3 Reasons The Mission Could Be the Right Place for You

By Nathan Hale

Many of you are thinking about what it means to minister in and with The Anglican Mission. You might (like me) be an Anglican newbie or perhaps you’re still wrapping your head around the idea of a “Missionary Society.” You might (also like me) be discerning a call toward the ordained ministry. Holy Orders aren’t something to be taken on lightly, and you want to make sure you are joining a group that shares your values.

By God’s grace, I was able to attend a Mission retreat and orientation in June. Fifteen or so other ordinands and I gathered at Inks Lake in Texas, along with Mission leaders and pastors. It was a great time filled with powerful worship, thoughtful conversation and encouraging fellowship.

As we discussed what it means to be ordained in The Mission, I came away with three primary ideas that confirmed for me that I’m on the right path:

1) The Anglican Mission is committed to “major in the majors” theologically for the sake of the Gospel.

In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity

This means as lay people and clergy, we are free to pursue ministry partnerships and develop relationships with all sorts of orthodox Christians. While we certainly do hold to our own Anglican distinctives, the emphasis is consistently on sharing the core Gospel message with the lost in North America.

2) The Anglican Mission is committed to agile, creative, and relentless church planting.

God is more intimately and eternally concerned with culture than we have yet come to believe. ~ Andy Crouch

The aim is healthy, reproducing churches that are raising up and releasing leaders to build the Kingdom. There’s a strong emphasis on creativity and creating culture that resonates deeply with me as an artist. I also think this idea of God’s people being a people constantly on mission is profoundly grounded in the New Testament.

3) The Anglican Mission is fundamentally concerned with reaching the lost.

Christ appeared to the men of the decrepit, decaying world, that while all around them was withering away, they might through Him receive new, youthful life. ~ Augustine

The previous two ideas truly flow from this one. It seems to me that everything about The Mission’s core culture, methods and structure are designed to create space for radical discipleship and effective evangelism. As a child of Southern Baptist missionaries, this kind of stuff is built into my DNA. Our Christian identity as ambassadors for Christ and ministers of reconciliation is at the forefront of what the Mission is all about.

Do you too feel a deep burden for those in North America who need the transforming power of Christ? Are you ready to reach them by investing in future leaders, supporting new works, creating culture and living in Christian unity?

The Mission just might be the right place for you.

Nathan R. Hale is a husband, father, minister, writer and musician. He inspires, equips and educates young Christian leaders for a deeper communion with Christ and more effective discipleship.