Encountering the Church in the Global South: Sister Congregation Relationships and Their Impact on Parishioners in Select Washington, D.C. Area Churches

Team Members/Contributors

Janel Kragt Bakker The Catholic University of America Contact Me

About this dissertation fellowship

In the postcolonial era, the landscape of “Christendom” differs radically from previous eras as the numerical and theological heart of Christianity has shifted to the southern hemisphere and new patterns of engagement between Westerners and inhabitants of the global South have emerged. The sister parish movement is one such pattern, reflecting a vote of confidence for indigenous churches in the global South, an acknowledgment of demographic shifts, and an attempt to promote inculturation of Christianity. Despite the growing influence and popularly of the sister congregation model since its inception in the 1980s, the model remains largely ignored by scholars. Through an ethnographic study of twelve congregations representing diverse theological and ecclesiological traditions in the Washington, D.C. area, this dissertation explores the distinctiveness of the sister parish model of mission and the effect of twinning relationships on the lives of participating North American congregations and individuals. It also assesses the implications of the twinning movement for broader issues related to religion and culture such as globalization, philanthropy, evangelization, cross-cultural friendship, and power.

Image Title Year Type Contributor(s) Other Info
"Sister Congregation Relationships and Their Impact on Parishioners in Select Washington, D.C. Area Churches" 2010 Dissertation Janel Kragt Bakker
  Sister Churches: American Congregations and Their Partners Abroad 2014 Dissertation Book Janel Kragt Bakker