Issue Number 28 — IAMS Matters 2023 Dec
IAMS Matters December 2023
Dear IAMS Members and Friends,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! I hope 2023 has been a fruitful year for all. As we are approaching the end of 2023, I am writing this to share this year’s news on IAMS.
First, the in-person executive committee was held in Seoul, South Korea, on June 5-8, 2023. All executive members were able to meet each other for the first time at this meeting. It was a very fruitful meeting, and our friendship deepened after several days of discussion and fellowship. In this meeting, we decided that the 2026 IAMS conference venue will be the University of South Africa, where the vice president, Derrick Mashau, will be hosting us. The conference theme is “Walking Together in Mission: Facing Global Challenges for the Sustainable World.” The theme came into being after much discussion among us. We wanted a more positive and hopeful theme without ignoring critical issues of the current global crisis. The theme reminds us of the importance of cooperation in our mission scholarship endeavor. The details of the call for papers will be issued in the future. We made a short video to give a glimpse into the executive meetings in Seoul (http://bit.ly/4bVPDoQ).
Secondly, there were several regional conferences this year. The European regional IAMS Conference was held from September 8 to12 at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj, Napoca in Romania, with the theme, “Missions towards Human Dignity: Challenges from within and beyond the Black Sea Region” (see https://iams2023.orth.ro/). And the Latin America regional group also had an online conference with the theme, “Habitar as fronteiras com coração sem fronteiras” (Inhabit borders with a heart without borders) from September 18 to 22 (see www.missiologia.org.br). On November 22 and 23, the Asian regional IAMS conference was also held at De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines with the theme, “Global Crisis, Sustainability, and Mission in Scholarship.” (See some photos at https://bit.ly/4bWC1tD). It is good to have regional meetings; they strengthen the regional voices in our IAMS community and are vital channels to for more members from different regions. These regional meetings will be the stepping stones for the success of the global IAMS conference in 2026.
I will share more news with you as time comes. Thank you for your support. May our Lord Jesus Christ guide you and your family and your pursuit of scholarship.
Sincerely,
Bokyoung Park
The President of IAMS
Announcement for IAMS Members:
Mission Studies Journal Update & Access Details
We extend our sincere apologies for the non-appearance of the Mission Studies journal in print for the year 2023. Due to unforeseen circumstances, there has been a problem in the distribution process. However, we have received confirmation from Brill that all print copies will be dispatched early in 2024.
We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by this delay and appreciate your patience and understanding. Rest assured, steps are being taken to ensure the prompt delivery of the journal as soon as possible in the upcoming year.
We also want to remind all our members that you can access the articles of the Mission Studies journal for free through our website. Your membership grants you exclusive online access to a wealth of valuable content.
Additionally, we are excited to announce the potential new editorial team for the journal. However, this announcement is subject to approval by the General Assembly via email. We eagerly anticipate their approval and look forward to introducing the new team in due course.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Bright Myeong Seok Lee
General Secretary
IAMS Latin America Conference 2023
18 – 22 September 2023
Theme: INHABITING BORDERS WITH A HEART WITHOUT BORDERS
The objective of the conference was to reflect on the relationship between the borders, theology and the missionary activity of the Church, in view of a specific contribution of missiology as a theology of frontiers and frontiers of theology. And also, to reflect on the missionary journey in Latin America in relation to the perspectives launched by document of Aparecida, the Synod of the Amazon and the magisterium of Francis.
The conference was a platform to discuss the paths of mission in the world from today to tomorrow, with a view to an agenda for missionary action and animation. There was also a time to rearticulate and organize the missionary activities and projects in the Latin American context and to launch perspectives and suggestions for a decolonized missionary action, open to cultures and social contexts, advocate of justice and defender of the poor, servant of the Kingdom and guest in the homes of others.
Joachim Andrade SVD
IAMS Regional Representative: Latin America
IAMS Asia Conference 2023
The IAMS Asia Conference, held from November 22 to 24, 2023, stood as a testament to this enduring partnership. The conference provided a crucial platform for scholars, theologians, and educators to converge and deliberate on the pressing global issues of their time. The conference’s theme was rooted in acknowledging the multifaceted crises that affected the world on various levels.
The International Association for Mission Studies in Asia chose to highlight critical issues such as climate change, pandemics, global health inequality, humanitarian crises, poverty, migration, and displacements. It was a call to action for local scholars to step forward and contribute their insights and solutions to these challenges. Recognizing that a whole-of-society approach was imperative, the conference aimed to explore sustainable solutions from a missionary perspective.
Fides del Castillo
IAMS Regional Representative: ASIA