International Association of Catholic Missiologists

Second Meeting of the IACM Executive

Rome, 4-8 July 2005

Were present:

President:                   William LaRousse, MM (Philippines)
Vice President:           Eleazar Lopez (Mexico)
Executive Secretary:   Bertrand Roy, PME (Canada)
Treasurer:                  Luisa Melo Leyton (Italy)

Regional Representatives:
Africa:                             Silvester Arinaitwe Rwomukubwe, AJ (Uganda)
Latin America :             Joaquin Garcia, OSA (Peru)
North America :       Nicanor Sarmiento T., OMI (Canada)
Asia – Oceania:           Lazar Thanuzraj, SVD (India)
Europe:                       Paul Steffen, SVD (Italy)  

This second meeting of the Executive Board of IACM was held at the Collegio Verbo Divino in Rome (Italy) from the 4th to the 8th of July 2005 (Monday to Friday).  The first meeting had been held in Cochabamba (Bolivia) on the 2nd and 3rd of October 2004, after the 2nd Plenary Assembly and the election of this Executive Board.

The meeting began on Monday, the 4th of July, with words of welcome by the President and with brief reports by the Executive Secretary and the Treasurer (evaluation of the Assembly at Cochabamba in 2004; list of members in May 2005; answers to the survey of April 2005  -  difficulties for the payment of membership dues and for the conversion of money; juridical personality of the IACM and opening of a bank account at the Vatican; policy about reimbursement of travel expenses).

After sharing ideas and questions following these reports, and remembering a list of topics proposed earlier by the President and the Executive Secretary (Maryknoll NY, November 2004), the Executive Board put up the agenda of this meeting and fixed an order of priority among the questions to be discussed.  This agenda was adopted unanimously.  Many points of the agenda were discussed repetitively during this meeting.  This report will focus especially on the final decisions, while recording some elements of the discussion which has been the context of these decisions.

1. WHY IACM EXIST ?

The President introduced this topic with some historical references.  The beginnings of our association go back to 1995 when Cardinal Jozef Tomko and Archbishop Marcelo Zago urged the Faculties of Missiology of the Gregorian and Urbaniana Universities to explore the founding of such an association of catholic missiologists.  Of the 200 missiologists who received a first questionnaire in 1997 about the formation of such an association, about 150 answered it, and of those 150, over 135 were very positive to begin what became the IACM. The original Core Group was expanded in 1998 to become an international group that adopted temporary statues, and an ad hoc Executive Board was elected. In 1999, the IACM held a colloquium entitled The Role of Missiological Institutes. The first Plenary Assembly was held in Rome in 2000 and the Statutes of the IACM were formally approved on this occasion.

The objectives of the IACM are affirmed in its Statutes. This association exists to promote missiological research, studies and educational activities, and to encourage collaboration among Catholic missiologists. Are we fulfilling these objectives? What are our dreams for the IACM?  Why should someone join it?  What do we offer so that we can ask sponsors to support us?
 
Here are some points mentioned in the sharing of ideas following these remarks:
- As missiologists, we need mutual support, information.  To gather at the Assembly is good but there is nothing else between the Assemblies;
- It is necessary to establish our catholic identity as missiologists.  The need of a forum where we can share our experiences;
- In the formulation of the purpose of IACM, is there not a contradiction between the affirmation of “catholic” identity and the opening “to all of God’s creation”?  We should deepen the word “catholic” and also our service in the Catholic Church;
- As members of IACM, we need to know where we stand. The place of missiology at the service of the evangelizing mission of the Church.  How to help the development of missiological faculties and institutes? 
-The need to gather and to share missiological energy;
-As IACM, to promote discussion and debate, and to identify the challenges of mission;
-Relation between the theme of creation and catholicism. Local Churches and contextualization;
-Missiology is studied not only in the academical context of universities but also in popular centers of formation in relation with the practice of mission;
-A forum for missiological research and debate.
-The importance of freedom of discussion

2. SERVICES OFFERED

Why should someone join the IACM?  What services do we offer?  What do I get as a member?

