International Missionary Council Centenary Series

The seven International Missionary Council (IMC) Centenary volumes trace how Christians have collaborated in mission across the 20th century and into the early 21st, navigating world wars, the rise of ecumenical institutions, the explosive growth of Pentecostalism, and the shift of Christianity’s centre of gravity to the global south. Because mission and unity are inseparable, collaboration has often been strained by the continual fragmentation of churches and the increasingly diverse, locally-rooted expressions of Christian faith worldwide. Even so, the study reveals striking shared commitments: the theology of missio Dei, relationships that transcend institutional structures, a rejection of colonial mission models, strong agency from the global South, and a holistic understanding of mission and discipleship.

Founded in 1921, the IMC eventually became the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism of the World Council of Churches (WCC). To mark IMC’s centenary, the WCC launched an 18‑month global study process in 2020, engaging around 15 academic and ecumenical centres — with special attention to regions absent from the IMC’s early history. The seven volumes in this series are the result of this worldwide reflection.