The teachings of Christian leadership have been dominated by a focus on the influence of a leader on its followers. Samuel Deressa's new book, Leadership Formation in the African Context, highlights how an African concept of community and holistic approach to ministry provides a biblically sound approach to understanding leadership formation and practice in this new age. This book links the issue of missional leadership with the life of the congregation. It provides theological and practic...

This book is about why Christians share their faith—not because they made it up, but because God calls us to share. It explains how Lutheran beliefs, like being saved by grace alone and focusing on Jesus’ sacrifice, shape the spread of the message of Jesus today. The book covers the Bible’s teachings, history, modern challenges and practical ways to live out serving in God's mission today. Lutheran mission perspective may present different than that of other Christians, but all agree missi...

These challenging times demand that Christian churches and their leaders faithfully and effectively address diverse global situations with Gospel-rooted compassion and justice. These essays argue that public theology provides the trinitarian theological framework which fuels wise and compassionate public participation in God's mission within the world today. Public church leaders from the Global South and Global North join their voices to explore the global implications of public theology ...

A Church for the World: The Church’s Role in Fostering Democracy and Sustainable Development challenges theologians and lay readers alike to think about the role of the church vis-à-vis its responsibility to the world. How may the church contribute to democracy and foster sustainable development? Contributors from mostly non-Western theological communities offer historical, developmental, ecclesiastical, and theological perspectives on the church-world relationship, challenging misconcepti...

How might the Christian church effectively engage today's politically charged, profit-motivated world while remaining faithful to its biblical and theological roots? The contributors in this book argue that public theology provides a promising pathway forward. The public theology emerging from these pages has been influenced by the theological interests and commitments of Gary M. Simpson, Lutheran pastor and systematic theologian. His approach to public theology is intersectional and globa...

A collection of essays voicing “nontraditional” perspectives in Lutheran theology emerging from and for the Global South on a variety of studies and topics.Traditionally, the Lutheran family of churches has been associated historically and geographically with German and Scandinavian peoples and cultures. Yet the largest Lutheran university operates in Brazil and the largest Lutheran churches are now in Ethiopia and Tanzania. A sector of Lutheranism has now become a...

Jesus challenges us to live in him and continue living out the truth so that we claim our allegiance to Christ and live as disciples free from fear and from cultural customs that contradict the gospel message. This project has found that the lack of discipleship training among the Anyuwaa churches has resulted in a lack of understanding of what this ministry entails--teaching and making disciples. In addition, failure to embed elements of the Anyuwaa culture into the discipleship approach,...

This book opens a window into the lives and extraordinary witness of a Christian couple whose faithful life of service has earned them the moniker of Ethiopias Bonhoeffer. Part One introduces the reader to the extant writings of Gudina Tumsa. Part Two is a highly personal account of Gudina and Tsehays life, witness, and sufferings. The collection concludes with an essay by Samuel Yonas Deressa on the impact of Gudinas vision. Gudina lives on in the many Ethiopian Christians who continue to...

Contextual engagement and strategic thinking are critical for missions, but a globally engaged, Christ-centered vision must flow from a deep, sustained encounter with the biblical narrative. Mission is a central theme woven throughout Scripture--rooted in the Abrahamic covenant, expressed through Israel's calling, and ultimately fulfilled in Christ and the Great Commission.In this book, Samuel Yonas Deressa traces the theme of mission from Genesis to Revelation to reveal how God ha...