-Suggestion: to contact Institutes which have funds for education in order to offer scholarships for studies to missiologists who need support;
- Animation of priests about mission studies. To offer documentation. To assist the bishops as missionary animators.  To assist the local churches in the field of ecumenism;
-Participation in conferences / meetings (international and regional meetings);
-Networking with other organizations;
-A regular newsletter;
-In the services offered, priority should be given to the theological reflection (interdisciplinary, intercultural, ecumenical);
-Communication between different missiological worlds;
- Comparative exchanges -  the need to compare between different contextx

3. MEMBERSHIP – CRITERIA

The members of IACM should be persons involved in reflection and research at the frontiers.  The relation between academic missiology and practical missiology was discussed briefly and the stress was put on the complementarities between academic research and missionary practice.  The members of IACM should not only be missiologists who have answers but also missiologists who ask questions in relation with concrete situations.  Missiologists should act as bridges for the Church and for their people.  The main purpose of this association is not missionary animation but missiological research.  The IACM should help to identify the missiological questions which emerge in different contexts.   

It is important to go back to the Statutes for the criteria of membership. According to the Statutes, members should hold advanced degrees in Missiology or in related disciplines and be engaged in missiological education and research.

Corporate members: Questions were asked about corporate membership (How do we proceed? What are the membership dues?  What type of participation to the plenary Assembly?).  This point should be reviewed at the next plenary Assembly. 

Associate members: As candidates for a graduate degree in missiology or a related discipline, their application to membership should be recommended by their moderator.  The membership dues for the associate members is US $10.00. 

Application for membership: Application for membership should be sent to the Executive Secretary with the appropriate recommendation; the approbation will be done by the Executive Board.

Membership dues: If someone does not pay the membership dues for a period of three (3) years, the Treasurer will contact this person and inform the Executive Secretary who will drop his/her name of the list of members.   

4. IACM IN THE REGIONS / REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

In the five continental regions of IACM, the communication between members is easier in some sub-regions. Animation and networking at this level should be promoted by the regional representatives.  Information about each region was shared by the regional representatives:
-Asia-Oceania: In India, a regional Assembly in planned for 2006 in preparation for the plenary Assembly in 2007 (with the same theme);
- Africa: There is the need to promote IACM in French-speaking Africa.  Regional meetings would be difficult (too expensive).  Possibility to keep in touch by e-mail with people working in universities (ex. Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania).  Possibility of sub-groups (ex. Nigeria);
-North America: Hypothesis of a workshop in 2006 as a preparation for the Assembly of 2007;
- Latin America: Difficulty of communication.  Networking with people involved in the research on “teologia india” (Colloquium in Mexico in September 2005, Congress in Manaus in 2006);
- Europe: Interest of Jean-Marie Aubert (AFOM) / Ecumenical missiological congress in Paris in 2006. Challenge to build a common project in the European diversity.  Suggestion to prepare a list of potential members and to send them an invitation to join the association.

The Executive Board acknowledged that the role of the regional representatives is very important: ex. positive input at the Executive Board meeting, promotion of IACM in their region, development of sub-groups and communication between the members, identification of potential members, preparation at this level of the next plenary Assembly (preparation of the contribution of each region, publicity) and also, when it is possible, facilitation of the payment of membership dues.

5. NEXT PLENARY ASSEMBLY / LONG TERM PLANNING

At its first meeting in Cochabamba (October 2-3, 2004), the Executive Board has decided that the next plenary Assembly should be held in three years in order to be on a different schedule from IAMS assembly.  The next IACM plenary Assembly will be held in September 2007 based on the facts that IAMS will have its assembly in 2008 and that September is a good time for many.

What type of Assembly?
-Any person can be invited to the missiological workshop, but we promote the participation of members of the association;
-An Assembly which produces results in some form of publication (we need to be known)
-An Assembly where the work of the study groups can be presented (continuity);
-An opportunity to deepen our identity as missiologists and the specificity of our service.

Where?
- Eastern Europe, more precisely Poland.  Paul Steffen will contact the SVD authorities in Poland to verify this hypothesis (place, time, organization).

When?
-First choice: Arrival (afternoon): Wednesday 19 September - Departure (after breakfast): Tuesday 25 September. Program: Workshop (20-22 Sept.), Exposure (Sunday 23 Sept.), Plenary Assembly (24 Sept.)
- Second choice: Arrival (afternoon): Wednesday 29 August – Departure (after breakfast): Tuesday 4 September.  Program: Workshop (30-31 August & 1 Sept.), Exposure (Sunday 2 Sept.), Plenary Assembly (3 Sept.)

