part in ecumenical and cross-cultural networks and dialogue
• share their experience and understanding of the christian faith with others
The discussion was hosted by
Samisk kirkeråd - Sami Church Council, Church of Norway
Samarbeid menighet og misjon - Congregation in Mission, Church of Norway
Mellomkirkelig Råd - Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations
Nord-Hålogaland bispedømme - Nord-Hålogaland Diocese, Church of Norway