I. MISSIO DEI: THE MOTIVATION FOR SOUTH-SOUTH STRATEGY

The theological foundation for a Lutheran understanding of global mission is Missio Dei -- the understanding that mission is, primarily and ultimately, the work of the Triune God, for the sake of the world. Christians, both individually and collectively, are called to participate in God's mission. In doing so, we join in a companionship. We participate by using our own gifts and by receiving the gifts of others.

The South-South strategy stated by ELCA Global Mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) applies this concept of Missio Dei. The South-South program enables the ELCA to discover, receive, and share a variety of gifts which have been underutilized in North-South patterns of mission. Thus, the resources for truly global mission are expanded beyond those of the ELCA.

ELCA Global Mission's South-South strategy is a response to God's call to mission for the ELCA. It is a way to be stewards of God=s gifts, including the capacity of listening to those with whom we work in God=s mission, networking, and facilitating companionship among churches of the South. Each of these expressions of the global church involves unique mission responsibilities, but resources are shared in ways that make it possible for each Christian community to participate in God's mission according to its own gifts.

II. DEFINING THE SOUTH-SOUTH STRATEGY

South-South ministry is the

process of sharing gifts among

companions viewed as equally valuable through

programs for enhancing ministry and leadership development among

communities of unrecognized potential

currently present in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, and the "other Americas" (repressed groups within North America).

Note: Each of the italicized terms in this definition will be explained in this section.

A. South may be used in two ways. The Southern Hemisphere literally refers to continents geographically south of the Equator, primarily Africa, South America, and parts of Asia. Symbolically though, South refers to countries or regions in which conditions of repression or lack of economic development have hindered full participation in the global community (including countries of Central and Eastern Europe). In the context of the modern missionary movement over the past two hundred years, North has referred to sending countries and South to receiving countries. But now the emphasis is on mission between countries in the South in the symbolic sense.

B. The most critical concept is that of companions. Companions are equal co-workers in God's mission, and together they affirm a common understanding of how God is working in a particular place. Who the companions are and how they relate is central. In South-South ministry, there are always at least three companions: (a) the ELCA Global Mission, (b) the sending community, and (c) the receiving community. Although these companions have distinct roles, each is viewed as equally valuable in accomplishing the goal of fulfilling God's mission. This mission is carried out through companions sharing one another=s gifts. Patterns other than the traditional bilateral sending and funding/receiving relationships are established.

South-South strategy has the potential of utilizing natural groupings of peoples in regions of the world. It affirms and contributes to a concept discussed in the Non-aligned Movement: the establishment of regional groups which have natural political, economic, cultural, and social ties. In the past, most church companionship have overlooked these opportunities. The strongest links have been between churches of the South and churches of the North. As one the ELCA Global Mission missionary has said, "the roads running North and South are wide, smooth, paved highways, while the roads running East and West are narrow dirt roads filled with ruts and potholes."

C. The process for engaging in South-South ministry is ongoing, as new opportunities and challenges arise. The planning process will be cyclical, with repeated review and adjustment. Decisions are by consensus, but companions are accountable to one another to fulfill their respective responsibilities. Each companion is in communication with the others, and relationships are established and nurtured among all companions.

D. Sharing gifts is central to South-South strategy.

1. The process of sharing gifts depends on several factors:
   1. The awareness of potential gifts possessed by various companions;
   2. A vision to see how needs in one body may be met by resources in another;
   3. A capacity for networking and especially the exchange of information.
2. There are several varieties of gifts:
   1. Funding to support projects;
   2. Personnel with needed qualifications and abilities;
   3. Expertise and experience to guide in the wise stewardship of resources;
   4. Spiritual gifts such as faith, prayer, vision, commitment, and ability to strengthen the body of Christ.

F. A participating community is most often a national church with which the ELCA is in accompaniment, working together in God=s mission. In some cases the participating community may be an organization which is ecumenical or independent, such as an institution, agency, or people=s organization.

G. Work in communities of unrecognized potential has the goal of nurturing and developing gifts which have been suppressed or repressed through economic, political, cultural, or other forces. The lack of development of potential is most often the result of exploitation and repression. Therefore, the concept of South-South ministry is a priori subversive, because it is a strategy which seeks to correct the wrongs of generations and even centuries.

