The theme for the 2025 James McKeown Memorial Lectures (JMML25), “Reshaping,” is strategically aligned with The Church of Pentecost’s annual theme, “Unleashed to Live a Life Worthy of Your Calling.” This theme underscores the need for Christians to exert influence and reshape every sphere of society, by conceptualizing these spheres as mission fields.

The theme, “Reshaping”, is structured around three pillars – cultures, generations, and systems.

The theme also draws lessons from Kwame Bediako’s conceptualization of Scripture as the hermeneutic of culture, which likens the Gospel to a glass prism. Bediako contends that human cultures need to be evaluated through the lens of Scripture, with elements that conform being accepted and those that do not being modified or discarded. Christian Tsekpoe further contends that in addition to influencing national cultures, the cultures of every generations also needs a conversion through the Gospel. Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua agrees with these scholars regarding [1] Kwame Bediako, ‘Scripture as the hermeneutic of culture and tradition’, Journal of African Though, Vol. 4. No. 1, (June 2001), 2-11 (1).[1] Christian Tsekpoe, Intergenerational Missiology: An African Pentecostal-Charismatic Perspective (UK: Regnum Books International, 2022), 155.
the conversion of national and generational cultures but adds a third dimension; systems that require permeation by the Gospel of Christ.

Nonetheless, the interplay between the Gospel and these three elements—culture, systems, and generations—can be complex. Cultural elements and systems may at times try overshadow the Gospel message, leading to challenges for Christians navigating their faith within specific cultural contexts. The Church of Pentecost’s Vision 2023/2028, encapsulated in the “Possessing the Nations” agenda, seeks to empower Christians to shape cultures, generations, and systems, acknowledging the inherent value of these spheres to God. By embracing a holistic approach to mission, Pentecostal-Charismatic churches can transform these spheres by living their faith in a manner resonates with their Christian calling.

The JMML25’s theme aims to stimulate scholarly research and dialogue concerning the impact of the Gospel on cultural, generational, and systemic transformation. It highlights the necessity for Christians to function as agents of change within every sphere of influence.