Missional Encounters of Churches in Sub-Saharan Africa through Grassroots Stories

This volume presents a compilation of studies developed for the International Study Process, marking the centenary of the founding of the International Missionary Council (IMC), 1921 to 2021. Although Africa lacked formal representation in the IMC's inception and early periods - with the exception of South Africa - today, Africa is a major player in global Christianity. The contributing scholars from South Africa and Eastern Africa, organised in two study centres, examine their regions' and churches' involvement with the ecumenical mission movement that shaped the IMC and later the Commission for World Mission and Evangelism. This volume collects their papers in three sections, each reflecting a focus of the study process: first, on the IMC's direct influence or activities, such as in Southern Africa; second, grassroots stories from African churches of mission activities and movements in Eastern Africa driven by indigenous churches; and third, on challenges to and from African churches, tackled both within and beyond the IMC and the CWME, such as mission theology, gender, social services, theological education and the challenges from virtual and digital developments.