An Anglican–Pentecostal Story from Toxteth, Liverpool

Join our third webinar of the year, exploring shared space, mission, belonging, and Anglican–Pentecostal partnership in Toxteth, Liverpool.

For over 11 years, The Apostolic Church Liverpool has worshipped in the building of St Bede with St Clement, a Church of England parish in Toxteth, Liverpool.

What began as a rental arrangement has grown into a relationship marked by hospitality, shared worship, community service, and mutual learning.

In this Acts 11 webinar, Rev Phil Nott and Pastor Joseph Ola reflect together on the story so far: the joys, tensions, lessons, and future possibilities of Anglican–Pentecostal partnership in a changing, multicultural neighbourhood.

This conversation will explore what shared space can teach us about migration, mission, belonging, and the Spirit’s surprising work across traditions.

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The post Webinar: From renting space to sharing mission appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Shifting Centres, Moving Peoples

Rethinking Partnership and Mutuality in an Age of Migration

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Migration is one of the defining realities of our age. As people move across borders and continents, long-established centres of economic, cultural, political, and religious influence are shifting in profound ways. Across Europe, these shifts are transforming communities, identities, and institutions – creating both new possibilities and complex challenges for the Church and society.

At the same time, in an increasingly post-Christian context, relationships between historic denominations and diaspora and migrant churches are becoming ever more significant. While the language of partnership and mutuality has long been central to mission conversations, these ideals often remain difficult to realise in practice.

This conference seeks to move beyond simply affirming these values to asking deeper and more urgent questions: Why, after decades of discussion, do partnership and mutuality remain unresolved? What historical, theological, cultural, economic, and institutional dynamics continue to shape – and sometimes limit – our aspirations toward genuine mutuality? And what new language, frameworks, and practices might help us move forward?

The Acts 11 Conference Shifting Centres, Moving Peoples brings together church leaders, mission practitioners, academics, students, policymakers, and community leaders to explore these critical issues. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshops, and specialised streams, participants will engage the realities of migration and intercultural mission while examining the complexities, tensions, and possibilities of working together across difference.

Held in Liverpool – a historic gateway city shaped by global movements of people – this two-day gathering offers a unique space for honest conversation, theological reflection, and collaborative learning. Together, we will seek to discern how God is at work through migration today, and what it means to walk together in more faithful, just, and genuinely mutual ways.

Speakers

Keynote speakers include Dr Alexander Chow (University of Edinburgh) and Dr Sheila Akomiah-Conteh (Evangelical Alliance), alongside voices from organisations working at the intersection of migration, mission, and church life.

Alexander Chow, Senior Lecturer in Theology and World Christianity, University of Edinburgh

Alexander Chow, a Chinese American, is Senior Lecturer of Theology and World Christianity and Co-Director of the Centre for the Study of World Christianity at the School of Divinity, University of Edinburgh. He is the author or editor of seven books, including Chinese Heritage in British Christianity: More than Foreigners (SCM Press 2025) and The Oxford Handbook of Digital Theology (Oxford University Press 2026).

Title: One Body with Many Members: Reclaiming a Biblical Vision for Mission and Migration

Abstract: British Christianity has been changing, but British Christians haven’t noticed. We hear media and politicians preach the bad news of decline in Christian Britain and the worries of mass immigration. The language becomes binary: us vs. them, decline vs. revival, host vs. guest, saved vs. lost. We forget that British Christianity is made up of much more than just the “locals.” We are One Church and One Body—One that is made of many. Our Church needs to reclaim a biblical vision for mission and migration.

Adam Martin, International Director, Intercultural Churches

Adam has been involved in intercultural ministry for the last 20 years. With his wife Karina, they planted an intercultural church in the centre of Derby and served as senior leaders with a culturally diverse church working across the East Midlands. In 2019 Adam began to develop a network to support the development of healthy intercultural churches across the UK.

