The Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies (EFMA) is an organization with a long, rich history – and a new name. The EFMA is now The Mission Exchange.
EFMA was formed in 1946 out of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) to foster greater collaboration between mission agencies (the Church of God is a founding member of NAE and Church of God World Missions a pioneer member of EFMA). Through a lengthy process of prayerful thought and strategic reflection, the EFMA board of directors wanted to make sure the identity of the organization more accurately reflected its vision and agreed to change the name to The Mission Exchange.
“This strategic initiative reflects the new realities in the world missions community,” said veteran Church of God missions leader Grant McClung, a member the Executive Board for the organization. “It focuses on dynamic new services and events that add value to missions leaders and local churches.” According to McClung, who was involved in the research and strategy leading toward the new brand roll out, one of the events being planned is the “North American Mission Leaders Conference,” scheduled for September 24 – 27, 2008 in Denver, Colorado – a combined gathering of North American mission leaders, pastors, and educators for encouragement, learning and networking, including a first ever local church mission leader track (details at www.TheMissionExchange.org).
“My experience with The Mission Exchange (formerly EFMA), “McClung noted, “is that they deliver a relevant combination of high impact teaching with high impact networking.” McClung projects that in the coming years the Great Commission community – alive and growing – will emerge into a “new quadralogue,” the intersection (exchange) of four key players in this new millennium of missions:
1. Assembly (the local church)
2. Agency (mission agencies/denominational missions departments)
3. Academy (missions training systems – seminaries, colleges, etc.)
4. “Agora” (New Testament term for “marketplace,” the daily world of “global believers” among the laity in the marketplace).
McClung is a professor at the Church of God Theological Seminary and a member of the Church of God International Executive Council.
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