What theme?

“The word of God grew and multiplied” (Ac 12: 24) (King James)
Sharing the Good News in the Interaction of Cultures

“La palabra de Dios crecía y se propagaba” (Hch 12, 24) (Biblia de Jerusalén)
Compartir la Buena Noticia en la Interacción de la Culturas

“La parole de Dieu croissait et se multipliait” (Ac 12, 24) (Bible de Jérusalem)
Partager la Bonne Nouvelle dans l’interaction des cultures

The choice of this theme and its formulation are the result of a brainstorming and a discussion, which went on at different times during the meeting.  The following elements mentioned at one moment or another could be useful for the presentation of this theme and a further elaboration of sub-themes.  

-“Interculturalidad” – transformations in the world and in the Church
-Intercultural relationship: dialogue - conflict

-Interculturation transforming the world
-Migrations (consequences in each continent)
-Cultural diversity: challenge to evangelization
-Poverty and cultural domination
-Let us reason together (Isaiah 1, 18)
-My house will a house of prayer for all peoples
-Urbanization – secularization – religious differences
-Exclusion
-Healing – reconciliation
-Ecology (Kyoto)
-Emerging mission theologies (participation)
-Being transformed

-The evangelization in the 3rd millennium demands an intercultural dialogue
-Transforming the cosmos: challenge of diverse cultures
-The missiological perspective on sharing the faith with people in the different cultural contexts transformed by cultural diversity
-Encounter of Gospel and cultures
-Gospel amidst the interaction of cultures: missiological perspective
-Cultural interaction as a challenge to the Gospel and intercultural encounter

-Interculturation transforming the world and mission
-Respect for cultural diversity: an opportunity for transforming the world and missio
-Sharing the Good News in diverse cultures
-Sharing the Good News in the interaction of cultures
-To add the following biblical citation:
   “Verbum Domini crescebat, et multiplicabatur” (Ac 12, 24 / Vulgate)
   “The word of God grew and multiplied” (Ac 12: 24 /King James)
“La palabra de Dios crecía y se propagaba” (Hch 12, 24 / Biblia de Jerusalén)
   “La parole de Dieu croissait et se multipliait” (Ac 12, 24 / Bible de Jérusalem)

What methodology?
-A link should be established between the general theme and the topics of the four study groups;
-Each participant should prepare a contribution;
-Five (5) main papers where each continental region of IACM will have the possibility to give its point of view on the theme (intro: 10 min.; presentation: 50 min.; discussion: 30 min.);
- Regional representatives will contact one person in their own region and verify her interest and availability to give one of these main papers.  They will send this information to the President before the 1st April 2006 (identity of the potential contributor, focus of the paper).  We should be attentive to women participation.  A formal invitation will be sent by the President.  IACM will take charge of the traveling expenses of the five persons giving main papers;  
-Presentation of short papers in different groups (linguistic, thematic);
-Keynote address on the evening of the arrival day (Wednesday) by a person from the country hosting the plenary Assembly (ex. a missiologist from Poland);
-Hypothesis of schedule:
09:00-10:00: Main Paper in plenary session
11:00-12:30: Group session (presentation of short papers)
15:00-16:30: Main Paper in plenary session
17:00-18:30: Workshops/group discussion
In the last afternoon, time will be reserved for a plenary of the workshops;
- Lazar Thanuzraj will be in charge of the methodology of the Assembly.  Taking account of the different aspects considered for the choice of the theme of the Assembly, he will determine the sub-themes (four areas) for the group sessions where short papers will be presented.  These sub-themes will be included in the presentation of the theme (publicity, invitation to offer a contribution).  Lazar will inform the President accordingly and the President will transmit this information to the regional representatives.

Long term planning
When the plenary Assembly will elect a new Executive Board, it will be important to guarantee some continuity (program of activities, funding, etc.).  In other associations, this continuity is guaranteed by the vice president becoming the new president.  There is no provision in this sense in our statutes.   At least, the candidacy of one actual member of the Executive Board should be presented and this preoccupation for continuity should be shared by the plenary Assembly.

