H/T to the Baptist Times for pointing me in the direction of this blog. When missions become toxic
As someone who has the priviledge of being involved with supporting churches and mission work in Peru I think it poses questions we need to grapple with. I hope the things I am involved with are not guilty of the things suggested, but maybe I'm just blind to my own prejudice. I may think I'm going to help equip and resource local church leaders so they can pastor churches in ways that are culturally appropriate, but I can't avoid leaving traces of my western theological mindset behind.
For the record, Poynton Baptist Church's aims from its partnership with Iquitos are three fold:
1.Building the capacity of the
Christian community in Iquitos,
both spiritually and socially.
2.Supporting developmental work,
both environmental and social, in the Iquitos
area.
3.
Helping to equip members of PBC
in their own spiritual lives by increasing their knowledge and understanding of
missions, and by challenging the church as a whole to own the partnership.
Distinct Reflections 
Neil, should there be a 4th how does the Christian community in Iquitos challenge PBC in its own understanding of his life and mission in Poynton … the partnership being a more mutual receiving as well as giving … now this might be implied by your three-fold aims … But I think too much of our involvement in Christian communities in other parts of the world is a one-way giving …
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Andy you are right on both counts. In fact part of both the preamble to these points about Iquitos and the longer description of point three makes this point. Interestingly we are also having a look at our overseas mission more generally – thinking more in terms of global connections than what we do; which also raises the question, “what is mission?”
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Good sharing.
http://www.google.com/search?q=JOYFAX
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