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Five marks of mission

 In 1984 the Anglican Consultative Council (www.anglicancommunion.org) began to develop a "mission statement" for the worldwide Anglican communion, and the bishops of the Lambeth Conference adopted these "Five Marks Of Mission" in 1988.

They were then adopted by the General Synod of the Church of England in 1996.

  • To proclaim the good news of the Kingdom
  • To teach, baptise and nurture new believers
  • To respond to human need by loving service
  • To seek to transform unjust structures of society
  • To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and to sustain the life of the earth

The Anglican Consultative Council notes,

"The first mark of mission... is really a summary of what all mission is about, because it is based on Jesus' own summary of his mission (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:18, Luke 7:22; cf. John 3:14-17). Instead of being just one of five distinct activities, this should be the key statement about everything we do in mission."