Summary of The Church at Anthioch: Crossing Racial, Cultural, and Class Barriers (Act 11:19-30;13:1-3)
The realities today is that city plays important agenda for mission. The number of population urban dwellers are increase day by day, everyday 51,500 additional persons were born in or moved to cities. The population of megacities today are inhabited by nations from many nationalities. The foremost agenda of the church's ministry and mission for the next century will need to be ministry in the city. The ministry at Anthioch at Act 11 and 13 can be a model for urban ministry. Anthioch is a strategic city at that time. It is one of cosmopolitan city, the third city in the Roman Empire. But it is also a city of immorality and corruption. This city is where the gospel for the first time preached to the gentiles. It is also apostle Paul's first home church, where he was nurtured and served before he was commissioned to a specific called. In his article, Norman E Thomas finds 8 part model of urban ministry from the story of Antioch church at Act 11 & 13 which can be applied a...