Integral Mission

We live in a beautiful, broken world. As followers of Jesus, we are called to respond to the injustice of our world, guided by the Gospel of Christ.

The Gospel, a story of God’s love and redemption, encompasses far more than personal morality and individual salvation—it is also a blueprint for societal restoration. As we take our cues from Scripture, Baptist Mission Australia believes that Christian advocacy and the response to injustice are not peripheral activities, they are central to the mission of embodying the Gospel.

What is integral mission?

Our understanding of integral mission at Baptist Mission Australia is encapsulated in the task of bringing the whole of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ. There is no biblical dichotomy between evangelistic and social responsibility; both are integral to living out the Gospel.

As the Lausanne statement on integral missions declares, “our proclamation has social consequences… [and] our social involvement has evangelistic consequences.” This conviction drives our holistic approach, ensuring that our sharing of the Gospel in word is always accompanied by meaningful, practical and loving actions.

Our commitment to integral mission—embracing both the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel—compels us to advocate passionately for the poor and marginalised. Advocacy for justice is fundamental to our mission, reflecting a prophetic faithfulness to God’s imperative to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Biblical foundations

In the Old Testament, we find a God deeply concerned with justice, instructing Israel to be a society where widows, orphans, immigrants and the poor are protected.

Leviticus 19:10 commands, “Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.”

Here, justice is not a human construct but a divine mandate, a reflection of God’s character.

The prophets carry this baton, with Micah demanding, “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Moving into the New Testament, Jesus’ mission is portrayed as a continuation and fulfillment of this quest for justice. The four Gospels depict Him as the one who brings good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19).

His advocacy was not an optional add-on but the essence of His ministry. The Epistles further reinforce this, with James sternly reminding believers that faith without deeds is dead (James 2:14-17). Christian mission, therefore, cannot be a disembodied proclamation; it must incarnate the love and justice of Jesus.

An outworking of our faith

Our advocacy for the marginalised is rooted in faith, not politics. While it may intersect with political systems, it operates from a different source and towards another end.

It seeks not the triumph of a party but the Kingdom of God—a Kingdom where righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit reign (Romans 14:17). When we stand for the vulnerable, we are not primarily engaging in political activism; we are living out the Gospel.

Injustice in the world is a stark contradiction to the order and peace of the Gospel. As such, Christianity cannot be mute or inactive in the face of oppression. Advocacy for justice is a prophetic embodiment of the future Kingdom we await, where “justice rolls on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (Amos 5:24).

Following Jesus’ footsteps

When Christians advocate for the poor and the oppressed, we do not merely offer charity, but stand in the long tradition of biblical justice. We remember that Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

In serving the least, we serve Christ. In advocating for justice, we are not straying into the secular; we are walking the path of Jesus—a path where word and deed are inseparably intertwined.

In adhering to Jesus’ model of ministry, we are called to a mission that embraces evangelism, holistic care, advocacy and relational healing that leads to systemic transformation. Jesus’ life and ministry were marked by a profound commitment to justice and mercy, engaging with the marginalised and challenging unjust systems.

Following His example, we advocate for the oppressed, ensuring that our evangelistic message is matched by a dedicated pursuit of biblical social justice.