By Canon Grace Kaiso
The article seeks to explore the calling of the Church in our times. In other words, how should the Church live out her mission in a complex and rapidly changing global environment? To examine this, we first need to reflect on what the Church actually is.
There is no single definition of the Church in the Bible. Sometimes she is described in terms of relationships: the people of God, the family of God, the community of the Spirit. At other times she is captured in metaphors: the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, the salt of the earth, the letter of Christ, fishers of men, and the branches of the vine. To understand the identity of the Church, therefore, we need to take these aspects collectively.
The body of Christ
The Church is described as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). She serves as Christ’s visible presence in the world, extending his saving work through the actions of her members. Just as the body functions in harmony, so Christians are intrinsically connected to Christ and to one another, forming a spiritual entity that serves as his voice, feet and hands in the world.
New Israel
The Church came into being as an instrument to further the mission and ministry of Jesus. Put simply, she is the gathering of those called out of darkness into God’s marvellous light, who have responded in faith and obedience (1 Corinthians 1:9). Just as ancient Israel was chosen to be the instrument of God, the Church today is called to be a distinct spiritual community, embodying God’s holiness and living out his purposes in the world.
According to 1 Peter 2:9, the image of the Church is that of a holy people belonging to God, a royal priesthood and holy nation, distinct from the peoples of the world. She is set apart as the new Israel (Exodus 19:5; Isaiah 43:20; 61:6).
Salt, light in the world
As light, the Church illuminates darkness, revealing God’s truth and salvation. As salt, she preserves and seasons society through her presence and good works. In this way, the Church is portrayed as a worldly people, sent back into the world to witness and to serve. She is a missionary community fulfilling God’s mission: a community on the move, consistently propagating and modelling God’s love everywhere and to everyone (Hebrews 13:13).
Dual identity
Through these verses, we glimpse the dual identity of the Church: she is in the world but not of the world. The Church lives in the tension between being called out and being sent out. Holding both identities in tension is critical. It enables her to live out her calling in a balanced way, not retreating into isolation, yet not losing her moral authority through contamination.
Church’s presence in society
Society is the theatre of the Church’s operation. This is where God expects her to demonstrate his love, power and desire for his creation. It is in society that the Church’s obedience is tested and judged.
However, as noted earlier, today’s environment is complex. What does obedience mean in such circumstances? It means that the Church must embrace God’s agenda. In Luke 4:18, often called the Jesus manifesto, he declares that he has come to proclaim good news to the poor, freedom for prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind and liberation for the oppressed. In John 10:10 he outlines the heart of God’s desire: “I came that they may have life and have it in abundance.” If this is God’s expressed desire for his people, then it should also be the mission of the Church.
There are two dimensions to this mission. One is resistance; the other is facilitation. Anything that prevents the people of God from enjoying the fullness of life he desires must be resisted. Equally, whatever affirms life and dignity must be promoted as part of the Church’s witness.
The early missionaries built Churches, schools and hospitals because they believed these upheld the spiritual, intellectual and physical well-being of people. On the other hand, they resisted harmful cultural practices such as child sacrifice, recognising that these were inconsistent with God’s desire to affirm life. They knew that all human beings bear the image of God and are equal in worth and dignity.
This remains a useful yardstick as the Church contemplates her response to the challenges facing God’s people today. God is committed to the flourishing of his people and all creation, and the Church must live out this conviction.
Challenges in the modern world
The mission of the Church always takes place in a particular space, time, culture and sin context. What does our global and national context demand of the Church?
Our shared life today is marked by uncertainty and stress, caused by unpredictable climatic conditions leading to food insecurity; volatile trade policies; reliance on military solutions to conflict; and institutions failing to deliver on their mandates, whether the UN, national parliaments, security agencies or faith bodies. Armed conflicts in Israel–Gaza, Russia–Ukraine, Sudan and the DRC continue to drive displacement and instability.
There is also growing lack of faith and trust, caused by moral decay, corruption, exploitation and competing interests. Vulnerability is increasing due to underfunded social services, political apathy, breakdown of family systems, greed, overconsumption, rapid population growth and loss of jobs through automation and AI. Meanwhile, the world lacks consensus on tackling shared challenges such as climate change, migration, poverty, gender inequality and youth unemployment.
These realities together form the sum of the Church’s calling. They require faith resources, discernment, prophetic presence and unquenchable hope, to craft faithful responses.
Responding to injustice in human relations
Faith communities must address both root causes and immediate effects of social, economic and political forces. Injustice in human relations creates contexts of poverty, which is the mother of human tragedy in our world today. Poverty dehumanises people so deeply that it obscures the image of God in them.
The Church must therefore champion interventions that build a fair and equitable society. She should awaken society to gaps in human rights observance, promote social, political and economic justice, and advocate for conditions that enable the weak to thrive. Where governments lack the will to act, the Church must step in—through pastoral letters, public statements, subtle diplomacy and media engagement—to give voice to the marginalised.
But she must also go further: walking alongside victims of injustice, enabling their healing and helping them towards self-sustenance.
Nurturing leadership
There is general consensus that many human problems persist due to poor leadership. The limited impact of the Sustainable Development Goals is linked to lack of political will. Failures in education, health, security and economic programmes often stem from unethical leadership.
The Church must therefore take seriously the task of nurturing leadership, through discipleship, mentorship and moral formation, to produce strong, upright citizens.
At the same time, citizens must be re-envisioned. Too often people wait passively for foreign assistance. The Church should mobilise communities to actively engage in nation-building, to work hard and to plan responsibly for future generations. History shows that powerful nations were built by leaders and citizens who sacrificed self-gratification for the common good.
Stewardship, unity, peace
The Church must act as a watchman over the nation’s resources, warning of the consequences of ungodly policies, reckless consumption and unjust laws. She must also strengthen the spiritual and moral foundation of the nation, reminding people of the blessings of obedience to God and the dangers of immorality, greed and corruption.
Supporting unity and collaboration is also vital. Political interests, ethnic rivalries and religious divisions fuel polarisation. Yet history has taught us that violence is too costly and ineffective. Differences are best resolved through dialogue. The Church must therefore promote fairness, reconciliation and consensus-building, reminding politicians that in today’s interdependent world, adversarial politics is outdated and destructive.
We have underlined the fact that the Church has an inescapable calling and responsibility of obeying Christ, worshiping Him, nurturing believers and being the extension of his redeeming love to the world. We need to be clear that God’s redeeming love is both conclusive and inclusive. The death and resurrection of Christ was done finally. So, the benefits of His sacrifice; new life, living hope and everlasting life are meant for all people. God’s redemptive actions in Christ are not about benefiting a certain tribe, Church tradition, or denomination. It is important for the Church to hold on to this holistic understanding of God’s redemptive actions in world. It helps the Church to appreciate that, they are invited to participate in what God has already started on, and therefore to constantly seek His wisdom, guidance and inspiration.
