mission

Organized attempt to spread a religion. Throughout its history, Christianity has been the most assertive of missionary religions. Islam also has a history of militant missionizing, and the original Islamic conquests initiated by Muhammad justified the use of a holy war, jihad, as a means to bring God's revelation to unbelievers. Buddhism also engaged on missionary work, though more peacefully, both historically and recently. Missionary activity in the developing world has frequently been criticized for its disruptive effects on indigenous peoples and their traditional social, political, and cultural systems.

In developmental terms, the transition from tribal religions to the great world religions can be traced to a missionary movement – for example within Mithraism, which emerged in the ancient Near East even before the beginning of the Christian era.

During the 20th century, sects such as the Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses proselytized regularly and systematically, while Islam found ready converts in the Black Muslim movement of the USA, and became the second religion in Europe.

Christianity Christians believe that it is a duty to share their faith with all people, and to help other people discover Jesus in order to find salvation from sin and death. In Matthew 28:19–20, Jesus commanded his disciples to convert and baptize people into the Christian community. Some believe this should be done through the church – for instance, by establishing Christian communities in places where none exist. Others hope to convert non-Christians by the way that they live their lives. However, many Christians today have adopted a multi-faith approach to religion, seeing all religions as different paths towards the same goal of salvation. Although they believe that other religions do not fully understand God, the emphasis is on shared ideas and common goals.

Mission

Town in Hidalgo County, south Texas; population (1990) 28,700. It is situated in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, 10 km/6 mi west of McAllen. The economy is based on processing the area's citrus fruits and vegetables, and on nearby oil wells. Mission was settled in 1908 near the site of a Franciscan Catholic mission built in 1824.

Mission's Texas Citrus Fiesta celebrates the Ruby Red grapefruit, originally planted by the monks; the city is also national headquarters for the American Poinsettia Society.

mission

Office of a government representative accredited to another government. Britain's missions include high commissions headed by British high commissioners in Commonwealth countries and embassies headed by ambassadors in other countries. Reciprocally Commonwealth governments are represented in London by high commissioners and other governments by ambassadors.

In some cases governments maintain permanent missions, in the form of delegations, to international organizations such as the UN or NATO. Consular posts deal with local authorities and are usually not situated in capital cities. A diplomatic mission is always in the capital, but has to cover the whole country. It is normally divided into several sections, the principal ones being the chancery (political section), the commercial section, the information section, and the consular section.

Members of the staff of a mission can comprise a minister, a counsellor, armed services attachés, first, second, and third secretaries, and attachés. They usually spend between two and six years at any one mission.

mission

In the US Southwest, any of the Spanish religious outposts established from the 16th to the 18th centuries to convert American Indian peoples and promote Spanish colonial expansion. Formerly extensive communities, in many cases, only the chapels now remain. Many modern cities in the region grew up around missions, including San Antonio and San Diego.

Initiated chiefly by Franciscans, missions had been set up in New Mexico by the 1590s, in Arizona and Texas by the 1690s, and in California by 1769. They typically included chapels, other religious and administrative blocks, living quarters, and agricultural buildings such as granaries and acequias (irrigation systems). A military presidio was sometimes attached. Local tribes were encouraged to establish agricultural communities around the missions (California's Mission Indians derived their name from such an arrangement). The missions also lent their name to a popular style of architecture and furniture.

mission

Organization's objectives and aims, often expressed in a mission statement.