Social movements and ministry of the Church
- Part 3 -

Benjamin Gondaimei *

Church located at Mantripukri, Imphal :: Pix - David Mayum

3). a. Christian Strategy

The Christian strategy consists in expressing love for the invisible God by means of visible love for humanity. To build up the kingdom is to shoulder the interest of the exploited and marginalised in a love that is partisan and committed. This partisan committed love built up in a fight against forces that are hostile.

Within this framework of this Christian strategy it is important for Christian to denounce religious attitudes that blocks commitment to the exploited people and hence undermine professed acknowledgement of true God. There is no place for Christian strategy for saying that religion and social movement are incompatible.

From the point of Indian context social movement must rise to bring justice, peace and equality as a duty of the religious element that impede a loving commitment to the exploited people. And this act of social movement does not deny the motives of our beliefs.

To follow the example of the teachings and life of Jesus Christ, to accompany and support people of faith and conscience around the world in the struggle to end poverty and injustice that affect rural communities, and work toward creation of a sustainable society. J. Benton Rhoades said "The rural masses of the world are rising up. Whoever helps them attain their rightful request for land to plant and to educate their children may help to shape the future of the world and of peace. The church should be there."

Faith calls for relentless struggle till every man and women and the cosmos is free and enjoy the dignity God assigns. It is necessary to prepare the people to get into the mainstream of politics since social transformation does not take place without radical political action. If the social movement do not become a corrective force, it has no right to exist.

In the statement of the consultation of Action Groups held at New Delhi, July 6-10, 1981, viewed that the action groups are a recent phenomena on the social and political scene. Small groups over the misery and issues of injustice went into action protesting against trying to bring relief. These involvement arising out of their concern for human and society base on Christian faith and humanistic ideologies brought them face to face with the dynamic of the society.

3). b. Social Movements and Social Change:

All definitions of social movement reflect the notion that social movements are intrinsically related to social change. They do not encompass the activities of people as members of stable social groups with established, unquestioned structures, norms, and values. It reflects the faith that people collectively can bring about or prevent social change if they will dedicate themselves to the pursuit of a goal.

Mission of the church should go for social action leading to social change along with proclamation and the making of disciples. While social action is rarely given precise definition; it refers to the alleviation of human suffering and the elimination of injustice, exploitation, and deprivation. Social action in mission can be traced from the time of the apostles. Concern was never limited to relief.

The itinerating missionary carried with them a bag of medicines, new or better seeds and plants, and improved livestock. For instance, Nevius introduced the modern orchard industry into Shantung. The Basel missionaries revolutionized the economy of Ghana by introducing coffee and cocoa grown by families on their own land.

James McKean transformed the life of Northern Thailand by eliminating its three major curses—smallpox, malaria and leprosy. They fought fiercely for human rights in combating opium, footbinding and exposure of girl babies in China. They waged war against widow-burning, infanticide, and temple prostitution in India. There are numerous approaches to the issue.

What is particularly in focus here is the viewpoint which understands social action as a necessary partner in mission alongside disciple-making, both being required components in a "holistic" approach. Thus evangelism and social action have been represented as equivalent to the two blades of a pair of scissors or the two wings of a bird.

Conclusion:

The attempt to accompany social movements and action with the mission and ministry of the church is roughly viewed in this paper. Christian mission works in the upliftment of the society not only in the evangelisation in the spiritual realm but Mission and ministry of the church go along with the social action to bring change in the society.

Is it bringing people into the fold of Christ is the sole aim of the Christian mission and ministry? But the pluralistic religious culture and society has made the mission and ministry to look into wider scope. The main aim of Christian mission and ministry is humanization and in the process the church had to interact with the societies around us and various movements that serve the same purpose transforming the individuals and the society.

The church is reluctant to come to the platform where movements are required for the transformation of the society. Many of the movements are still being operated by the civil society of their own. The face and strategy of our Christian mission and ministry should be the ingredient giving zeal to other social movements and be involved in the process of the movements.

Concluded...