In conjuction with Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education
June 18-19, 2026
St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
Reckoning and Renewal: Engaging the Past and Envisioning the Future of Mission and Evangelism
A Joint Call for Papers from the Association of Professors of Mission (APM) and the Academy for
Evangelism in Theological Education (AETE)
Participation in mission and evangelism finds its virtue not merely in academic theory or technical
expertise, but in embodied, lived practices embedded in a long history and tradition. In a moment
marked by cultural fragmentation, shifting ecclesial and institutional landscapes, and accelerating
technological change, reimagining these practices requires both honest reckoning with the past and
hopeful engagement with the future.
This year’s theme invites proposals that critically and creatively engage the teaching and practice of
mission and evangelism amid historical, cultural, generational, and technological tensions. We
welcome papers that explore how the tradition can be faithfully received and innovatively
rearticulated in ways that foster healing, deepen trust, and renew Christian witness across a range of
contexts. We seek contributions that explore how Christian witness can be strengthened through
practices of repentance, healing, and solidarity; how Majority World perspectives can reframe
inherited models of mission; how teaching can address rising skepticism and disillusionment among
younger generations; and how emerging technologies such as AI and digital media are reshaping
theological, ethical, and pedagogical understandings of faith and student formation.
Key Areas of Interest
• Practices of repentance, healing, and solidarity: How can mission and evangelism
reform practices shaped by repentance, healing, and solidarity in witness across cultural and
historical divides.
• Pedagogical innovation in an age of skepticism: How can mission and evangelism be
taught in ways that resonate with rising generations, many of whom are disillusioned with
institutional religion or wary of inherited paradigms?
• Engaging technology and digital disruption: What theological, ethical, and pedagogical
questions emerge as AI, social media, and other digital technologies reshape how we
communicate faith and form students?
• Constructive models for a shared future: How might Majority World perspectives help
reframe inherited models and offer paths towards repentance, healing, and solidarity?
Call for Papers
• Creative or constructive proposals for mission that prioritize dialogue, community-based
practices, and missional imagination
• Reflections on how Majority World theologies and practices are reshaping inherited Western
paradigms of mission and evangelism
• Reassessments of historical entanglements between Christian mission, colonialism, and
empire, with attention to their continuing impact today
• Explorations of how global economic and sociopolitical forces shape or challenge faithful
evangelistic practice
• Pedagogical approaches for addressing student skepticism, indifference, or resistance to
evangelism and mission in theological education
• Proposals exploring new or recovered models of mission and evangelism that are dialogical,
participatory, and embodied, drawing on storytelling, art, hospitality, etc.
• Critical or constructive engagement with digital and AI technologies as they relate to
missional formation and witness
• Articulation and conceptualization of the role of missiology in the academy, the church, and
beyond the walls of the church
Presentation proposals should include the following:
• Working title
• Presentation type: solo presenter, multiple co-presenters
• Potential track (if applicable)
• Name and a brief bio of each presenter
• Abstract that provides the thesis, context, and general overview of the presentation
(500 word maximum)
Proposals should be formatted as Word documents and emailed as an attachment to Kyle Faircloth
([email protected]) and Jay Moon ([email protected]) with the subject line
“APM/AETE Proposal.”
Deadline for proposals: February 15, 2026
Decisions will be made by March 15, 2026