In 2025 Adam and Karina relocated to Spain where they are pursuing their call to plant intercultural churches, whilst continuing to expand the Intercultural Churches network across Europe.

Title: Caught in a Network of Mutuality: From Theological Vision to Intercultural Practice

Abstract: Drawing on Paul’s image of the body of Christ and King’s vision of mutuality, this keynote moves from theological foundation to the practical shape of honouring difference within genuine intercultural partnership. It explores what mutuality requires when cultural difference is not simply welcomed but allowed to reshape relationships, leadership, decision-making, worship, and mission. Drawing on reflections from the Intercultural Church Movement, it considers both the possibilities and tensions of building communities in which different cultural perspectives are not merely represented, but genuinely valued and allowed to contribute to the life of the whole.

Sheila Akomiah-Conteh, Intercultural Unity Lead, Evangelical Alliance Scotland

Sheila Akomiah-Conteh is a Ghanaian theologian based in Glasgow, Scotland. She serves as the Intercultural Unity Lead at Evangelical Alliance Scotland, where she works to foster intercultural relationships, shared leadership, and collaborative mission across the Church in Scotland. Her work and wider research interests focus on African theological perspectives, new and emerging churches, and diaspora Christian missions in the West.

Title: Intercultural Mutuality in Practice: Reflections from Scotland

Abstract: This keynote reflects on intercultural mutuality as more than the coexistence of different cultures within Christian communities. Drawing on experiences from Scotland, it explores what happens when churches move from welcoming cultural difference to sharing power, leadership, theological insight, and missionary responsibility across cultures. It considers both the possibilities and tensions of intercultural life, asking how mutuality can reshape the church’s understanding of belonging, mission, and witness.

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The post Mission and Migration conference appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Explore the challenges of the multicultural church, how we can overcome them and discover hope too.

About the webinar

The future of both the church and mission is undeniably multicultural – shaped by migration, global Christianity, and shifting cultural realities. Yet for many leaders, this future feels more complicated than hopeful. Why is that?

In this webinar, Harvey Kwiyani, CMS Pioneer Mission Training African Christianity Programme Lead and lecturer, explores the deeper challenges beneath the surface of “diversity,” including questions of power, belonging, leadership, and theology.

Drawing on his wider work on cultural diversity and decolonising mission, he will offer a fresh vision for understanding cultural difference not as a problem to solve, but as a gift to receive – alongside practical insights for leading churches into a more shared, participatory life in God’s mission.

Dr Harvey Kwiyani

Harvey is African Christianity Programme Lead and Acts 11 Centre Lead.

He is a Malawian missiologist and theologian who has lived, worked and studied in Europe and North America for the past 20 years.

He has researched African Christianity and African theology for his PhD, and taught African theology at Liverpool Hope University.

Harvey is also founder and executive director of Missio Africanus, a mission organisation established in 2014 as a learning community focused on releasing the missional potential of African and other minority ethnic Christians living in the UK.

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The post Webinar: The Future is Multicultural – So What’s the Problem? appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

In many Western nations, politicians are lamenting the erosion of Christian values in society and calling for restricted immigration to prevent further erosion. They insist that a government’s first priority should be the care of its own citizens and that nations have the right to control their borders. This presentation will assess these claims by asking what a distinctively Christian approach to government and nationhood would look like, and then applying it to border control in order to propose a “Christian immigration policy.”

Guest speaker

Dr Barnabas Aspray, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St Mary’s Seminary & University, Baltimore. He also writes a column for Seen & Unseen and hosts a podcast, Faith at the Frontiers.

Host: Tyler Horton

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The post Webinar: Immigration and the idea of a Christian nation appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Cathy Ross explores the theology and stories of those who have found lament to be the catalyst for healing and something new.

Lament is often associated with Lent but it can also be off-putting with many unsure of how to “get it right”.