III. HISTORICAL CHALLENGE AND HOPE FOR CHANGE

For most of the past two centuries, the primary models of Christian mission have come from the North. As churches of the South have grown, matured, and become centers of global mission, the assumption continues that Northern models of mission structures, ministries, and styles are the norm. The ways mission has been carried out by churches of the North are assumed to be the patterns for all mission.

Resources which may be shared through the South-South program are of many different kinds, including human, financial, and cultural. However, financial resources are often seen as having more value than other types of resources. Because one of the possible gifts of the ELCA through the ELCA Global Mission is funding for South-South projects, we face the dilemma of exercising greater ownership and control (perceived and/or actual) instead of being one of several equal and equally valued companions in God=s mission. Thus, one of the greatest challenges to the South-South strategy is how to share control appropriately and effectively.

The Holy Spirit acts among God's people in each generation, empowering them to reinterpret the Gospel in light of the particular challenges of their age. As the South-South strategy reflects a fresh, pertinent insight into the Gospel, it gives rise to hope. This hope empowers us to challenge the underlying assumptions of the patterns of the past and wrestle with fundamental questions such as the following:

• How are decisions made?
• What rules should govern the decision-making process? How are they determined?
• How and to whom are all the players accountable for their actions? What are the limits of accountability?
• How is a sense of ownership developed?

IV. SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ELCA Global Mission'S SOUTH-SOUTH STRATEGY

The South-South program of the ELCA Global Mission began on an experimental basis in 1988, in response to the need for mission to be in harmony with the global realities of the late twentieth century. A new position, Director for Global Community, was set up and given a general mandate to develop South-South relationships and projects. A substantial budget and logistical support were also provided. Since the program was new, there were few precedents and no written guidelines.

During the first few years the Director traveled to many parts of the world, conferring with church leaders and creating interest in activities which have since become South-South projects. The Director discovered opportunities to begin experimental programs and exchanges as well as ways to facilitate and fund them. But he also encountered questioning and skepticism, especially in light of the ELCA Global Mission=s dwindling financial resources.

In discussions among companion church leaders, staff, and the ELCA Global Mission board, two things were emphasized about Global Community activities: 1) the importance of companionship and alliances between churches of the south, and 2) the importance of developing financial self-support to reduce dependence on northern sources of funds.

In 1990 the board of the ELCA Global Mission adopted priorities for its overseas work. The first priority of the division is Evangelism, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Another of the five priorities is to facilitate in establishing South-South Relationships. The priorities document produced emphasizes the following points:

"ELCA Global Mission has chosen as a priority the developing, facilitating, and nurturing of exchanges, relationships, cooperation, and mutual involvement in mission among the churches of the South-- Africa, Asia, Central/Eastern Europe and Latin America."

"ELCA Global Mission will encourage and empower cooperation among churches in the South by helping them to engage in bilateral and multilateral conferences and dialogue to identify common problems and search for possible effective solutions."

"ELCA Global Mission will encourage and empower leadership development for churches in the South that will effectively meet the local and regional present and future needs of these churches."

"ELCA Global Mission will cooperate with the Lutheran World Federation and other ecumenical agencies to identify, inventory and encourage the sharing of appropriate resources among churches in the South and between churches in the South and those of the North."

By the early 1990s the idea of Global Community had developed from a vision into a reality, in several ways. For instance:

• a strong international program was established at Waldorf College;
• Ongoing relationships were developed with the Conference of International Black Lutherans (CIBL);
• a meeting of General Secretaries of churches in Africa was held in Nairobi in 1992.

In addition, during this period scholarships and pilot projects involving South-to-South missionaries began to provide ELCA Global Mission an experimental base for developing policies and guidelines.

Initially Global Community was a separate unit, supported by its own budget. But as the program of South--South companionship developed, the need for integration with ongoing ELCA Global Mission activities became obvious. In 1993 the position of Director for Global Community was combined with that of Director for Overseas Operations. This merger was designed to ensure that Global Community would be integrated into all of the ELCA Global Mission=s overseas activities.

