The landscape of Christian mission has undergone a profound transformation in recent decades, moving away from the traditional missionary model rooted in colonial-era assumptions toward a more collaborative, contextually sensitive approach to participating in God’s redemptive work. This shift has given rise to new terminology—terms like “missionize,” “missionizing,” and “missionizer”—which encapsulate a theological and practical development in how Christians understand their role in God’s mission (missio Dei). These terms move beyond the historical image of missionaries as Western emissaries sent to “foreign” lands, instead emphasizing a participatory, holistic, and mutually transformative engagement with God’s ongoing work in the world. This article explores the conceptual and historical development of these terms, tracing the shift from traditional missionary paradigms to the contemporary missional framework and its implications for Christian practice.

Defining Contemporary Missional Terminology

The Definition of Missionize

To “missionize” is to actively participate in God’s mission, or missio Dei, by joining and embodying the redemptive work that God is already undertaking in the world. Unlike traditional missionary activities, which often focused narrowly on evangelism or church planting only, missionizing encompasses a broader, more holistic engagement. It involves personal and community transformation through a gospel-oriented presence that prioritizes discernment and partnership over control. Missionizing is not about initiating something new but about recognizing and aligning with God’s pre-existing activity in diverse contexts, whether local or global. This approach requires Christians to adopt a posture of humility, listening, and collaboration, acknowledging that God’s work precedes and exceeds human efforts.

The Act of Missionizing

Missionizing, as the active process of engaging in God’s mission, is characterized by intentional presence, relationship-building, and collaborative action. It is an ongoing practice rather than a one-time event, emphasizing mutuality over the unidirectional “sending” model of traditional missions. Missionizing involves cultivating spiritual and practical disciplines to discern where God is at work and determining how to participate appropriately. This might include joining community initiatives, advocating for justice, or fostering relationships across cultural or religious boundaries. Unlike traditional missionary work, which often required geographic relocation, missionizing can occur in one’s immediate context, making it accessible to all Christians, regardless of their location or vocation.

Becoming a Missionizer

A “missionizer” is an individual who embodies this participatory approach, seeking to discern and join God’s work through service, advocacy, witness, and community engagement. Unlike the traditional missionary, whose role was often tied to institutional agendas and geographic displacement, a missionizer operates with cultural humility and a commitment to mutual empowerment. Missionizers see themselves as learners as much as contributors, open to transformation through their engagement with others. This term reflects a shift from the hierarchical, sender-receiver model to one where all participants—local and global, Christian and non-Christian—can contribute to and be shaped by God’s redemptive purposes as they respond to a gospel-centered witness.

Historical Context and Development

The Traditional Missionary Paradigm

The modern concept of the “missionary” emerged during the era of European colonial expansion, from the 16th to the 20th centuries, a period marked by assumptions of Western cultural and religious superiority. Missionaries were typically sent from Western churches to “foreign” territories, often with the goal of converting individuals and planting churches. Success was measured by numerical growth—converts baptized, churches established—often at the expense of cultural sensitivity. This model, while effective in spreading Christianity globally, frequently carried problematic baggage, including paternalism, cultural erasure, and entanglement with colonial enterprises. Missionaries, even those with genuine intentions, sometimes inadvertently supported systems of domination, as their efforts were shaped by the broader political and cultural dynamics of their time.

Often the traditional missionary paradigm relied on a unidirectional model, with Western churches and mission agencies controlling strategies, funding, and personnel deployment. This approach often assumed that Christianity needed to be imported to non-Christian lands, with little regard for local cultures. While it led to the establishment of vibrant Christian communities worldwide, it also left a legacy of cultural insensitivity and dependency on Western institutions, prompting a need for theological and practical reevaluation.

The Emergence of Missio Dei Theology

A pivotal shift in missiological thinking began in the mid-20th century, driven by theologians like Karl Barth and discussions within the World Council of Churches. The concept of missio Dei—God’s mission—reoriented mission theology by asserting that mission originates with God, not human institutions. Rather than Christians bringing God to new places, the missio Dei framework posits that God is already at work in every context, and the church’s role is to discern and participate in that work. This perspective broadened the scope of mission beyond evangelism to include social justice, creation care, peacemaking, and holistic restoration, reflecting God’s comprehensive redemptive purposes.

The missio Dei theology challenged the geographic assumptions of traditional missions, recognizing that God’s mission is active in every context, including the so-called “sending” countries of the West. This insight dismantled the artificial distinction between “mission fields” and “sending churches,” affirming that every local community is a mission field. It also shifted the focus from control to partnership, encouraging Christians to collaborate with local communities and even non-Christians who may be participating in God’s work without using religious language.

The Rise of Missional Theology

In the 1990s, evangelical theologians built on missio Dei insights to develop “missional theology,” a framework that applied these ideas within evangelical contexts while maintaining commitments to biblical authority and personal conversion. Influential figures like Lesslie Newbigin bridged ecumenical and evangelical perspectives, arguing that the church itself is missionary by nature, called to participate in God’s mission in all contexts, including increasingly secular Western societies. The Gospel and Our Culture Network, through works like Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America (edited by Darrell Guder), adapted these concepts for evangelical congregations, emphasizing the church’s role as a sent community.

