What we believe & do

COSIM values are congruous with
The Lausanne Movement

The Cape Town Commitment is a document written as a summary statement of the The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization held in Cape Town, South Africa October 16-25, 2010.

The very last part of the document—the final section of the Call to Action—deals with partnership in the Body of Christ. Below is an excerpt under the title, “Partnership in global mission.” This excerpt serves as an excellent rationale for COSIM:

… Partnership in mission is not only about efficiency. It is the strategic and practical outworking of our shared submission to Jesus Christ as Lord. Too often we have engaged in mission in ways that prioritize and preserve our own identities (ethnic, denominational, theological, etc), and have failed to submit our passions and preferences to our one Lord and Master. The supremacy and centrality of Christ in our mission must be more than a confession of faith; it must also govern our strategy, practice and unity.

We rejoice in the growth and strength of emerging mission movements in the majority world and the ending of the old pattern of ‘from the West to the Rest’. But we do not accept the idea that the baton of mission responsibility has passed from one part of the world Church to another. There is no sense in rejecting the past triumphalism of the West, only to relocate the same ungodly spirit in Asia, Africa, or Latin America. No one ethnic group, nation, or continent can claim the exclusive privilege of being the ones to complete the Great Commission. Only God is sovereign.

a. We stand together as church and mission leaders in all parts of the world, called to recognize and accept one another, with equality of opportunities to contribute together to world mission. Let us, in submission to Christ, lay aside suspicion, competition and pride and be willing to learn from those whom God is using, even when they are not from our continent, nor of our particular theology, nor of our organization, nor of our circle of friends.

b. Partnership is about more than money, and unwise injection of money frequently corrupts and divides the Church. Let us finally prove that the Church does not operate on the principle that those who have the most money have all the decision-making power. Let us no longer impose our own preferred names, slogans, programmes, systems and methods on other parts of the Church. Let us instead work for true mutuality of North and South, East and West, for interdependence in giving and receiving, for the respect and dignity that characterizes genuine friends and true partners in mission.

What COSIM believes

  • We believe the world has changed in ways that make partnership more important, if not essential, to world evangelization.
  • We believe that Christians of different cultures, nations, and social-economic conditions can work together productively for the advancement of the gospel.
  • We believe there is compelling biblical precedent for cooperation and mutual support in the ministry of the gospel.
  • We believe that partnerships need a common purpose to be effective, and desire that our partnerships have as their purpose the advancement of the gospel, the evangelization of the lost, the multiplication of churches, and the growth of believers in the fullness of Christ. 
  • We believe partnership may take many forms, but must be rooted in mutual respect, trust, interdependence, and commitment to the work of the gospel.
  • We believe in developmental partnerships that lead to increased capacity of the partner to accomplish their mission purpose and avoid creating a dependency that limits local initiative, responsibility and ownership of the vision.

While some COSIM agencies have their own statements of faith, we find commonality in affirming the doctrinal statement of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). This statement has broad acceptance by evangelicals all over the world.

http://www.worldevangelical.org/statefaith.html

What COSIM does

  • COSIM conducts an annual conference that allows significant opportunities for participants to learn from each other, listen to the voices of indigenous leaders from the field as well as from experienced leaders of North American agencies, discuss issues of common concern, and attend workshops and seminars on the complex challenges of mission partnerships.
  • COSIM is a network through which member agencies that have a need can be linked with another agency that has skill to share in that area. COSIM makes it easy to share information between members on best practices, policies, and lessons learned. 
  • COSIM advocates for organizational standards for ministries desiring to be in association with COSIM. 
  • COSIM is a forum for undertaking projects based on the concerns and interests of the members.