In late 1994 a staff committee was appointed to review completed and ongoing South-South projects and to develop a policy statement in light of what the ELCA Global Mission had learned from both positive and negative aspects of various projects. This committee also engaged in theological reflection on many issues related to a South-South strategy. A policy statement was produced which received extensive discussion and input from other ELCA Global Mission staff and board members, and which was revised several times before being accepted by the ELCA Global Mission board in October 1995.

V. EXAMPLES OF THE ELCA Global Mission SOUTH-SOUTH PROJECTS

ELCA Global Mission has supported a number of South-South companionship and scholarship programs. Some of these are briefly described in this section.

A. Current and Past South-South Scholarship Programs:

1. Physicians from Madagascar have served residencies in Tanzania and Niger
2. Students from Zimbabwe have studied at the Pietermaritzburg School of Theology at the University of Natal, South Africa.
3. A Japanese pastor and his wife studied liberation theology and Spanish in Lima, Peru, in preparation for ministry to Spanish-speaking and marginalized people in Japan.
4. Students from Sierra Leone studied theology in seminaries in Singapore, Tanzania, and Nigeria.
5. A Pastor from Papua New Guinea attended seminary in Fiji for a Masters of Arts.
6. A student from Ethiopia studies for a Masters of Arts in Theology and a Tanzanian studies Master of Theology at the University of Natal, South Africa.
7. A woman from Tanzania is working on her bachelors in Sociology and Administration in Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya.
8. A couple from Nepal study for a Masters of Divinity at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong, China.
9. A Papua New Guinean is studying for a Ph.D. at the University of Queensland.
10. A Tanzanian is studying with an Islamic emphasis at the Henry Martyn Institute in Hyderabad, India.
11. Two men from the Central African Republic study for a Masters of Divinity at the Faculte de Theologie Prostestante in Yaounde, Cameroon.
12. A Malagasy Dr. does a residency in Urology at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi, Tanzania.
13. A Malagasy woman does continuing education in the medical field in Mauritius.
14. A woman from Peru studies for a Bachelor of Divinity at Escola Superior de Teologia in Sao Leopoldo, Brazil.

B. Some South-South Missionary Examples:

1. The fist missionaries to serve in the ELCA Global Mission=s South-South program were a married couple, Dr. Solofonianina Rakotoarivelo, "Dr. Solofo," and Dr. Joely Ravaoarimanga, "Dr. Joly" from Madagascar. They served in Garoua Boulai, Cameroon from 1990 to 1995. Their two young sons accompanied them. Dr. Joely worked with women=s groups as well as working at the hospital. Dr. Solofo went on to study Islamics at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Solofo and Dr. Joely and their family are in Madagascar serving as administrators in SALFA, the Lutheran Medical Services of the Malagasy Lutheran Church.
2. Pastor Edward and Parmata Ishaya from Nigeria served as missionaries in Sierra Leone from 1990 to 1994. Edward trained evangelists and began working with Muslim villagers. Parmata was an educator and assisted in setting up educational programs. They were sent by the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) to serve with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sierra Leone (ELCSL) with financial support from ELCA. The project was coordinated through LWF. Pr. Ishaya=s word and sacrament ministry to Liberian refugees in Sierra Leone led to the formation of a congregation of more than 300 Liberians. Edward and Parmata are in Nigeria with Edward serving as Principal of a theological training institute.
3. A physician from Madagascar, Dr. Mamy Ranaoivoson, his wife Noelisoa, and their four young daughters were called to serve in Papua New Guinea. After English language study in Australia. Dr. Mamy served as Chief Administrator and physician at a two hospitals in Papua New Guinea. The first was on KarKar Island with a population of 40,000 people. Dr. Mamy was the only medical doctor on the island. Later he served in a similar position at Yaguam Health Care Center outside of the city of Madang. The story of Dr. Mamy can be viewed in the 1998 Mosaic (the video magazine of the ELCA) entitled "A South-South Odyssey."
4. An Indian professor of New Testament, Dr. K. James Carl, and his wife Prema Carl, were sent by the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI) to Lutheran Theological College at Makumira in Tanzania. Dr. Carl first served during a sabbatical leave in Tanzania from1993-94. He helped develop a master=s degree program at Makumira, and was asked to return after retirement. Mrs. Carl did valuable work with faculty and student spouses. ELCA gave a grant to UELCI to fund Dr. Carl=s expenses and salary, and Makumira provided housing.
5. A second Malagasy physician couple went to Cameroon to replace Drs. Solofo and Joely. Dr. Jean Heuric and Dr. Mirelle Rakotomalala were assigned by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cameroon to work in the Lutheran hospital at Garoua Boulai.
6. A third Malagasy couple, Pastor Jean Fenomanana and his wife, Antoinette, were sent to teach Old Testament at the School of Theology in Meigana, Cameroon, for three years.
7. Nena B. Gam-Ad, a nursing instructor from the Philippines, served in the Lutheran School Of Nursing in Madang, Papua New Guinea. Nena was an important link for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Papua New Guinea to their Asian neighbors to the north. Sadly Nena died from heart failure in front of her students in 1997 after serving 5 years.
8. Professor Simon Maimala from South Africa lectured at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Japan. He is currently lecturing in the Theological Studies Department at the University of South Africa in Capetown, South Africa.
9. A grant was sent by the ELCA to support mission work of the Evangelical Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil, which has an outreach ministry in Mozambique. Missionary Omar Lessing was sent to Mozambique to assist Pastor Mbuga from Tanzania.

