A Missional Imagination in Progress
By Angel Castillo, GSC ‘Emerging Leader’ Student Intern/Undergraduate, Mount Royal University
I spent more time than I would like to admit meticulously building out my week-long trip to Edmonton. Having very much been in “summer vacation mode” after wrapping up the second year of my undergraduate degree, I anticipated, more or less, some version of a “mini get-a-way” when given the opportunity to go to Edmonton, Alberta, for two conferences with Global Scholars Canada. Later, I would realize that God had more for me than my idea of a “mini-vacation” could have ever offered.
The day I arrived at my first conference, MissionsFest, I was nervous. It had then just dawned on me that this was the first time I have attended any sort of conference by myself! By the second day, God brought me a friend. A lady named Marianne came to sit next to me, and we connected on life, missions, and our faith journeys.
Recently widowed, she had her wedding and family photos tucked in the side pocket of her Bible and introduced me to all her loved ones. One evening, she did not have any food to eat for supper, and so I had the opportunity to buy food for us. We got to share a meal—break bread—together!
A seminar that will remain unforgettable for me was “Nigeria: Healing and Hope for Traumatized Christian Women and Girls” with 100 Huntley Street host Greg Musselman. My heart ached as I listened to stories of girls who fled Boko Haram and I was reminded that their stories were also the lived experience and life’s work of Dr. Rebecca Dali. I found myself shedding tears of joy hearing that they found refuge in safe houses from Christian missionary organizations, but shivering at the reality that these were only the stories of the minority. The very famous quote by Abraham Kuyper, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” took on a whole new meaning for me. Christ cries “Mine!” over these girls, many of whom my age or younger, who are suffering and deeply hurting, too.
In a separate building, I came across aisles of colourful booths of numerous missions-based organizations – some scientific, some technological, and some even media-focused! There was much variety, down to the seminars offered. They consisted of several different topics, some of my favourites dealt with spiritual gifts and God’s gift of creativity. I found those particularly resonated with me as I am navigating my faith journey as well as my vocation.
The Faith, Fundraising and Communication Symposium (the second conference) was also an exceptional experience. Networking with Christian fundraisers and communication practitioners from non-profit organizations across Canada was delightful and insightful. As a public relations major, I took great interest in learning how they came into their current careers and found that many came from diverse backgrounds, such as political science and the humanities. A solid piece of advice relayed to me was, “You don’t have to have it all figured out.”
In his talk, “How can we carry out our mission in a polarized and tumultuous world?” Kevin Shepherd, CEO of Crossroads Christian Communications Inc. and YesTV, shared a quote from Andy Bannister I found quite interesting, “Our culture is in turmoil because it can’t reconcile its philosophy (atheistic and materialism) with its aspirations (purpose, justice, equality).”
A profound insight I gained from Shepherd’s session was that the pursuits and desires of our current culture (justice, equity, peace) were first biblical and spiritual ethics before they were Canadian ethics. The crux of his seminar could have arguably been boiled down to two simple sentences: “We must pursue revelation to bring transformation. The pathway to generosity is a fresh revelation in ourselves that people are worth it.” We, as organizations, often seek to advance our mission to bring about transformation—but sometimes we can forget that transformation also precedes mission! We can be quick to forget that transformation must also continue to occur within us.
My learnings from my time in Edmonton served as profound reminders of the importance of our work at Global Scholars Canada. I also began to comprehend its significance in the landscape of missions. We are a small organization with a unique mission, but a desperately-needed one. As I explored the different booths at MissionsFest, I couldn’t help but notice that while there were a couple of Christian colleges, I could not find a missionary organization that was academia-focused. Now, more than ever, Christian professors bringing about redemptive influence are needed in our world today.
I longed for a change of pace and God satisfied that desire. Being a missional academic—in my own personal context of being a third-year undergraduate communications student—does not necessarily mean a change in address. It means being willing to live deeply in Him and to gain His heart for the world. It means pursuing transformation. Through this experience, God breathed new life and new meaning into my understanding of a “missional imagination” and furthermore, being a “missional academic”.
Needless to say, I took away plenty—and that I am thankful my trip to Edmonton was, indeed, much more than a little vacation.