Canon Dr Cathy Ross, lecturer and tutor with CMS Pioneer Mission Training, will help us understand the theology and how it informs our practice.

She will share case studies of those who have found lament to be the catalyst for healing and something new.

By the end of this webinar, you will you know how to reflect on areas of your own life or in the world which cause you pain, how to present those to God and how to allow him to renew your hope.

Canon Dr Cathy Ross

Canon Dr Cathy Ross is a lecturer and tutor with CMS Pioneer Mission Training and is a lecturer in mission at Regent’s Park College, Oxford.

She led CMS Pioneer Mission Training Oxford from 2019 to 2025, before handing over the reins to Dr James Butler.

Until 2016 she was the General Secretary of the International Association for Mission Studies.

She has previously worked in Rwanda, Congo and Uganda with NZCMS. Cathy is also canon theologian at Leicester Cathedral.

Her research interests are in the areas of contextual theologies, World Christianity, feminist theologies and hospitality.

She is married to Steve, a GP in Oxford and they have three children and five grandchildren. She enjoys tennis, swimming, coffee, travel and watching the All Blacks.

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The post Webinar: Dreaming from a place of lament appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

A plenary session with Harvey Kwiyani, the author of Decolonizing Mission

Migration is reshaping Christianity – but are our theologies and mission practices keeping pace?

In this webinar, Harvey Kwiyani speaks with Nuam Hatzaw, Joseph Ola, and Tyler Horton on his book Decolonizing Mission to explore migration as one of the most urgent theological challenges of our time.

Reframing migration not as a problem to be managed but as a site of God’s mission, the webinar invites participants to imagine a decolonised missiology rooted in baptismal identity, hospitality, and solidarity with those on the move.

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The post Webinar: Migration and Mission in Decolonial Perspectives appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

As we launch our new Intercultural MA this autumn, our Conversations Day on 21 October will provide an opportunity to reflect on current missiological discourse at the intersection of world Christianity and postcolonial studies.

This is part of a study day for CMS MA students, but is also open to interested members of the public.

The day will centre on two important books published in the summer of 2025: Decolonising Mission by Harvey Kwiyani and God or Mammon: The Critical Choice Facing World Christianity by David Smith.

Both authors will join us for a thoughtful and timely dialogue on the evolving relationships between mission, imperialism, and global Christianity.

This conversation is particularly relevant in light of the shifting dynamics of global witness – shaped by the growth of world Christianity and the corresponding decline of Western imperial influence and traditional missionary frameworks. In this context, mission itself is being reimagined, and mission education must also evolve.

This Conversations Day offers a space to begin discerning what that change might look like as we seek to engage faithfully with a rapidly transforming global church.

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The post God, Mammon and Empire appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Join us for an inspiring and insightful webinar as we delve into The Quiet Revival, the groundbreaking new report from Bible Society, co-authored by Dr Rob Barward-Symmons.

This research uncovers a quiet yet powerful movement across the UK, where spiritual curiosity is growing, and unconventional expressions of faith are flourishing – often outside traditional church structures.

• Keynote speaker: Dr Rob Barward-Symmons
• Panel discussion: featuring Christian Osborne, Laura Evans, Joseph Ola and host Sarah Clarke

We believe that movements like the Quiet Revival are an invitation – not just to observe, but to participate. At CMS, we offer a range of ministry and theological training opportunities designed to equip people like you to engage in God’s mission with creativity, theological depth, and intercultural awareness.

Whether you are discerning a call to pioneer ministry, looking to grow in understanding African or Asian Christianity, or simply seeking to explore what faithful mission looks like in today’s world, there is a course pathway for you.

• Explore our courses – undergraduate and postgraduate options, most of them online
• Discover our African and Asian Christianity pathways – bringing global voices into the heart of theological education
• Sign up for our newsletter – stay connected with upcoming events, new courses, and stories from the field

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The post Webinar: Exploring the Quiet Revival appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Lots of us are involved in mission in our own locality – but how to make it meaningful for the long term?