6. PROMOTION / PUBLICITY / PUBLICATIONS

-We need some means of promotion (ex. WEB site, publications, etc.);
-From where do we start in order to be known ?  From our members, their writing and activities;
-Orbis Books has offered to publish a compendium of IACM production (cf. proceedings of Cochabamba 2004; articles by members of IACM; other documents of the association).  If we accept this offer, Bill Borrows asks us to chose one editor with whom he will work.
-We will publish the proceedings of Cochabamba 2004.  Lazar Thanuzraj will act as editor with John Gorski as co-editor.  At the suggestion of Lazar, we agree to work with a publishing house in India.  This publication will include the proceedings of the workshop at Cochabamba in 2004 and some other articles in appendix, for example the text of Francis Oborji which has been distributed to the participants during the workshop. 
-Some countries are under-represented in IACM. A letter of invitation should be sent to potential members.  The regional representatives will communicate to the President a list of persons who can be invited to join the IACM.  This list should indicate the address and e-mail of each potential member, and the reason of our invitation.  This list should be sent to the President before October 15, 2005. 

7. COMMUNICATION

-WEB site
Information about the IACM is available on the WEB site of IAMS and we are grateful for this service. But the association needs its own WEB site and the Executive Secretary will take charge of its implementation. Some suggestions are made for the opening page (Who we are - Our objectives – Services offered – What do we do / Contributions / Articles in original language – Links with other organizations – Statutes of IACM / Application form for membership - Executive Board – How to contact us).  The site will be in English, with a Spanish and eventually a French version.  It will be useful to have an intranet for the members (directory of members with useful information).

- IACM Newsletter
The regularity of the newsletter is important.  We agree to publish this newsletter every two months (January – March – May – July – September – November).  This newsletter of 1-2 pages will include regular information from the President, the Executive Secretary and the Treasurer.  It will also offer relevant information (publications of members, suggestions of books with a short recommendation, missiological events, regional/ecumenical meetings, statistics of missiological importance, etc.).  This documentation will be sent to the editor two weeks before the month of publication (ex. August 15th for the Newsletter of September).

Joaquin Garcia (joaq@softhome.net) will act as editor of the IACM Newsletter with the help of Nicanor Sarmiento for the English translation, Bertrand Roy for the French translation and Lazar Thanuzraj for the sending to members by e-mail or post.

We will keep the actual logo of IACM for official use, but not for the electronic version of the Newsletter.  We will try to develop a new design with a smaller version of this logo.  

8. STUDY GROUPS

With the exception of the Study Group on globalization (articles to be submitted in December 2006 for publication), the Study Groups do not yet function.  These Study Groups should guide us in the preparation of the missiological part of the plenary Assembly of 2007.  For example, each group should prepare a small booklet before this Assembly with contributions from its members.  The President will write to each coordinator about the expectations of the Executive Board : each member should participate in a Study Group and this participation should stimulate our members to reflect and write on the theme of the Assembly of 2007 from different contexts and perspectives.

Lazar Thanuzraj is the coordinator of the group on “globalization” and Eleazar Lopez is the coordinator of the group on “contextual theology and practice”.  The President will contact the coordinators of the other groups (Juan Gonzales and John Gorski) and, if they cannot continue, the coordinator of the group on “Church and dialogue” will be by Joaquin Garcia and the coordinator of the group on “ Theological Foundation and Methodology” will be Silvester A. Rwomukubwe with the help of other collaborators chosen by them  

9. QUOTAS / FEES / BANK ACCOUNT /JURIDICAL PERSONALITY

Our bank account is under the umbrella of SVD at Techny in Chicago (USA).  An other bank account in Rome, at the Vatican (IOR), would be very useful.  To open such an account at the IOR, we will need to be recognized as a catholic association.  A request for this recognition will be presented to Cardinal Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, and we hope that this second bank account can be opened in the near future.

Few members had paid their membership dues until now.  The plenary Assembly is the best time for paying dues and we should encourage people to pay their membership dues for three years on this occasion. The Executive Board acknowledged that the payment of dues may be difficult for some members, but they are not the majority.  This payment can be done via our bank account in Techny or with the help of the internal services of international congregations and institutes.  To offer the service of payment by credit cart, as it has been proposed in the survey, would be too expensive.

Most important is the will of all members to contribute.  For this reason, we should assert the identity of the IACM and offer relevant services to our members.  Information on this subject will be given in the Newsletter of August.  Later, the Treasurer will communicate with all the members: it will be a message of thank to those who have paid their dues and a reminder to those who have not.

