Religious liberties of missionaries under pressure from within

The unsettling nature and the potential of vulnerable approaches to mission

Abstract

Missionaries’ religious freedom is shaped by their ability to conduct ministry appropriately within speci!c contexts. While legal status plays a role, support structures are equally vital. However, mistrust within the missionary-sender relationship can erode this freedom. ‘Vulnerable’ mission approaches, where Western missionaries exclusively use local languages and resources, often face suspicion. These approaches challenge conventional norms through subverting the use of global languages like English, allowing local interpretations of Scripture, ministering in ways that are regarded to be at odds with ‘holistic’ understandings of mission and seeking cross-cultural proximity that can be viewed as unlawful in the West. Nevertheless, embracing vulnerable mission can help ‘decolonise’ mission and the Church, reducing dependency on the West. Enabling missionaries’ ongoing religious liberties by trusting them with – in today’s world – unconventional or ‘risky’ approaches is essential for fostering faith within indigenous communities that is orthodox yet based on their own cultural-linguistic foundations.