WCC general secretary reflects on “Decolonizing mission: from mission to mutuality”

WCC general secretary reflects on “Decolonizing mission: from mission to mutuality”

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Thu, 10/15/2026 - 15:32

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay delivered an address on 15 October during a gathering of the Association of Protestant Churches and Missions in Germany. He focused on “ Decolonizing mission: from mission to mutuality.”

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Photo: Corinna Waltz/EMW

Pillay began by asking what it means to decolonize mission. “ It is about freeing mission from those patterns of power, domination, and cultural superiority that have sometimes accompanied Christian witness,” he said. “ It is about recovering mission as participation in the mission of God.”

Pillay emphasized that the starting point must be theological. “ Mission is not ours,” he said. “ Mission is God ’ s.”

Decolonising mission requires honesty, Pillay added. “ Christian mission has a complex history,” he said. “ Christianity was sometimes presented as though European culture and Christianity were inseparable.”

We must acknowledge this history, not to condemn previous generations, but to ensure that we do not…