THE ORIGINAL VISION

The first Maryknoll Missionaries to arrive in northwest Tanganyika possessed a single unitary theology of mission. This original vision was not written down somewhere in a polished "Mission Vision" statement, but it dwelt in the minds and hearts of all our early Maryknollers. It was reflected in the definition of mission contained in our Constitutions: "to establish the Church in assigned territories... the criterion for establishment being sufficient territorial clergy to replace us" (Art.2)

What motivated and guided these early pioneers of the Maryknoll Society's first mission commitment outside of China was a clear understanding that they came to extend the membership of the Church through the preaching of the Gospel. This missionary preaching was naturally aimed at conversion and baptism. From a theological point of view, this early vision of Maryknollers reflected the missiological theory of "implanting the Church" which was developed by Pierre Charles and Vincent Lebbe in the period between the two World Wars. Underlying this theology was the belief that mission was "the missions", i.e. the territories where the Church had not yet been firmly planted. The major imperative of missionaries was church extension and a key hope was that local priests would eventually take over our work.

As the four first early Maryknollers settled into their new assignments, such an orientation to mission soon became grounded in the realities of colonial Tanganyika and the evangelizing efforts that had already begun in Musoma District by the White Fathers. According to the research of Joe Carney, behind the decision to send Maryknollers to this part of Africa was the belief that in this part of the world the ideal conditions existed for new missionaries. These conditions included: a) the existence of an experienced missionary society that could give orientation to Maryknoll; b) an English?speaking colonial territory; c) the lack of Islamic expansion and d) a steady increase of conversions to Christianity.

Fr. Lou Bayless, in 1947, emphasized how Maryknoll's original mission apostolate was refined by the involvement and collaboration of Maryknoll with the apostolic work of the White Fathers.

I am convinced after my short time here in Nyegina mission that the work of Maryknollers will not be the planting of the seed or the laborious cultivation of this field, but rather the nurturing of this already flourishing mission which the White Fathers have so well developed. (Maryknoll News, Dec. 1986, 23.)

For 20 years, from roughly the time of Maryknoll's arrival to the end of Vatican II this original vision of mission as "implanting the Church and nurturing the young but flourishing Christian community" directed the efforts of almost all Maryknollers. Their efforts bore much fruit as Christianity spread rapidly in the years prior to the independence of Tanganyika. Furthermore, this vision of mission is still part of why we believe mission continues to be important in Tanzania. However, our vision of mission has expanded over the years to include several other important perspectives. It is interesting and inspiring to note that some of the more innovative and creative missionary initiatives over the last 30 years have come from those "Buffaloes" who still roam the mission fields.

VATICAN II AND THE REVOLUTION OF OUR VISION

At Vatican II, the theology of mission underwent a major transformation. The Church by its very nature was seen to be missionary. This basic shift from the extension of the Church into "the missions" to "Church is Mission" led to the development of several new perspectives on mission especially among missionary congregations like Maryknoll.

As the new theology of Vatican II began to filter into missionary thinking and practice, Maryknoll's vision of church and mission underwent some fundamental expansions. The Sixth General Chapter, following close on the heels of Vatican II, revolutionized Maryknoll's vision of mission grounding it on a theology of Church as the "People of God" and "Sacrament of Universal Salvation."

In practical mission apostolates, this translated into a strong emphasis on the building of a local Church that was self?reliant, self?propagating, self?governing and self-actualizing sign of God's Reign in Tanzania. Much effort was put into promoting the structures and programs that would help this vision or model of Church to evolve. Leadership training in the form of catechist schools and lay leadership courses became a major missionary concern as the success of the earlier efforts to implant the Church now called for a more extensive pastoral ministry which priests alone could not provide.

Moreover, Small Christian communities became the model of Church in parts of the dioceses where Maryknoll worked several years before this approach to building the Church was officially adopted by AMECEA churches. The famous Luo deanery, home to several of our more famous "Buffaloes" was instrumental in promoting this ecclesiological thinking and practice.

