Overview As part of the OCMS Annual Alumni Lecture series, Dr. Melba Padilla Maggay invites us to reflect on mission in an era of shifting global influence, technological change, and cultural complexity. Exploring themes of contextual theology, culture, and Christian witness, she considers how the Gospel continues to take root in diverse contexts and what this means for the future of the global Church.

Speaker Dr. Melba Padilla Maggay

About the speaker Dr. Melba Padilla Maggay is a social anthropologist, author, speaker, and activist whose work explores the relationship between religion, culture, and social transformation. She serves as President of Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture and Micah Global, a network of more than 800 faith-based development organisations worldwide. Her academic appointments have included research and teaching roles at University of Cambridge, Hope College, and All Nations Christian College. A respected public intellectual and three-time literary prize winner in the Philippines, she also played a notable role in mobilising Christian engagement during the 1986 Philippine People Power movement and has served on numerous international research, development, and mission boards.