Evangelical Missiological Society, "EMS Southwest Regional Meeting", April 4th 2024

Ted Proffitt, Joshua Project

A Missiology of Ecclesiology

This presentation is based on my systematic theology of mission, a work in progress, which I hope will be improved by interaction with those in attendance. After a brief introduction concerning the church as sodality of mission that makes people into disciples, the paper defines the church’s mission and mission as central to ecclesiology as the church joins God in missio Dei, thus making the church missional. This is followed by a life cycle of the church, church growth and development, and church death as seen in Scripture (but never discussed in systematic theology or church growth studies, despite its reality in today’s First World). The paper concludes with a section on the six-self church.