In 1971 the then Africa Region began its preparations for the Seventh General Chapter. In the reflection papers which were prepared by Maryknollers we can find the emergence of some new missiological perspectives. Fr. Joe Glynn, in his letter announcing the upcoming Regional Conference, stated that:

Maryknoll sees its role in the Africa Region as co?extensive with the three?fold mission of the Church ? Preaching of the Word, Building Christian community in faith and love and in service to the Greater Community.(Mar. 10, 1971)

Other new perspectives on mission also emerged both on the level of theological reflection and in the day to day practice of missionaries. Inculturation, interreligious dialogue and liberation are three of these perspectives that have influenced our vision of mission in Tanzania.

VISION IN TRANSITION: EMERGENCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH

As the 30 years of intensive pastoral and missionary activity began to bear fruit, a major challenge to Maryknoll's vision of mission emerged. From its beginning days, Maryknoll had seen its role to assist in the establishment and building up of a self?reliant local Church. A key indication of the success of this work would be the emergence of local clergy and religious as well as catechists who would take over the pastoral care of the Church. Maryknoll, in theory, would then move on to begin this process of preaching the gospel and establishing the Church in areas where it was not yet existent.

In the mid?1970s, with the Church continuing to expand, and with a growing number of catechists, local priests and sisters, the traditional missionary mandate of "Jus Commissionis" was terminated and the local Church, under mostly Tanzanian leadership, was given pastoral responsibility and authority. These developments raised questions about the purpose and continued existence of a "foreign" missionary society in a local Church. It became clear to many that the missionaries were to function in a secondary, service role. However, this vision of mission as secondary, subsidiary and of service to a local Church did not always sit well with veteran Buffaloes" and other missionaries who, through their many years of presence and of service, saw themselves as part of the local Church – as ones who helped found or establish the local Church and who believed that the building up of the Church still needed a lot of attention.

As Maryknoll prepared for its 1978 Chapter, one of the issues that was hotly discussed throughout the Africa Region was Maryknoll's Vision and Identity. In an honest appraisal of its Vision of mission, the Region stated that:

Maryknollers in Africa have not fully resolved the meaning of the word "missionary" or of evangelization and its full implication for their local situation and work. ("Maryknoll ? Vision ? Identity", Pre?Chapter letter from William Daley, June 23, 1978, 2.)

One group of active Maryknollers who did attempt to resolve the meaning of missionary was the North Mara deanery. In a 1978 working paper entitled "On Missiology" they defined mission in the following way: "God's activity in the world to bring about his Kingdom...." ("North Mara Working Paper on Missiology," 1978, p. 1.) In reflection on "the foreign missionary as Servant," the group went on to say that "...just what that (servant role) means is not always that clear and is often colored by historical, cultural, and political aspects." (Ibid., p. 2.) In other words, servanthood could not be defined by the servant.

Buffaloes, however, are not placid creatures. When challenged, they often respond vigorously! Not only did the Maryknollers in Africa develop new structures to deal with the changing political situation (the formation of 2 Regions), but they also began a process of clarification of our missionary role in the Tanzanian Church: a vision of mission which leaped beyond a timid, behind the scenes service role.

A NEW REGION: MISSION AND THE KINGDOM

By 1980 the Tanzania Region, now two years old, picked up the theology of Mission defined in our Society Mission Vision Statement of 1978. This Vision statement and the one of the Eight General Chapter in 1984 are good examples of how the new perspectives of mission that had emerged in the 25 years after Vatican II produced a new understanding of mission. No longer was the focus of mission to be the Church but rather the Reign of God. The Church was to be built up, but as the Servant of God's reign. As the Eight General Chapter states:

Maryknoll is called to participate in the missionary activity of the Universal Church, whereby God's Reign may be everywhere proclaimed and brought to light, and the Church may be the universal sign and sacrament of salvation. (Acts and Motions, Eight General Chapter, "Mission Vision (1984?1990), # 10, 3.)

In a bold statement of a mission vision the Tanzanian Region declared in 1980 that:

We are uniquely called to participate in the missionary activity of the Universal Church whereby God's Kingdom may be everywhere proclaimed and brought to light, and the Church may be the Universal sign and sacrament of salvation. Our particular task within the missionary activity calls us to build a Church in service to the proclamation of the Kingdom, giving special emphasis to the evangelization of the poor, of cultures and of structures. (Operational Plan 1981, 6.)

