The global landscape of ecumenical diakonia continues to be marked by the enduring legacies of colonialism. Patterns of collaboration between historically “sending” churches in the Global North and “receiving” churches in the Global South frequently reproduce forms of dependency, paternalism, and the one-way transmission of resources, knowledge, and theological authority. Positioned within the broader conversation on “Reimagining ecumenical diakonia from the margins,” this article interrogates these persistent asymmetries through an in-depth analysis of the diaconal partnership between the Western Missionary Companions (European and North American mission agencies) and the Malagasy Lutheran Church (MLC).The study argues for a decolonial reconfiguration of diakonia by examining the historical and contemporary contours of this relationship. Although ecumenical discourse increasingly promotes mutuality, justice, and reciprocity, inherited mission structures still sustain unequal power dynamics, financial dependence, and epistemic hierarchies that privilege Western theological and organizational models. To critically assess these dynamics, the article employs postcolonial theology as its primary analytical lens. Postcolonial theology illuminates how colonial imaginaries, missionary epistemologies, and global systems of power continue to inform diaconal practices. At the same time, it exposes the subtle narratives of universality and superiority embedded in Western frameworks, while affirming the agency, spiritual experiences, and knowledge traditions of communities historically situated at the margins.Building on this critique, the article then adopts contextual theology as a constructive methodological framework. Contextual theology enables a positive rearticulation of diakonia by relocating the Malagasy context from the periphery of theological reflection to its center. Here, the MLC emerges not as a passive recipient of external theological paradigms but as a genuine locus theologicus, whose cultural, spiritual, and epistemic resources are indispensable for reimagining diakonia as a practice rooted in mutual care, community resilience, and local wisdom.Through the combined methodological use of postcolonial theology; for critical deconstruction, and contextual theology; for constructive renewal, the article contends that a decolonial approach to diakonia requires both dismantling inherited asymmetries and nurturing new, life-giving forms of partnership. It concludes that authentic ecumenical witness must emerge from the hope, agency, and theological creativity found at the margins, offering a concrete pathway toward diaconal partnerships that are genuinely mutual, liberative, and reflective of a decolonized Christian faith.
HERY Andrianotahina Naivoson (Wed,) studied this question.