The continuing conversion of the Australian Church: A missional conversation with Darrell Guder

Abstract

The Christian church in Australia faces a challenging mission context. In our secular yet post-secular, post-Christian yet multi-religious society, Christianity is becoming increasingly marginalized. Christianity’s challenge is to rediscover its missional imperative through a process of innovative recalibration that is true to its founding apostolic gospel, and also reflects the ‘new’ cultural context in which it finds itself in 21st-century Australia. This article engages in a missional conversation with Darrell Guder, a seminal thinker in the Gospel and our Culture Network, seeking insights into how the global conversation on mission might apply the Australian context. Guder visited Melbourne, Australia in May–June 2012, during which time he challenged church leaders to rediscover the missional nature of Christianity. His was a summons to the continuing conversion of the Australian church, especially focusing on the need to re-imagine church around mission, reclaim the centrality of evangelism, confront the reductionism of the gospel and foster interdependence among congregations and with the global church.