James Butler, MA lecturer with CMS Pioneer Mission Training in Oxford, garnered some more insights on doing mission where we are from:

• Dr Anna Ruddick on ‘Missional Self-awareness’ – looking at mission as an encounter across difference and what God’s invitation is to us within that.
• Pioneer youth worker John Wheatley on ‘Journey and presence with young people’ – being present, living in the community, and working in partnerships/other people’s spaces.

We’ll also share a bit about our training opportunities.

This will be an informal webinar with short presentations and plenty of time for questions and answers.

Dr Anna Ruddick is a community theologian and researcher who facilitates theological reflection and learning for leaders, congregations and Christian organisations seeking to deepen and strengthen their relationships with their local community.

She holds a Doctorate in Practical Theology and draws on learning from different disciplines including Community Development, Practical Theology and Qualitative research practices.

In both formal and informal learning environments she aims to encourage people to act in their communities with courage and humility, to be attentive to dynamics of power and inequality, and to participate in the flourishing of our communities alongside people who are different from themselves.

John Wheatley is a pioneer youth worker on an estate in Weston-super-Mare. He co-leads the CMS Pioneer MIssion Training children’s and youth ministry programme. John previously worked with Frontier Youth Trust and is a former MA student with CMS.

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The post Webinar: Mission in the Neighbourhood – Part 2 appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Explore what African diaspora faith transmission can teach UK churches

This online conversation draws from a research project by the University of Roehampton and Missio Africanus, examining how first- and second-generation African diaspora Christians live out and pass on their faith.

The session highlights the challenges faced by both generations, the differing understandings of faith and faithfulness, and what intergenerational conversations might look like.

The discussion also connects with the Edgy Learning Project, which investigates how faith is formed, changes, and is transmitted in ‘edgy’ or liminal spaces.

Together, we explore how the African diaspora experience contributes to wider conversations about faith’s evolving nature and its transmission across generations.

Contributors include:

• James Butler – Church Mission Society & University of Roehampton
• Paul Ayokunle – Missio Africanus
• Clare Watkins – Durham University
• Ian Jones – St Peter’s Saltley Trust

Whether you’re a church leader, student, or simply passionate about mission and theology, this is a session not to miss!

Visit acts11.org for more information and updates.

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The post Webinar: Faith and faithfulness between the generations appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Lots of us want to get involved in mission in our own locality – but where to begin? We share some insights on how to get started.

Host Cathy Ross, leader of CMS Pioneer Mission Training in Oxford, garners insights on doing mission where we are:

• Ways in to mission in the neighbourhood – with James Butler
• Connecting with young people – with John Wheatley
• Connecting with new churches – with Sheila Akomiah-Conteh

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The post Webinar: Mission in the neighbourhood appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).

Mission, migration and African Christianity

With Colin Smith as a conversation partner, Esther Mombo spoke on the implications of migration trends that we see in African Christianity today on both the African as well as the global church.

Rooted in her understanding of both the push and pull factors determining this migration, especially among young Kenyans, she explored with us what this means for people invested in the spread of the good news around the world.

She argued that the migration of African Christians to various continents in the 21st century will change how we understand mission, and that this requires Western mission agencies to help shape what mission will look like for future generations.

In the end, she helps us think through how we can adapt to some of those changes.

Professor Mombo is a distinguished scholar in the Faculty of Theology at St Paul’s University, Limuru, Kenya, where she formerly served as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), teaches church history and theologies from women’s perspectives.

Her research explores the intersection of women, culture, and religion in African contexts, focusing on the history of the church in East Africa, missiological issues, gender, and patriarchy. She is actively engaged in interfaith dialogue through the Programme for Christian and Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA) and is a respected member of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, contributing significantly to African women’s theological discourse.

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The post Webinar: Mission, migration and African Christianity appeared first on Church Mission Society (CMS).