The emerging church movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s further popularized missional theology among younger evangelicals. Leaders like Brian McLaren and Tony Jones connected missional ideas with postmodern critiques of institutional Christianity, advocating for holistic engagement that included social justice and environmental stewardship. This movement expanded evangelical mission beyond individual conversion to encompass community transformation, aligning more closely with the broader scope of missio Dei while retaining evangelical distinctives.

Contemporary Missional Language

Henry Blackaby, in his book “Experiencing God,” introduced evangelical audiences to the concept that God is always at work around us, and He invites us to join Him in His activity rather than asking Him to bless our own plans and programs. The core premise is a fundamental shift from the typical approach to Christian living. Instead of deciding what we want to do for God and then asking for His blessing, Blackaby argues we should:

1. Watch for where God is already working – He’s constantly active in the world around us
2. Join God in His work – Align ourselves with His ongoing activity
3. Experience God through obedience – As we participate in His work, we come to know Him more intimately

Blackaby emphasizes that this requires a relationship-centered approach to faith rather than a program-centered one. He believes that when we join God in His work, we will experience Him in ways that go far beyond intellectual knowledge – we’ll know Him through personal, life-changing encounters.

The term “missionize” represents a linguistic development that addresses the limitations of traditional missionary language, while merging Blackaby’s Experiencing God concepts with the missio Dei. Unlike “evangelize,” which focuses on verbal proclamation only, or the historical use of “missionize” in a colonial sense, contemporary missionizing emphasizes participation in God’s ongoing work that involves both incarnational presence and embodied proclamation. It reflects a shift from possessive to collaborative language, suggesting that Christians join something already in progress rather than initiating it. This approach prioritizes contextual sensitivity, recognizing that God’s mission manifests differently across cultural, economic, and social contexts, requiring localized discernment rather than imported strategies. 

Missionizing also embraces holistic engagement, integrating spiritual, social, economic, and environmental concerns as interconnected aspects of God’s redemptive work. This integration moves beyond the artificial separations of traditional missionary work, where evangelism and social service were often treated as distinct priorities. By emphasizing mutuality and partnership, missionizing fosters relationships that empower all participants, challenging the hierarchical dynamics of some historical missions endeavors.

Conclusion

The shift from “missionary” to “missionizer” reflects a profound theological and practical change in Christian mission emphasis. Rooted in the missio Dei framework and Experiencing God, contemporary missional theology redefines Christian engagement as a collaborative, contextually sensitive participation in God’s redemptive work. The terms “missionize,” “missionizing,” and “missionizer” encapsulate this shift, moving away from colonial-era assumptions toward a model that emphasizes discernment, partnership, and holistic transformation. By understanding mission as God’s initiative rather than human endeavor, Christians are invited to join a work that is already underway, fostering mutual empowerment and cultural humility in diverse contexts worldwide. This reimagined approach offers a robust framework for faithful and effective participation in God’s mission in the 21st century.

Sources

• Barth, Karl. Church Dogmatics IV/1: The Doctrine of Reconciliation. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1956.
• Blackaby, Henry & Richard, King, Claude. Experiencing God: Knowing & Doing the Will of God. Nashville: B&H Books, 2021.
• Bosch, David J. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1991.
• Guder, Darrell L., ed. Missional Church: A Vision for the Sending of the Church in North America. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998.
• Newbigin, Lesslie. The Open Secret: An Introduction to the Theology of Mission. Revised edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1995.
• Sanneh, Lamin. Translating the Message: The Missionary Impact on Culture. 2nd edition. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2009.
• Van Gelder, Craig, ed. The Missional Church in Context: Helping Congregations Develop Contextual Ministry. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007.
• Gibbs, Eddie, and Ryan K. Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.

Curt Watke, PhD

Dr. Curt Watke is a distinguished missiologist whose three-plus-decade-long career has significantly impacted Christian mission work in North America, particularly in under-reached and challenging regions. Holding a Ph.D. in Evangelism and Missions, Dr. Watke has focused on bridging cultural gaps and fostering sustainable Christian communities by developing innovative strategies that address contemporary challenges like globalization, urbanization, and religious pluralism. His emphasis on cultural sensitivity and contextualization in mission work is reflected in his collaborative writings, including notable works such as “Ministry Context Exploration: Understanding North American Cultures” and “Starting Reproducing Congregations.” Beyond his writing, Dr. Watke is a sought-after speaker and educator, lecturing at seminaries and conferences worldwide, and his teachings continue to inspire and equip new generations of missional leaders. His enduring legacy is marked by unwavering dedication to the mission of God and a profound influence on missional thought and practice.  Dr. Watke serves as President and Professor of Evangelism & Missiology at Missional University.