The Council for World Mission (CWM) Board of Directors convened from 16–18 November in the United Kingdom, gathering to reflect on the organisation’s ongoing missional journey, receive programme updates, and make key decisions that will shape the next phase of CWM’s global work.
General secretary’s report: three missional priorities
Rev. Dr Jooseop Keum, CWM general secretary, delivered a comprehensive report outlining CWM’s work from July to the present. He highlighted three major developments shaping the organisation’s current direction.
1. Advancing missional praxis through The Onesimus Project
Keum noted that CWM has entered “a new phase of missional praxis” through the continued implementation of The Onesimus Project (TOP). Now in its third year, TOP is deepening engagement with member churches and inspiring transformative approaches to economic and ecological justice.
2. Mission Support Programme V (MSP-V): A new direction in missional accompaniment
CWM has also completed a significant shift in how it accompanies mission within its member churches. Mission Support Programme V (MSP-V): Transforming Mission, now ready for implementation, represents a transition from funding projects to accompanying churches in transformative mission.
MSP-V prioritises leadership from the margins, encourages contextual theological reflection, and supports community-driven initiatives that challenge structural injustices. The general secretary emphasised that this new framework strengthens partnership, reflective learning, accountability, and the belief that communities themselves should lead their own transformation.
3. Preparing for CWM’s Jubilee 2027
Looking ahead, CWM has begun preparations for its Jubilee in 2027, marking 50 years since the formation of CWM in its current decolonial journey. Keum stressed that Jubilee is not solely a milestone celebration but a theological opportunity.
“It is a moment to revisit the radical commitments that shaped CWM—economic justice, decolonial mission, mutuality, and partnership—and to discern how these priorities must guide our next fifty years,” he said.
Key Board decisions
The Board approved several important matters during the meeting:
- Budget 2026: Approval of the proposed budget for 2026.
- Solidarity and Action Grant to UCJCI: A grant was approved for The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI) to support immediate relief efforts, ongoing humanitarian response, and stabilisation of essential ministries affected by the recent hurricane.
- Jubilee 2027 Framework: Approval of the proposed framework for the Jubilee year.
- Mission Support Programme V (MSP-V): Approval of the MSP-V proposal for implementation.
Farewell to Rev. Julie Sim
The Board also held a heartfelt farewell for Rev. Julie Sim, CWM Mission Secretary for Mission Programme and Partnership, who has served with CWM since 2016 and will conclude her service at the end of 2025.
Reflecting on her journey with CWM, she shared:
“My first encounter with CWM was as a volunteer for an event in Malaysia in 1998. They needed someone who could speak English and a driver. Then I became a youth delegate, a woman delegate, and a director. Someday, I received a call to apply as a staff member at CWM. I have served CWM for 10 years. I never planned all this—God led me. I thank God and appreciate your prayers very much, all of you. Thank you.”
The Board offered a sincere vote of thanks, acknowledging her faithful service and significant contributions to CWM’s mission.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the CWM Board of Directors will be held via video conference from 23–24 February 2026.
