To "Japa" or Not to "Japa"
That is no longer the question.
Welcome to “Global Witness, Globally Reimagined.” You get a glimpse here of the kind of work that I do both at Church Mission Society and Missio Africanus where I help students of all levels (from unaccredited courses to PhD) explore the theological (and missiological) implications of the rise of World Christianity. In the newsletter, I focus on the subject of global witness in the context of the twenty-first century. Every Thursday, I share a thought that has spoken to me in the week, one or two resources that I trust will be helpful to you, and three exciting quotes about mission to give you something to think about as you go through your day. I pray one of these will energise you.
May I take this opportunity to tell you about our ACTS 11 Conference, which will take place on 26 and 27 September in Oxford? It will also be live-streamed, so you can participate from anywhere in the world. You can register here: www.churchmissionsociety.org/acts11.
1. Thought I Can’t Shake Off
Last week, I started reflecting on the Pew Research Centre’s report on the religious composition of the world’s migrants. One of the key findings of the report is that 47 per cent of world migrants are Christian. In addition, 37 per cent of the world’s Christian migrants live in Europe. I found this fascinating, especially as the report further suggests that 30 per cent of Christian migrants originate from Europe. It is possible that the majority of the Christian migrants living in Europe are Europeans, moving up and down the European Union. It is also possible that a good percentage of those Christian migrants living in Europe have come from other parts of the world like the many Nigerian Christians who are, in many European countries, the most visible migrant communities.
Regarding Europe and Christian migration, I have two questions. How do those millions of European Christians think of their call to share the good news of Christ as they move among the nations in the world? Connected to this, I wonder whether the conversation about mission and migration that we are having at the ACTS 11 Project needs a strong European engagement (not only because of the Syrian and Ukrainian refugees who have come to Europe but also because of the many European Christians who are migrating across Europe and beyond).
Second, bearing the anti-migrant and often racist rhetoric (and violence) that we see in Europe, I wonder how Europeans negotiate their own migration acceptable or needful while that of others is dangerous.
Regarding Africa, I was surprised to read in the report that “the most common origin countries for Christian migrants in the region are the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.” Of course, this does not sound right to me. Nigeria is home to a fifth of Africa’s population and half of them are Christian. Yes, 20 percent of Africa’s population (and 15 percent of African Christian population) is in Nigeria. In addition, it is said that around 20 per cent of Nigeria’s population is out of the country — in Africa and in every country in the world. Of course, the Nigerian diaspora iis massive — there is probably not a country in the world without a sizeable Nigerian population. (Last year, a Nigerian denomination, the Redeemed Christian Church of God, claimed to be active in 197 countries in the world). Nigerian Christians have been dispersed to every major city in Africa. Here in the UK, Nigerians animate a great deal of our Christianity.
As a matter of fact, if there is any scattering going on the Body of Christ, a lot of it is happening in the Nigerian church. A combination of political and economic factors continues to force Nigerians to look for better pastures elsewhere. They have a word for it: JAPA. As my Nigerian friends tell me, the word “japa” stems from two Yoruba words, ja and pa. “Ja” means to break loose. “Pa” refers to the intensity or severity of the action with a sense of finality and permanence. Hence, in a literal sense, to japa means “to break free and escape with intensity and finality — usually with no intention of returning.” For many young Nigerians, the question is no longer whether to japa or not. Japa is the only option they have.
So, two key issues emerge. First, how did the Pew Research miss a phenomenon of this magnitude? But more important for us, what does the scattering of African Christians (from Nigeria and beyond) mean for how we think about the sharing of the gospel in our day and age?
2. Resources I am Enjoying
Podcast: Enoch Wan on Migration and Mission
The 20th century trends of migration have certainly continued, accelerating aggressively in the past two decades, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, creating an interesting intersection with mission. As such, this nine-year-old episode of “Strike the Match with J.D. Payne” podcast cannot be more fitting. Here, Enoch Wan, discusses the subject of people on the move, both Christians and non-Christians, and how this worldwide phenomenon of migration is changing how we think about and carry out God’s mission. Enoch notes that “one of the frontiers in Kingdom expansion today is among the peoples on the move.” In other words, migrants are one of God’s critical methods for fulfilling His mission today. Therefore, to be blind to or overlook this gift of peoples on the move is to short-change ourselves and our missional efforts. Enoch is one of the leading global experts in the area of migration and missions, and several years ago, he pioneered a new area of study in missiology that he labelled, “diaspora missiology.”
3. Quotes I am Pondering
Authentic inculturation indicates that there is an intimate transformation of cultural values by their integration into Christianity and also the implantation of Christianity into the different cultures. — Cardinal Francis Arinze
Mission is not a state, it is a process, an ongoing task … Therefore discipling is an ongoing task if Christians have to love and live the life Christ calls us to. — Philomena Njeri Nwaura
The existential mission of the church today demands that there be a clear commitment of the church in realizing God’s kingdom on earth, mainly through three different but interrelated aspects of mission – proclamation of the gospel, provision of social-economic needs of the population, and peacebuilding and reconciliation. — Elias Opongo
I pray that you will be faithful to the work God has for you this week.