Diocesan News Releases
Reflections on Christian Discipleship, Mission, and Evangelism
By The Right Reverend Johncy Itty, PhD, Bishop of Oregon
Jun 2, 2005, 12:26

It is my hope that the overall theme of Renewal and Transformation will be the goal that defines our common life together in this diocese and that more specifically we will seek to realize these goals through a concerted commitment to three fundamental principles: Christian Discipleship, Mission, and Evangelism.    These themes should be before us in our prayers, petitions, and plans for ministry in our local and diocesan settings.  These themes, should offer us the lens through which we can better identify needs and channel our energy and resources.

Christian Discipleship demands that we commit our lives to being a follower of Jesus Christ.  Christian Discipleship involves developing a personal and corporate rule of life and identifying a philosophy of life that governs our behavior.  Christian discipleship requires that we model our life in ways that draw new disciples to Jesus.

The Mission of the Church is to recognize the Christ in others and to make Christ known to all people.  Indeed, in the John 17:21 we are told that we join in community and fellowship to share the Good News “so that the world may believe.”  Bringing the presence of Christ into the world has internal and external, local and global components.  All components coexist in balance and none exists mutually without the other.  As a missionary people we are called to share the joy of Christ within us with others in search of life with true meaning through deeds of sacrificial and self-less service to others. 

Evangelism involves an intentional means through which we share our Christian faith with others, especially with those who may have no faith tradition at all.  Evangelism involves equipping Christians with tools to share their own personal stories and experiences.  It teaches Christians about faith formation through acts and offerings of Christian commitment. It promotes a climate of joy and enthusiasm in living as a disciple of Christ and finding ways to share this joy with others in a proactive way.

Christian Discipleship, Mission, and Evangelism

In 1 Corinthians 12:12 we read: “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.”

The Diocese of Oregon is one church made up of many special members located geographically in many parts of Western Oregon.  We represent the body of Christ in our common fellowship as a community.  As a diocese we are called to respond a new world order in many spheres of our lives.  In addition to the many social, political, and economic changes that have redefined the landscape of our country, there is still a growing spiritual hunger among people.  Spirituality is a process of discerning God’s will and not merely reacting to our own longings or desires. We are called to respond to some of the spiritual yearnings that are made known to us.  The Christians of the first century were a community of believers that responded in a proactive way and raised new Christians through personal outreach and intentional evangelism.

It has been noted that:  “Christianity grew at a phenomenal rate in the first century because early Christians made effective and dramatic use of their social networks to attract new adherents to Christianity.  They evangelized family members, friends, acquaintances, and friends of friends.  They were open, accepting, and, ultimately, externally focused.  Their enthusiasm for the Good News and the transformations it had wrought in their lives carried them out into the world.”1. 

The Great Commission of Jesus:

As a diocese we are called to live and work together as missionaries in the vineyard of the Lord in Western Oregon.  We are called to a ministry of creating new disciples of Jesus Christ among those who do not attend church or those who are still searching for a meaningful faith tradition.

Matthew 28:16-20 reminds us of Jesus words:  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” 

As a diocese we need to create a new culture in mission and ministry. Creating a new culture and mindset is perhaps one of the most challenging tasks before us.  We must be willing to think and relate to one another differently, always placing the mind and spirit of Jesus Christ before us.  We must create a culture that affirms our unity as a single faith community whose members worship in a variety of mission fields throughout Western Oregon.  We need to identify ourselves as a missionary community that commits ourselves to building community, creating new disciples, and creating both personal and systemic transformations.

Reclaiming our Core Values and Core Goals:

Romans 12:5  notes: "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

The “Core Value” of our diocese is Gospel based discipleship.  Our “Core Goal” is to promote renewal and transformation in the personal and systemic dimensions of human life through commitment to mission, outreach, and evangelism.  By being intentional about evangelism and by being responsive to the needs of the poor and marginalized, we can be relevant instruments of God’s redeeming purpose.  In the midst of the many issues that demand our attention, we cannot be limited or held in check by the variety of issues that shape public and political opinion.  We must remain resolute in preserving the integrity of our call to discipleship and being responsive to the Great Commission.

The Journey Forward:

Evangelism in its most basic sense is a form of spiritual and emotional transformation.   It has been said that “approximately 77 percent of the persons who become Christian disciples do so because of the testimony, deeds, and encouragement of someone they trust.” 2.

My hope for the Diocese of Oregon is for us define our common identity in singular terms.  We are one community committed to creating renewal and transformation in the personal and relational aspects of our lives.  We are one community of faith living out our Christian witness at many different locations.  Each congregation is a unique and gifted mission field. Each church and institutional structure should be viewed as a mission field within the wider diocesan family.  This indeed demands that we behave as a church differently and that we live in communion in more dynamic ways than in the past.