Missiology

India is entering a qualitatively new phase of socio, economic and cultural changes and these are particularly evident in urban India. It is generally agreed that urban people perceive and receive changes more openly than their rural counterparts. Often urbanization and change are interdependent and inter-related. The acceptance level of change among the migrants tends to be much higher comparatively faster. The issue of urbanization and change needs our careful scrutiny so as to gain insights for possible Christian mission among migrants. Attempts are made in this paper to look at the reality of urbanization as an agent of change and examine its impact on select aspects of migrants so as to draw raise pertinent questions for doing Christian mission among them in contemporary urban India.

The Jerusalem Council was concerned with two basic things.  First, it affirmed the unchangeable truth of the Gospel.  Second, the unity and diversity of the church is sanctioned.  It saved the NT church from disintegration.  I would think this was a powerful message to the then world torn between: Pharisees and Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes, Imperials and slaves, Jews and Gentiles, the rich and the poor and even ‘Judaizers and the missionaries’.  The Council freed the gospel from a narrow minded circumcision party. It paved the way for future councils to do theology.  It grounded every one in Christ and his grace but called to do “good works” (Eph. 2: 10).  It is focused on an unconditional ‘embrace’ of all repenting sinners by the Savior.