Helmuth Garoëb, a Namibian missionary working in Finland, examines the phenomenon of African reverse mission in his host country that historically sent missionaries to his southern African homeland. Comparing the ministry of African Christians in Finland with African mission work in the United Kingdom, Garoëb identifies several parallels but also some significant differences. There are aspects of Finnish culture and living conditions that present unique challenges to African Christians who engage in evangelism and church planting. However, there are also many opportunities for them to reach out to both expatriate and indigenous communities in the land of sisu. Whether their still relatively small numbers will have a lasting impact on the Finnish church remains to be seen.
Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Chapter One: Research Introduction
- Chapter Two: Reverse Mission in the UK
- Chapter Three: Reverse Mission in Finland
- Chapter Four: African Mission in Finland and the UK: A Comparison
- Chapter Five: Suggestions for African Mission Work in Finland
- Chapter Six: Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Appendix
- About the Author
Objectives & Thematic Focus
This research aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for twenty-first-century African reverse mission in Finland, comparing its dynamics to the British context. The primary objective is to bridge a knowledge gap by understanding the specific obstacles and potential contributions of African reverse missionaries in Finland, ultimately seeking to enhance the efficiency of reverse mission and foster the revitalization and growth of the Finnish church.
- Analysis of the phenomenon of African reverse mission in Europe.
- Comparison of African mission work in Finland with that in the United Kingdom.
- Identification of unique challenges and opportunities for African Christians in Finland.
- Examination of the spiritual state of Finnish society and the need for revitalization.
- Investigation into the impact of cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic factors on missionary effectiveness.
- Recommendations for effective African mission strategies and partnerships in Finland.
Excerpt from the Book
Research Introduction
Both the concept and trend of reverse mission have received much research interest in the last twenty years, especially with research focused on African Christians who have migrated to the United Kingdom (UK). For more than two centuries, missionaries from Europe and North America played a significant role in spreading the Christian gospel and contributing to the growth of Christianity in Africa, as well as in many other parts of the world. However, as Joseph Ola observes, barely two decades ago the centre of gravity of Christianity began to shift from the West to the Global South. This shift has triggered a new missionary movement of African, Asian and Latin American Christians who see post-Christian Europe as their mission field. Their aim is to revitalise "Christianity in the historically Christian West." Many authors and practitioners use the term reverse mission when they speak of this new movement. Although reverse mission is a recognized phenomenon, its effectiveness seems to be limited. Thus, scholars have argued that African reverse missionaries have an impact on the African diaspora in Europe but less so on the majority population.
Some helpful research that acknowledges the presence of the African diaspora and African churches in Finland has been undertaken. The focus of this research lies on the integration of Africans into Finnish society and multicultural church communities. However, no obvious research exists that is directly related to the subject of reverse mission in Finland, and which specifically addresses the chances and barriers of African reverse mission work. The main purpose of this research project is to fill this gap and identify both the opportunities that African reverse missionaries, who serve in Finland, have and the obstacles they face. A better understanding of both can help reverse mission in Finland to become more efficient and thus contribute to the revitalization and growth of the Finnish church. Because of the extensive research already done on reverse mission in the UK, I decided to do a comparative study. Thus, I used selected research resources from the UK to interact with the results of an empirical study that I conducted in Finland.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter One: Research Introduction: This chapter introduces the concept of reverse mission, highlighting the global shift in Christianity's center and outlining the author's personal motivation and the study's purpose, hypothesis, and guiding research questions regarding African reverse mission in Finland.
Chapter Two: Reverse Mission in the UK: This section provides a comprehensive literature review on African reverse mission in the United Kingdom, detailing its historical background, the motivations of African missionaries, the opportunities available, and the various challenges encountered, such as racial prejudice and a lack of contextualization.
Chapter Three: Reverse Mission in Finland: Here, the empirical findings from a survey of African reverse missionaries in Finland are presented and interpreted, covering their demographic and spiritual profiles, language proficiency, and their perspectives on the need for reverse mission, as well as specific obstacles like the Finnish language and cultural differences.
