Big Issues in Mission 2: Migration

God's People Are Already On The Move.

Welcome to “Global Witness, Globally Reimagined,” where we dream about mission in a postcolonial world. Every Thursday, I share one thought that has spoken to me in the week, some resources that I trust will be helpful to you, and three exciting quotes about mission to give you something to think about. I pray one of these will energise you in the coming week.

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1. Thought I Can’t Shake Off

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When we look back at the history of mission in the past two thousand years, especially in the past two hundred years, it is possible to argue that the migration of Christians has done a lot more to spread Christianity than the organised sending of missionaries through mission agencies. Of course, if the migration of Christians from one part of the world to another is the future of mission, most mission agencies we have today are not fit for purpose. Many of them are still so focused on the model that has worked for so long of mission—that of mobilising people and sending them (mostly middle-aged Westerners) across the seas—they do not see that God is, in fact, through the many push-and-pull factors of migration, already moving Christian witnesses (many of them quite young and mostly coming from outside the West) around the world. It is these people—migrant Christians—who will shape a great deal of mission work in the world in the next few generations.

It is for this reason that I believe that any good missions training in the twenty-first century must include migration studies. We need to understand how to realise the missional potential of God’s people who are already on the move.

I will give you an example. Over the past two months, I have been in a conversation with an African pastor who lived in a refugee camp in an African country for almost 20 years before being relocated to the United States. There were many Christians in the refugee camp. So, in addition to planting many churches, he started a Bible School where his team taught the basics of theology to the many people waiting to be moved to different parts of the world. After his resettling in the US, he realised that what was missing from the curriculum in the camp was some missions training. “If only we could teach about the missionary potential in that refugee camp, we would not only bring hope to many—God can make something good out of their situation—we would also prepare them for missional living wherever they resettle.” This, I think, is an important aspect of mission in our current world. God’s people are already on the move. How do we partner with them?

(If you would like to help provide missions training to people in refugee camps in Africa, please, get in touch: harveykwiyani@substack.com).

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2. Resources I am Enjoying

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Podcast: Trai Elliot on Black Missionary Work in US Colleges

Spotify:

In this episode of The Gospel Mobilisation Podcast, Dave Jacob hosts Trai Elliot to reflect on how Black mission agents are partnering with God in colleges around the world. Elliot’s missionary and mobilisation team works to see the younger generation come to know God and walks with them to become mission enablers themselves. By and large, this episode highlights some of the often-overlooked opportunities for mission, reminding us that the mission of God is manifold and requires all hands to be on deck, regardless of age, class, age, gender or other divides, to facilitate its fulfilment. This is, certainly, a go-to resource for learning about God’s mission through unlikely hands (non-Western missionaries), among unassuming people (Generation Z), and in perhaps unanticipated places (campuses).

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3. Quotes I am Pondering

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• We need the courage to move away from doing theology on the basis of the shifting sands of a borrowed culture. God has kindly left tremendous deposits of his grace in every culture. — Joe Kapolyo

• … the Spirit’s mission is seen in leading into truth wherever that may be found, especially in the true braiding of humanity with one another and with nature. — Christina Manohar

• Mission is a two-way street, for any sustained cross-cultural interaction between the missionary and the missionized will transform both parties. — Sam George

I pray that you will be faithful to the mission God has for you this week.