What is the Partner in Mission Programme
The Partner in Mission (PIM) programme is a coordinated approach to sharing people between member churches and, in some cases, with the wider ecumenical community. The term ‘Partner in Mission’ refers to an individual who serves in a context outside of his/her own nation and member church, using skills, experiences and gifts which are needed in the new context that they serve. In 2013 CWM took the decision to use the term Partner in Mission instead of the traditional term of Missionary. The term ‘Partner in Mission’ demonstrates the organisation’s missional commitment to accompanying our members as partners. It recognises and affirms that each member has something to share and offer and that our members are already participating in God’s mission through the church and in the world. The partner in mission who goes to another member church/ecumenical body enters into missional solidarity by joining in and contributing to what the member is already doing or has planned to do.
A PIM’s work in a particular context is intentionally designed to facilitate the accomplishment of member church/partner organisation mission priorities. Consequently, the work of PIMs spans a variety of fields e.g. medical, education, pastoral/congregational ministry based on the mission priorities of the receiving context.
The PIM’s relationship with the different stakeholders arises out of agreed commitments to send, receive and go. Consequently, the language of sending and receiving is intentional.
The sending context, receiving context and the PIM play specific roles and carry out specific responsibilities.
Sending Context – offers an individual with skills, gifts and experiences to a receiving context.
Receiving Context – receives an individual with the requisite skills, gifts and experiences to meet needs of the context in line with its mission priorities.
PIM – makes himself/herself available to share skills, gifts and experiences to enrich the places that they go to serve and open themselves to also be enriched by their own encounters where they serve with a view to contributing to their sending context upon return.
CWM – facilitates the sharing of people with administrative, communication, logistical and management responsibilities through members of the CWM staff team at the regional and global levels.
This mutuality in mission is based on the principle of interdependence and draws on the rich resources within the CWM family towards the accomplishment of CWM’s vision of fullness of life for all God’s creation.