10. SPONSORSHIP / SUPPORT

From the beginning, one of the biggest challenges has been to find funding for the Association. In the past years, funding has been primarily from one missionary Institute that has kept the IACM going. The Executive Board decided to work in order to establish a shared long-term sponsorship for the IACM. This shared sponsorship will require that many different groups contribute to support IACM. This wide based support will help the association to maintain a healthy autonomy.

Estimation of our yearly expenses:

Estimation of our yearly income:

According to this estimation, a minimum of US $34,000.00 a year from 2005 to 2007 is needed to meet these expenses while we will still need to look for more assistance for the next plenary   Assembly. We would hope to expand our activities but these are a minimum of what we would hope to begin with.  We will use e-mail as much as possible for communications but we cannot avoid other mailing costs. The yearly dues from members ($30.00 for those from affluent countries and $10.00 for those from less affluent countries) are only a small portion of what is needed for the Association to continue.  We hope that the next Executive Board, at the time of its election in 2007, will have in reserve the funds for the expenses of its first meeting ($15,000.00). As already mentioned, we hope to establish a shared long-term sponsorship for the IACM. We need at least 17 missionary institutes/congregations as sponsors (contribution: $2,000.00).

Contact persons for funding:
-The Superior General of Maryknoll had offered to support our request of sponsorship to other MISALs (Missionary Societies of Apostolic Life)
-Nicanor Sarmiento (Oblate Province of Lacombe, Canada and Oblate Province of USA)
-Joaquin Garcia (Curia Generale of OSA, Provincia Olandese of OSA)
-Bill LaRousse (SVD)
-Silvester Aritnaitwe Rwomukubwe (Apostles of Jesus in USA)
-Lazar Thanuzraj (Missio – for specific projects: publications, next General Assembly)
-A. Trevisol, Dean of the Faculty of Missiology at the Urbaniana (Missionaries of Consolata)
-Paul Steffen (Salesiens)Eleazar Lopez (Solidaridad in Holland)

10. NEXT MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

We will have a meeting of the Executive Board in 2006 with the main objective of preparing the next plenary Assembly.  If possible, this meeting should take place in Poland at the same location that the next plenary Assembly.  Paul will contact SVD authorities in Poland. We plan a three days meeting: arrival (29 August) and departure (2 September) with a meeting with our  contact person in Poland on the 2nd day and with the organizational committee on the 3rd day. The association will continue to provide for the travel cost of the Executive Board members (Board meetings, plenary Assembly), but every one will try to fund a part of it (ex. 20%).   

12. NEW MEMBERS

The Executive Board approved the admission of six new members:
-Andrzey Pietrzak (Poland) recommended by Paul Steffen
-Andrew Recepcion (Philippines) recommended by Bill LaRousse
-Paul V. Kollman (USA) recommended by Bill LaRousse
-Edward Mees (Philippines) recommended by Bill LaRousse
-Peter Pandimakil (Canada) recommended by Bertrand Roy
-Adorable Castillo (Philippines) recommended by Bill LaRousse

13. BOARD AND LODGING AT SVD COLLEGE (JULY 2005)

The Executive Board approved a contribution of US $ 500.00 to the Collegio del Verbo Divino, Rome, as a symbolic contribution for the board and lodging in this SVD House during this week of meeting. The total cost for board and lodging (estimated at US $ 2,000.00) will be recorded as such in our financial report and the difference (US $ 1, 500.00) will be recorded as a donation.

14. IACM PROPERTIES

The Executive Secretary had received from Fr. Francis Oborji, former Executive Secretary, the following items: A laptop computer Toshiba; a phone/fax machine; a carton containing docu­ments of IACM; a sum of Euro 121,14 (balance from his account transmitted to the Treasurer).  The Treasurer is authorized to sell the laptop computer and the phone/fax machine. Living in Rome, the Treasurer will also keep the archives of the association.

The meeting concluded at noon on Friday, the 8th of July, with words of appreciation by the President for the presence and the active participation of all the members of this Executive Board and with words of gratitude to our SVD hosts for their hospitality. 

William LaRousse, MM                                          Bertrand Roy, PMÉ
President                                                                   Executive Secretary