Reverse Mission? Missio Dei and the Spread of African Pentecostalism in the West

Although mission is no longer a linear stream that flows from North to South, rarely are Southern missionaries in the West construed as participants in God's mission. Using the concept of missio Dei, this article contests the claim that Southern missionaries in the West are engaged in reverse mission. Beginning with a brief overview of the missio Dei concept, it discusses the meaning, uses and limitations of the various models of reverse mission. Assessing the spread of African Pentecostalism in the West, it contends that mission cannot be reversed if it is of God. The article concludes that mission is a continuum of what God has done in Christ for the oikos throughout the ages, to which humans are privileged participants.