Durrant Pate/Contributor

The World Council of Churches (WCC) convenes its regular plenary meeting for the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism in Jamaica this April.

The commission, which meets biannually, carries a broad mandate to advance reflection and collaboration on Christian mission and unity, bringing together commissioners from WCC member churches, affiliated mission bodies, Roman Catholic, Evangelical, and Pentecostal partners. The April 16–21 meeting is being hosted in collaboration with the Jamaica Council of Churches, will address several strands of ongoing work. 

These include evangelism in practice, mission as reparative justice, and spiritualities that sustain communities facing marginalisation. In recent years, the commission has deepened its engagement with questions of decolonisation, the legacies of the transatlantic slave trade, climate justice, and systemic inequality.

Meeting focus

A central thread of the meeting will be the concept of “re-storying,” described by the commission as a process of revisiting and reshaping dominant narratives about mission. Drawing on the WCC affirmation Together Towards Life and the Arusha Call to Discipleship of 2018, the commission has been exploring a shift from “mission to the margins” toward “mission from the margins.” 

The framework seeks to foreground the agency and theological insight of communities that have historically been marginalised within church and society. Working groups will continue developing resources on evangelism in contexts of crisis, mission as a form of reparative justice, and spiritual practices emerging from networks such as those focused on disability advocacy and Indigenous peoples.

The commission is also expected to strengthen collaboration with other WCC commissions and reference groups, ensuring that mission perspectives inform broader ecumenical work. Alongside these wider responsibilities, the meeting will play a significant role in advancing preparations for the 2028 Conference on World Mission and Evangelism. 

The world conference, held once between WCC assemblies, is one of the commission’s core tasks. The most recent conference took place in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2018.

Open invitation to churches

In December 2025, the commission issued an open invitation to churches, mission movements and ecumenical partners worldwide to reflect on the proposed 2028 theme: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6), with the subtitle Witnessing to the Spirit’s Mission to renew, repair, reorder and recreate.

Particular encouragement was given to communities experiencing marginalisation, including Indigenous peoples, Dalits, diaspora communities, youth, and women. In Jamaica, commissioners will review responses received from these consultations. 

A writing and discernment group is expected to be appointed to synthesise contributions and outline theological directions for the next phase. Online seminars planned for this year and regional hearings in 2027 will further develop the themes before the global gathering in 2028.