Being a Catalyst in Evolving Corporate Vision, Ethos & Strategy

“Being a Catalyst In Evolving Corporate Vision, Ethos & Strategy”

One of the goals of the founders of India Missions Association (IMA) was to create a network of cross cultural mission organizations that will have a common vision to fulfill the Great commission.  The five founding member organizations sat around one table and were able to share their experiences and learn from one another.  The context today is different.  We now have more than 200 member organizations representing varied cultural and denominational backgrounds with multiple goals and strategies from different parts of our nation.  The word “catalyst” refers to a substance or an agent that enables a chemical reaction or change to proceed at a faster rate or under a different condition than otherwise possible.  IMA as a network and an association of mission organizations plays a catalytic role to evolve corporate vision, ethos and strategies among its members.

We have a wealth of knowledge on missions and church growth that was not available to the previous generation. Missiologists have reflected on the five decades of mission work led by Indians and have drawn valuable lessons for us to learn.  The surveys of people groups, languages and geographical areas have opened our eyes to see the needs more clearly through improved research techniques. Technology has transformed our modes of travel and communication.   All organizations go through a life cycle of envisioning and birth, building of momentum & growth, maturity and stability and then a stage of decline in enthusiasm which may result either in renewal or death. Organizations survive this life cycle when they engage in a process of renewal through reflection of their past history, present context and their future path. It is at this critical time that they can learn from being part of a larger network.  The founder’s early vision, ethos and strategies might have been a success in the past. We cannot live in the glories of our history but constantly seek to become relevant to the emerging contexts.  Vision, ethos and strategies should not become static but remain dynamic in evolution as face new challenges in our generation.

IMA has been playing the role of a catalyst from its founding days.  There was a time when partnership was not an ethos for any mission organization, research and survey was not considered important, welfare and member care was regarded as unspiritual, investment in training of missionaries and leadership development was a thought to be waste of resources and tribal and rural mission was the only kind of missions that most organizations were involved.  Today many organizations have re-visited their vision and evolved to meet the present day context.  They have incorporated best practices in caring for their staff and missionaries and developing their leadership skills.  Many missions are no longer afraid to pioneer new strategies in the emerging urban context.  A lot of resources are committed to research and survey which enhances the effectiveness of their work.  It has become normative for organizations to talk of partnership and networking with others.  IMA has played a pivotal role in being a catalyst to this new environment.

We praise God for a skilled and diverse team of leaders who now serve as staff of IMA.  They facilitate networking by traveling, visiting member organizations and personally meeting mission leaders on the mission fields.  They play the role of being catalysts during one to one meetings, organizing seminars, think tank meetings, national leadership conferences and several training programs.   As leaders of member organizations when we meet together we can also act as catalysts to one another as we share our experiences, successes and failures.  We all need to grow together in evolving our corporate vision, ethos and strategies and make it relevant to the present context so that we can fulfill our part in the Great commission during our generation.  John Amalraj

Published in Indian Missions, Quarterly of India Missions Association, Hyderabad, November 2008