In the face of globalisation, one of the challenges for Christians ministering to asylum seekers and refugees in the United Kingdom is the question of integrating Christian asylum seekers and refugees into the Christian community. British churches and para-church organisations that are involved in refugee ministry have to decide whether they want to support the formation of independent refugee churches or the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into local indigenous churches. This thesis examines these options from a missiological perspective. Two social research projects form the heart of this study. One compares the life and ministry of two mature minority ethnic churches, the other investigates the integration process at a British church that has been involved in refugee ministry for almost a decade.
Contrary to the widespread view that the establishment of homogeneous churches is crucial for the mission of the church in postmodern British society, the findings of this research suggest that the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into indigenous British churches is the better option. They further demonstrate that it is not the mono-ethnic refugee church but the multi-ethnic church which makes the greater contribution to the integration of Christian asylum seekers and refugees and to the missio Dei in Britain. In a multi-ethnic church, asylum seekers and refugees serve as role models to British Christians and especially as effective agents of mission. These research findings also show that the integration of asylum seekers and refugees is promoted through the congregation within the congregation model and an incarnational approach to mission. However, they equally indicate that various stumbling blocks can hinder the integration process. These include a low ecclesiology, a lack of awareness of globalisation, and a reac- tive leadership style and church culture.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Research background and purpose
1.2 Personal motivation
1.3 Review of relevant literature
1.4 Research methodology
1.5 Definitions
1.6 Structure of the thesis
Chapter 2: Theories of globalisation
2.1 Introduction: Globalisation: A buzzword
2.2 Conceptualising globalisation
2.3 Dimensions of globalisation
Chapter 3: Globalisation and international migration
3.1 Defining migration and migrants
3.2 Causation theories of migration
3.3 Effects of international migration
3.4 Trends in international migration: The globalisation of migration
Chapter 4: Refugee Highway: A Christian catchphrase and a world reality
4.1 The term refugee highway
4.2 Features of the refugee highway
Chapter 5: Migrants, refugees and strangers in the bible: An overview
5.1 Migrants and refugees in the Old Testament
5.2 Refugees and migrants in the New Testament
5.3 The attitude towards foreigners
5.4 Summary
Chapter 6: The multi-ethnic church and the issue of integration in the Book of Acts: An investigation into the nature of the New Testament Church
6.1 The multi-ethnic church: A working definition
6.2 The multi-ethnic congregation and the early church
6.3 Principles of integration
Chapter 7: The refugee highway and the Christian response: Statements and programmes
7.1 World Council of Churches: A Moment to Choose
7.2 Methodist Church in Great Britain: Report on Immigration and Asylum
7.3 Baptist Union of Great Britain: Welcoming the Stranger
7.4 World Evangelical Alliance: Code of Best Practices for Christian Refugee Ministry
7.5 European Protestant Churches: Liebfrauenberg Declaration
7.6 Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales: The Dispossessed
7.7 Church of England: A Place of Refuge
7.8 A critical analysis
Chapter 8: Mission and migration in a globalising world: Missiological perspectives
8.1 A missiological myth and the shift of global Christianity
8.2 Christian migration and the reverse mission movement
8.3 Christian migrants as agents of mission in a global age
8.4 Missiological implications
Chapter 9: The Integration of refugees into the Christian church and secular immigration models: A testing-out research
9.1 Methodology: A scenario test
9.2 Test results
9.2.2 Assimilation model
Chapter 10: Refugee ministry and minority ethnic churches in Nottingham: Two social research projects
10.1 Research location, strategy, design and aims
10.2 The integration of refugees and asylum seekers into a local church: A case study
10.3 The life and mission of minority ethnic churches: A comparative case study
Chapter 11: Arguments and strategies for the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into indigenous churches
11.1 Arguing the case for the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into indigenous churches in Britain
11.2 Strategies for the integration of refugees and asylum seekers
Chapter 12: Conclusion
12.1 Summary
12.2 Practical suggestions and recommendations
12.3 Questions raised and suggestions for future research
Research Goal and Core Themes
The primary research goal of this study is to examine how British churches can effectively integrate Christian asylum seekers and refugees into their local communities in an age of globalisation, while fostering Christian mission. The central research question explores whether churches should support the formation of independent, mono-ethnic refugee churches or prioritize the integration of these individuals into local, indigenous multi-ethnic churches.
- Globalisation, international migration, and their impact on Western churches.
- Biblical and theological foundations for the integration of migrants and refugees.
- Critical analysis of current Christian programmes and secular immigration models.
- Case study research on refugee ministry and minority ethnic churches in Nottingham.
- Strategies for developing inclusive, multi-ethnic church environments in a post-Christian society.
