As the COALA3.0 conference continued on Monday morning (April 28), three mission leaders explored "Mutuality in the Majority World," a theme emphasizing interdependence, reciprocity, and shared leadership in global missions.
COALA3.0, the third conference of the mission movement "Christ over Africa, Latin America, and Asia," brings together leaders from the Global South to reflect on the state of global mission collaboration and chart a path forward rooted in partnership, humility, and biblical foundations.
The second plenary of the morning featured three speakers: Manik Corea from Singapore, Allen Matamoros from Costa Rica, and Las Newman from Jamaica. Each addressed aspects of mutuality within the growing and diverse Christian movement of the Majority World.
Manik Corea: Mutuality as covenant community
Manik Corea opened the session with a call to rediscover mutuality as an expression of covenant fellowship among believers. Using the imagery of a jigsaw puzzle, he emphasized that each piece, regardless of size or color, is essential to the complete picture — and that picture belongs to God, not to individuals or institutions. "The point is not what piece you bring," he said. "The point is what the big picture shows, and that picture belongs to God."
Quoting missiologist Jonathan Kindberg, Corea stressed that mutuality subverts worldly power structures and top-down approaches, replacing them with genuine fellowship (koinonia) grounded in Christ. "Mutuality is about laying down power, bridging systems, and treating each other as equals," he said.
Corea illustrated mutuality through the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, highlighting how Jesus — despite His authority — began by asking the woman for water, demonstrating vulnerability and respect. He also pointed to Philippians 2, emphasizing Christ's example of humility and self-emptying.
Practically, Corea challenged leaders to listen attentively to one another, recognize each person's God-given gifts, and discern God's will together. "Nobody is too poor to give, and nobody is too rich to receive," he said. "True mutuality demands seeing, hearing, valuing, and submitting to one another in Christ."
Allen Matamoros: Learning from mutuality in Latin America
Allen Matamoros, a veteran Latin American mission leader, expanded on mutuality by reflecting on both the positive and challenging aspects of Latin America's mission experience.
Matamoros noted that the Spanish concept of "mutualidad" is rooted in cooperative banking models, where participants invest equally and share ownership. This, he said, parallels the biblical vision of mutual support and equality.
Drawing from 2 Corinthians 8, Matamoros emphasized that mutuality in the church is not about charity from the rich to the poor but about a reciprocal sharing where "our plenty supplies their need and their plenty supplies our need."
He expressed gratitude for early missionaries who, with generosity and solidarity, helped establish Costa Rica's missionary movement, and who knew when to step back to allow local leadership to emerge. However, Matamoros also voiced concerns about persistent "imperial attitudes" within global missions, where new models often mask old power dynamics.
"Too often," he said, "we invite the Global South into existing structures without real change, without true inclusion." Matamoros expressed concern about leadership models that prioritize fundraising prowess and control, and mission structures that still favor Western languages, methodologies, and financial dominance.
He called for a new approach that embraces vulnerability, mutual learning, and respect for local expressions of faith. "We must resist imitating outdated models," Matamoros said. "Let us model a Christlike mission community based on trust, humility, and genuine interdependence."
Las Newman: Theological foundations for mutuality
Dr. Las Newman, who served as global associate director for the Lausanne Movement, provided a theological and historical framework for mutuality, grounding it in the shared calling and mission of the global church.
Mapping the Majority World, Newman showed that 70% of Christians today live in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Yet he warned that numerical growth alone is not enough: "Mutuality requires a deeper commitment to unity, shared purpose, and the values of the kingdom."
Using the hymn "Summoned by the God Who Made Us" by Delores Dufner, Newman outlined five theological foundations: a common calling, unity under Christ, the celebration of diverse gifts, the vision of a new church rooted in love and praise, and a mission to bring hope to all nations.
Newman reminded delegates that the early church, as described in the New Testament and the Nicene Creed, upheld "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" as the basis for Christian unity across cultures. Yet he also highlighted challenges: citing research from the Lausanne Movement’s "State of the Great Commission" report, Newman noted that fewer than half of Christians today are actively prepared to share their faith.
He warned that mission is being marginalized even within growing churches and called for renewed teaching and practice of the Great Commission. "Mission must be seen as essential, not optional," Newman said.
Reflecting on mutuality, Newman urged participants to recognize and address inequalities within the global church and to build partnerships based on shared ownership, humility, and trust.
A shared vision for the future
The second plenary of the morning at COALA3.0 reinforced the conviction that effective mission in the Majority World requires more than numerical growth or isolated successes. It demands a deeper, biblically grounded mutuality that reflects the character of Christ.
Rather than perpetuating old patterns of dominance, the speakers called for a new model based on covenantal fellowship, shared responsibility, and humility before God and one another.
"Mutuality is not just cooperation," Corea said. "It is about becoming interdependent, recognizing the gifts each brings, and discerning together the will of God."
As COALA3.0 continues, participants are challenged to embody this vision in practical partnerships that reflect the unity and diversity of the global church.