This, the most progressive and bold mission vision statement of Maryknoll in Tanzania, concluded with a ringing challenge:

In these days of rapid change and creative growth of the Tanzanian Church our vision imposes on us an urgency to reaffirm our fundamental identity as apostles and evangelizers dedicated to continuing the mission of Jesus. Our vision brings new insights into our identity as missionaries and offers new experiences and opportunities in our apostolate, binding us through the Gospel to the world, the Universal and local church, to Tanzania and to each other. (Ibid., 7.)

During the early 1980's, Maryknollers consciously made "clarification of our role in relation to the local Church," a Regional priority. In 1983 the Region at a Regional board meeting in Wira developed a major statement of mission vision called "The Future is Our Own." In this statement, mission is described and defined in different ways:

Because of the large population yet unevangelized and our vocation to bring to them the Word of God, and because of the large numbers who need our help to mature in Christ after their Baptism,... We understand our primary responsibility is to preach to the unevangelized.... We are still weaving a vision of the Church from our theology and from cultures, so that our work will be authentically Christian and authentically African.... In short, let us say of our apostolate, that it is a dynamic and strongly motivated force that has responded and continues to respond to changing needs and challenges. (Tanzania Regional Plan ? 1984, p. 11.)

With only a few additions, "The Future is Our Own" document became the Tanzania Region "Statement of Mission Vision" and was incorporated into a special issue of Mission Forum called "Mission in Tanzania: 25 Years After Independence ? and Vatican II." This statement of vision guided the Region throughout the mid 1980s and on to the 9th General Chapter in 1990.

THE BLURRING OF VISION

"Buffaloes are known to follow old, well?known trails. They are plodding animals." (Black Elk Speaks)

As the new shifts in perspectives and understandings of mission worked their way into the practice of everyday missionary work, the expansion of the breath of mission has led to a certain loss of focus. The effects of this loss of a common focus were evident in the 9th General Chapter. In preparation for the 9th General Chapter, Maryknollers in Tanzania began for the second time as a Region to reflect on mission in a global sense. Despite the domination of internal issues, especially the question of the structural relationship between society and associates, our Region did identify several mission challenges . AIDS, inculturation, Islam, primary evangelization, continual growth of the local Church and youth were the major challenges we identified as we entered the 1990s.

While there is very little evidence of much theological reflection on the meaning of mission in the pre?Chapter preparations, out of the 9th General Chapter came a new approach to mission vision which, in retrospect, has led to an ever greater blurring of our understanding of mission. In the spirit of "subsidiarity" each Region was encouraged to discern its own mission vision statement which then were to be shared at the 1993 ICSA meeting. Two of the four rich themes which were developed at the Chapter received extensive attention in our Region: Mission as Prophetic Witness and Mission as Inculturation.

For over a year these themes were dealt with on a local level in unit reflection sessions. The fruit of these reflections has to be dug out of minutes of these meetings. A particularly interesting reflection came out of the Dar es Salaam unit in Jan. 1991. In attempting to describe Mission as "Prophetic Witness" the unit came up with an analysis of the factors which exist on the level of public discourse and on the level of private discourse. These "countersigns" are symptomatic of structural realities which inhibit the coming of the parousia. Applying this reflection to mission, the unit members concluded:

...we see then a dynamic tension existing between mission as inculturation and mission as prophetic proclamation. The Christian message is not only challenged to adapt to the local situation but it stands in confrontation to the local situation calling the local culture to be self?critical. (Dar Es Salaam Unit, "Reflection on 'Mission as Prophetic Witness'", Jan. 28, 1991, 2.)

The unit then went on to state that for the 1990s it felt challenged to rethink our prophetic apostolate in a way that includes more explicitly cultural issues.

Finally, in the Regional Assembly of 1992, an attempt was made to get us to develop a focus in mission. The Superior General, Fr. Ken Thesing, stated that a major challenge to Maryknollers is to re-focus our mission vision as we undergo major changes in personnel and as financial resources become tighter. The focus that he suggested was that of prophetic proclamation of the gospel.

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