Excerpt from the Book
11.1.2.1 The British church, refugees and the ministry of hospitality in a postmodern age
The British church as a whole has seen a steady decline both in membership and Sunday church attendance in the last two decades. While in 1990 8.1 per cent of the population went to church on Sundays this figure was down to 5.3 per cent in 2005 (Brierley 2005b:2.21). In the same period the number of church members dropped from 6.6 million to 5.6 million (:2.23). This development has prompted British theologians and church leaders to rethink the traditional understanding of church and mission. Thus, a variety of books have been published in recent years offering new strategies and models of being church in postmodern and post-Christian Britain. Among these are titles such as Intelligent Church (Chalke & Watkis 2006), Emergingchurch.intro (Moynagh 2004), Changing Communities: Church from the Grassroots (Hinton & Price 2003), Invading Secular Space: Strategies for Tomorrow’s Church (Robinson & Smith 2003) Liquid Church (Ward 2002), Transforming Church (Greenwood 2002) and Church Next: Quantum Changes in Christian Ministry (Gibbs & Coffey 2001). Maybe the most influential publication has been Mission-shaped Church (CofE 2004), a report from a working group of the Church of England’s Mission and Public Affairs Council. The report encourages churches to develop ‘fresh expressions of church’ alongside the traditional parish system (:43). These fresh expressions include cell churches, café churches, school-based churches, youth and midweek congregations (:44).
What all these publications have in common is that they are silent about migrants as potential mission partners for a shrinking British church. Christian refugees and asylum seekers are obviously not seen as agents of change by the majority of British mission experts and church leaders.
In contrast, my research at Rock Community Church indicates that Christian refugees and asylum seekers can make a contribution to the renewal of the British church. It demonstrates that Iranian refugees and asylum seekers at Rock Community have a very positive influence on the majority of British Christians they are in close contact with.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter outlines the research background, the author's motivation based on personal experience, and the methodological framework used to study integration.
Chapter 2: Theories of globalisation: This section explores various theoretical perspectives on globalisation, categorizing them into schools of thought like hyperglobalists, sceptics, and transformationalists.
Chapter 3: Globalisation and international migration: This chapter analyzes how globalisation drives migration, discussing migration trends, causes, and the significant shift in global demographics.
Chapter 4: Refugee Highway: A Christian catchphrase and a world reality: This chapter examines the experiences of refugees on the "refugee highway" and the specific challenges faced by asylum seekers arriving in the UK.
Chapter 5: Migrants, refugees and strangers in the bible: An overview: This chapter provides a biblical analysis, exploring how the Old and New Testaments view migration, foreigners, and the church's mandate to welcome them.
Chapter 6: The multi-ethnic church and the issue of integration in the Book of Acts: An investigation into the nature of the New Testament Church: This chapter investigates the early church in Acts as a standard for a multi-ethnic, integrated community.
Chapter 7: The refugee highway and the Christian response: Statements and programmes: This chapter analyzes and compares the official responses and statements of various Christian organizations regarding refugees.
Chapter 8: Mission and migration in a globalising world: Missiological perspectives: This chapter discusses the demographic shifts in global Christianity and the concept of "reverse mission" as migrants become agents of change.
Chapter 9: The Integration of refugees into the Christian church and secular immigration models: A testing-out research: This chapter applies four secular immigration models to church settings to test their suitability for integration strategies.
Chapter 10: Refugee ministry and minority ethnic churches in Nottingham: Two social research projects: This chapter details the author's qualitative research and case studies conducted in Nottingham regarding refugee integration.
Chapter 11: Arguments and strategies for the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into indigenous churches: This chapter synthesizes research findings to propose effective strategies for integrating refugees into indigenous churches.
Chapter 12: Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the research findings and offers practical suggestions and recommendations for future integration work.
Keywords
Globalisation, International Migration, Refugee Highway, Church Integration, Multi-ethnic Church, Missiology, Asylum Seekers, Christian Ministry, Post-Christian Britain, Mission, Community, Congregation within a congregation, Cultural Identity, Social Research, Hospitality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research?
The work investigates the integration of Christian asylum seekers and refugees into local British churches, examining whether these individuals should be encouraged to form their own separate congregations or be integrated into existing indigenous churches.
What are the primary themes discussed in this book?
The core themes include the impact of globalisation on migration, the biblical mandate for hospitality and mission, the challenges of cultural integration within the church, and the role of migrants as active agents in Christian mission.
What is the central research question?
The study asks whether churches and para-church organizations should support independent refugee church plants or focus on the integration of refugees into indigenous, multi-ethnic British congregations.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The research uses a qualitative approach, primarily relying on organizational case studies. This includes participant observation and semi-structured interviews with church leaders, ministry teams, and refugees, interpreted through the empirical-theological praxis cycle.
What does the book cover in its main sections?
The book covers the socio-political context of globalisation, biblical perspectives on strangers and migration, an analysis of current Christian responses, and specific case studies of churches in Nottingham to test integration models.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include Globalisation, Refugee Highway, Church Integration, Multi-ethnic Church, Missiology, Mission, and Asylum Seekers.
How does the author evaluate the "congregation within a congregation" model?
The author views this model as a biblically congruent and effective strategy, allowing refugees to worship in their native language and cultural style while remaining an integral part of the wider church community.
What is the "reverse mission movement" mentioned by the author?
The author describes this as the phenomenon where Christians from the global South, who migrate to the West, bring a dynamic, mission-minded spirituality that contributes to the renewal of post-Christian Western churches.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dr. Thorsten Prill (Autor:in), 2017, Global Mission on our Doorstep, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/350540
