Listening to the Church in the Margins

DANIEL YANG

Theologian René Padilla reminded us that when God wanted to bring salvation to the world, he chose the Galilean option — Jesus of Nazareth. The movement of Jesus was not primarily centered around Jerusalem and its leaders, or anyone in power. Instead, it rose from the margins and among the Galileans. This was the consistent pattern for the New Testament church, first and second century Christianity, and for much of church history. It also continues to be the pattern for the church around the world today. And while God is absolutely active among the poor and the oppressed, our definition of marginalization needs to expand if we want to see His work in its fullness. In this session, Daniel will help unpack the polycentric nature of God's activity in the unsuspected places in the world, and in our North American cities. The church of the future is already present in unseen ways, and it takes vision and imagination—prayer and prophecy—to make it known.