The Council for World Mission (CWM) convened the first Mission Support Programme V (MSP-V) Regional Roundtable in Utrecht, Netherlands, from 1-3 July under the theme “Discern, Design, and Develop: Transforming Mission Project.” The gathering sought to strengthen the capacity of member churches to develop contextual, collaborative, and sustainable mission initiatives.
Hosted by the Protestant Church in the Netherlands (PKN), the Roundtable was the first of six regional meetings that will be held across CWM’s global partnership as part of the implementation of MSP-V.
Changing European context
The Roundtable brought together representatives from CWM’s European member churches to reflect on a rapidly changing social landscape shaped by increasing secularisation, migration, ageing populations, widening economic inequalities, and shrinking civic space.
Held immediately after the Europe Regional Assembly, the Roundtable provided a natural progression from theological reflection to practical mission planning, enabling delegates to translate their shared discernment into concrete mission initiatives.
“This Regional Roundtable is a space where member churches can listen, learn, and discern together,” said Rev. Dr Minwoo Oh, CWM mission secretary for Mission Programme and Partnership.
“With MSP-V, CWM has developed practical frameworks, tools, and resources to support member churches as they participate in God’s transforming mission.”
She added that CWM also prepared an MSP-V toolkit to guide churches through the project proposal process.
“The toolkit helps delegates gain greater clarity on the proposal process, expectations, and the support available as they develop their mission initiatives,” she said.
Developing mission proposals
Grounded in daily devotions, shared prayer, and theological reflection, the three-day Roundtable invited participants to explore the meaning of Transforming Mission and Mission from the Margins, relating these themes to the realities of their own church contexts.
Interactive workshops guided delegates through processes of discernment and project design, providing practical tools to translate contextual reflection into clear, sustainable, and outcome-oriented mission proposals.
Parallel sessions on MSP-V administration and financial management also provided guidance on budgeting, reporting, accountability, and auditing requirements. Member church finance representatives shared practical experience and good practices from their own contexts.
“The practical sessions, together with the MSP-V toolkit, have been very effective in helping us articulate our ideas more creatively while providing a clearer and more structured approach to developing mission proposals,” said Elinor Wyn Reynolds, general secretary of the Union of Welsh Independents.
Listening to local communities
A key outcome of the Roundtable was the shared commitment by participating churches to begin their MSP-V journey with a process of contextual discernment involving local congregations and communities.
Participants agreed that mission priorities should emerge through inclusive consultation, enabling churches to identify the needs, gifts, and opportunities within their own contexts before designing projects.
The Roundtable concluded with each member church presenting its initial MSP-V project concept and a practical action plan developed through the discussions, theological reflections, and interactive workshops.