Chapter Four: African Mission in Finland and the UK: A Comparison: This chapter draws parallels and highlights differences between African reverse mission in Finland and the UK, comparing the spiritual conditions in both host countries, the missionaries' spiritual zeal, training deficiencies, and challenges related to contextualization and discrimination.
Chapter Five: Suggestions for African Mission Work in Finland: Based on the research, this chapter offers practical recommendations for African reverse missionaries and Finnish churches, emphasizing the critical importance of language learning, comprehensive cross-cultural training, theological education, country-specific orientation, and intentional partnerships for effective mission work.
Chapter Six: Conclusion: This final chapter summarizes the study's key findings, reiterating the challenges (language, climate, isolation) and opportunities for African reverse mission in Finland, and stressing the potential of African Christians to contribute to the spiritual revitalization of the Finnish church despite a smaller diaspora.
Keywords
Reverse Mission, African Diaspora, Finland, United Kingdom, Spiritual Revitalization, Cross-cultural Training, Evangelism, Church Planting, Language Barrier, Cultural Differences, Racial Prejudice, Ubuntu, Missionary Work, Theological Education, Post-Christian Society.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work fundamentally about?
This work fundamentally explores the phenomenon of "reverse mission" by African Christians in Finland, analyzing the challenges and opportunities they face in revitalizing Christianity in a historically missionary-sending European nation, with a comparative perspective drawn from experiences in the United Kingdom.
What are the central thematic areas?
The central thematic areas include the concept of reverse mission, the role of the African diaspora in European Christianity, the specific challenges and opportunities for mission in Finland and the UK, cultural and linguistic adaptation, and strategies for spiritual revitalization.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary research question is: "What are the challenges and opportunities for twenty-first-century African reverse mission in Finland compared to the British context?" The objective is to identify factors that hinder or foster effective reverse mission in Finland.
Which scientific method is used?
The study employs empirical missiology within empirical theology, utilizing mixed social research methods. Its main design is a cross-sectional (survey) study supplemented by a critical literature review and comparative analysis.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body covers a literature review on reverse mission in the UK, the presentation and interpretation of empirical survey results from African reverse missionaries in Finland, and a comparison of African mission work in both countries, concluding with suggestions for enhancing mission effectiveness in Finland.
What key words characterize the work?
Key words characterizing the work include Reverse Mission, African Diaspora, Finland, United Kingdom, Spiritual Revitalization, Cross-cultural Training, Evangelism, Church Planting, Language Barrier, Cultural Differences, Racial Prejudice, Ubuntu, Missionary Work, Theological Education, and Post-Christian Society.
What unique challenges do African reverse missionaries face in Finland compared to the UK?
Unique challenges in Finland include the extreme Finnish climate (long, dark, cold winters, risk of Seasonal Affective Disorder), the significant difficulty of learning the Finnish language, and a greater sense of personal isolation and loneliness due to being a tiny minority group lacking extensive family and friend support.
How do African Christians perceive Finland's spiritual state?
African Christians largely perceive Finland as a post-Christian, secular society characterized by traditionalism, nominalism, and a lack of deep spiritual life, with many Finns finding security in the welfare system rather than in God, thus indicating a strong need for spiritual re-awakening.
What is the significance of "Ubuntu" in the context of African reverse mission in Finland?
The "Ubuntu" philosophy, emphasizing communal interconnectedness, is seen as a powerful witness and a means for African Christians to cope with isolation. It also presents an opportunity to strengthen the Finnish church by counteracting prevailing individualism and loneliness.
What training is suggested to enhance the effectiveness of African reverse mission in Finland?
Suggestions include prioritizing Finnish or Swedish language acquisition, undertaking cross-cultural training (both before arrival and in Finland), receiving country-specific mission orientation, obtaining adequate mission and theological training (focused on biblical Christianity), and fostering intentional partnerships with Finnish churches and organizations.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dr. Thorsten Prill (Herausgeber:in), Helmuth Garoëb (Autor:in), 2025, Sharing Christ in the Land of Sisu, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1619590
