EGN NEWS DESK
Migrants have at all times been part of each nation’s story, however as ease of journey seemingly makes the world smaller than ever, and battle and strife see extra individuals uprooted from the place they name dwelling, the variety of individuals in search of new lives on distant shores has solely continued to develop.
However, because the latest anti-immigration riots that rocked the UK have proven, reactions to rising numbers of migrants can see them pushed additional to the margins of society.
To meet that want, the Church Mission Society (CMS), one of many world’s oldest mission societies, is establishing a brand new centre that can assist educate and equip Christian communities to succeed in out to migrants the place they’re.
“CMS recognises that the world is experiencing an ‘Age of Migration’ the place globally one in each 30 of the earth’s inhabitants are migrants,” Dr Harvey Kwiyani, Diaspora Centre chief for CMS, stated.
“However, till now migration has not been an integral a part of mission and Christian communities will not be outfitted to succeed in out and share their religion with strangers in a world the place migration and tensions are on the rise.”
This new centre will likely be known as The Acts11 Centre, after the accounts recorded in scripture of the primary Christians migrating from Judea, and their lacking to convey the excellent news of the Gospel to the world.
Initially providing theological and missiological assets, sensible seminars, programs, and conferences on matters together with world witness and human migration, the centre may also act as a curated library of assets for Christian communities, mission businesses, and educational establishments in search of to search out methods of reaching migrants throughout the globe. It may also undertake analysis that can assist establish the alternatives and challenges that world migration presents followers of Christ with as they search to share God’s love in immediately’s world.
“The explosion of migration globally during the last 25 years has prompted a reassessment of how we put together Christians to have interaction with migrant communities, in addition to how we equip and allow migrant Christians to share their religion,” Dr Harvey Kwiyani stated.
“Our imaginative and prescient is to collect individuals and share assets to equip and empower the Body of Christ to successfully bear witness for his identify within the age of migration.”
The work of the Acts11 Centre will likely be launched at a ground-breaking convention run by CMS, protecting the missiological and theological points raised by migration. Acts11: Convergence 1, will happen from 26 to 27 September 2024 and will likely be held at CMS’s places of work in Oxford. The Keynote handle will likely be delivered by Dr Jehu J Hanciles, Professor of World Christianity at Emory University in Atlanta.
The Church Mission Society was shaped on the top of the anti-slavery motion in 1799, with the mission of following Jesus to minister to these on the margins and cultural fringes of society. This new centre will assist obtain that purpose, with migrants usually among the many most uncared for in society.
“We are dedicated to serving to Christian communities share the Good News with the migrants who come to their neighbourhoods and to empowering Christian migrants to have interaction in disciple-making of their new host societies,” Dr Harvey Kwiyani stated.
“Migrants are sometimes on the edges of society, however we consider they arrive bearing God with them.”
