The objective of this thesis is to analyze the ‘life-serving integral mission theory’ of Prof. Dr. Hee-Mo Yim and to apply it to African mission field, especially to the Maasai mission of the Samaritan Mission in Kenya where I have served as a mission-designer since 2011. That’s why this thesis contains theological reflection on the relation between the era of ecosystem and Christian mission, analysis on the eco-structure of Maasai society and application of the ‘life-serving integral mission theory’ to the Samaritan Mission. To achieve this purpose, I analyzed texts, visited and observed several mission fields, interviewed many missionaries, analyzed various contextual factors related to Maasai, and studied the Bible.
As an outcome of the research and investigation, it is obvious that there is an urgent crisis on the ecosystem of the globe. The crisis has been caused by the greediness of humankind for over-development. It threats now humankind and destroys the sustainability of the global ecosystem. Due to this, it appears that ecological new world-views like Gaia theory and On-saeng-myeong theory rise up. All those are signs that God calls all Christian mission bodies to cooperate in the Missio Dei to save lives and change themselves to be apt for ecosystem through practicing the life-serving integral mission.
Ecological perspective points out that the Tri-Unity God has the ecological self-identity and world-relationship. It has been expressed through the Missio Dei redemption narrative which is oriented to relational-communal deliverance to make God’s people and the world sustainable. Meanwhile, ecological world-view expanses the self-horizon and holiness-horizon, and it also makes mission-horizon changed up to the global ecosystem dimension. Therefore Churches can’t do their mission well without considering ecological problems and reflecting on the ecological nature of God and the world because Christian mission should become accorded with the gospel and at the same time become proper to context.
Ecological perspective on mission demands churches to practice more integral mission. It should be achieved by balancing and elliptical unification between evangelism and contextual praxis theologically. But it is only the integration between kerygma and diakonia ecclesiologically. That is why it also should be reinforced by the koinonia factor. Missions of churches also need to combine various tasks like evangelism, indigenization, inculturation, contextualization and ecological praxis. They have been accumulated as missional tradition of churches. It is good to regard them as missional talents and missional marks of churches. Eventually, the life-serving integral mission points to ecologically superlative balance, persists to make the mind, culture and institution of mankind balanced ecologically and seek after the ecosystemization of churches and Christian mission itself.
The Samaritan Mission has been practicing evangelism, education, health and life care and even community development programmes among Maasai people in Namanga Division Kenya since 2002. Even though it’s mission has been working well, there are some limits like financial problems, lack of proper curriculums for the pupils in the Mission Academy, one-side-giving relationship with the local community which make the sustainability of it’s mission worse. With the viewpoint from the life-serving integral mission theory, the Samaritan Mission need to adapt narrative-centered preaching and reinforce sacraments in it’s worship services to change the core narrative of the congregation and also to make them missionary people. It is necessary for pastors to be empowered with missionary mind through highly developed self-training environments like a local library or a bible study course. A curriculum on Maasai traditional heritage would be helpful for missionaries to understand Maasai people and for pupils to raise their identity as Maasai people and at the same time Christian missionary people. It is certain that more concern should be given to ecological issues and feminism agenda. Maasai people needs some help to accommodate to the modern life style, because they are meeting the wave of the Western modernity in the situation of neo-liberal globalization. Several ideas were presented to help with these things in this thesis.
In order to practice the life-serving integral mission, it is suggested eventually that the basic unit for mission praxis had better be changed from individuals to teams which are formed by the cooperation centered on talents. The community-centered model for mission is supported by the New Testament. It is found that Jesus’ mission was something by communal units, to communities and to make new communities. It is same from Paul’s missionary ministry. It calls for transforming spirituality for mission to make the change. That is the reason why this thesis suggests spiritual virtues as missional characters. They consist of characteristics to make missionary bodies able to live together, understand minds of others and learn from others. There are also regulations like ‘Messianic praxis’, ‘generous to others but strict with oneself’ and ‘towardness or friendliness with marginal others’. It suggests that missionary bodies should consider that ‘the characteristics of process, narrative and ellipse’ are very important in the life and work.