C. Examples of South-South Mission by the ELCA Global Mission Companions, Independent of the ELCA Global Mission

Our Lutheran companions of the South have undertaken many mission activities independent of the ELCA Global Mission=s South-South program. Some examples are given here. These activities demonstrate that the ELCA Global Mission=s efforts are part of a much larger movement of the Holy Spirit in our time.

1. Hong Kong and Singapore have sent missionaries to Thailand. A new Lutheran church in Thailand has been started with missionaries from Finland, Norway, Hong Kong, and Singapore. A Thai pastor has been sent from this church in Thailand to participate in ministry to Thai guest workers in Singapore.
2. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea has established an outreach program from Papua New Guinea to Aboriginal peoples in Australia.
3. A person has been sent from the Church of Christ in Thailand to Cambodia, in cooperation with the Church World Service and Witness of the World Council of Churches.
4. IECLB in Brazil has sent a seminary professor to Cuba and a pastor to Costa Rica. It has also has brought a lay pastor from Angola for leadership training to Brazil.
5. IELU in Argentina has sent a pastor to Venezuela.
6. Pastor Christopher Mbuga from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, has begun a word and sacrament ministry in Mozambique. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe has sent evangelist Vincent Caucha to help Pastor Mbuga.
7. A Malagasy pastor has been called to Zaire to help the new Lutheran church in Zaire deal with Pentecostal/Charismatic groups within the church. (While the ELCA Global Mission provided a three-year grant through LWF for support of the ministry, the initiative came from Zaire.)

VII. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

The general principles guiding the South-South strategy are summarized here.

A. There are three companions in South-South missionary companionship. These are:

1. ELCA Global Mission ,
2. The sending church or agency, and
3. The calling church or agency

B. The goal of this companionship is mutuality among all companions, while at the same time ensuring equitable provisions for the missionary.

C. The roles of the three companions are as follows:

1. ELCA Global Mission should identify needs and resources, provide accompaniment, supply information to facilitate communication, and provide an Area Program Director for consultation. The APD will assist in negotiations, consult with sending and calling bodies, and identify gifts which can be used globally.
2. The sending church or agency should identify needs and resources for the project; recruit and select missionary candidates; establish and maintain appropriate employer-employee relationships, including supervision; maintain contact with and support of the missionary; and arrange logistics for home leaves.
3. The calling church or agency should identify needs and resources for the project; call or invite the missionary; review the selection of the missionary; and provide supervision and support.

E. An employment contract (or letter of agreement) needs to be made between the missionary and the employer. The sending church or institution is normally the employer, but in some cases the employer may be the receiving church or institution. The contract should provide a job description, and accountability should be specified. The missionary is accountable to both the sending church and the receiving church. The employer is responsible for personnel matters concerning the missionary.

Approved by the board of ELCA Global Mission October, 1995