Q & A WITH DESMOND HOFFMEISTER

The Rev. Desmond Hoffmeister is director of the Global Prophetic Network and dean of community life at ABSW. A 2001 graduate of ABSW, Hoffmeister was formerly general secretary of the Baptist Convention of South Africa.

What does “mission” mean to you?
The foundation of mission is the church’s commitment and obedience to Jesus Christ. Mission is therefore the endeavor of the church to understand and execute the ideals and desires of vision for the world based on His teaching of the Kingdom of God.

How is mission changing globally?
The crisis of mission is that while the context of the world has changed, the philosophical underpinnings have remained largely intact. The urgent priority is to deliberately engage in understanding and interpreting the magnitude of these monumental changes.

The world is more connected, yet while the distances have collapsed and there is an immediacy to communications, the depth of human relations have not consequently improved to the degree that one would expect. The very technology that has made this possible has become the source of further division, alienation, and insulation.

What makes the new reality challenging is that it is always changing. It is difficult to discern between virtual reality, stage management, or created reality and what is in fact real. Preaching the gospel in this context means preparing leaders who understand the games played by the powerful and the bitter reality of the alienated poor. The pivotal challenge in this context is truth telling. This does not mean being detached on a soapbox but rather engaging with a global community that seems to be dislocated, dysfunctional and desperate.

What is the growing edge for the seminary with respect to mission?
It is encouraging to be at a seminary that has a stated vision relevant to these challenges. However, we cannot fall into the trap and think that because we have a stated vision, that the reality automatically mirrors the vision. It takes hard work and intentional effort for the values of the gospel to form part of the operating system of the institution. Helping each other make the connections between what happens in the Unites States and outside of this superpower is absolutely essential.