In emerging Asian contexts, especially in the post-pandemic world, the mission of the Church is to participate in the renewal and restoration of creation, which is central to God’s plan for the world. The Church must concentrate on the manifestation of the Kingdom of God in its fullness here and now. The lack of stewardship in the care and sustainability of creation presents significant challenges to the church’s prophetic witness.

The Bible calls for the responsible stewardship of creation, which God has declared is fundamentally “good” (Genesis 1:31). The pursuit of sustainability, renewal, and the restoration of creation calls for a prophetic witness to the world, advocating for ethical stewardship of God’s creation. The ecological crisis threatens the existence of life on earth, and the church’s prophetic witness to the world must become more critical than ever. Churches must engage with scientific experts, with policymakers, and civil society, to develop sustainable solutions by way of acting out missions that can mitigate the ecological crisis. It is never too late to be prophetic.

The Churcha session on ‘Responsible Stewardship and Participation in God’s Mission of Renewal and Restoration of Creation’ will prompt Asian churches to lead the way in contextual theological responses focused on the sustainability, renewal, and restoration of creation. Asian churches must act quickly and responsibly, advocating for ethical stewardship of God’s creation. The Church, as an embodiment of prophetic witness, must orient its mission to be at the forefront to urgently address the complex and multifaceted problem in coordinated action from all sectors of society.