The Immigrant Reality, Missions, and the Multicultural Church
For the first time in recorded history, the number of people who are being forced to flee their homes has surpassed 60 million individuals (about twice the population of Texas). The refugee crisis is unprecedented in magnitude, and the West is awakening to it because we are realizing that this crisis can affect us. It became relatable when we were gripped by the photo of Aylan Kurdi washed up on the shores of Turkey. Wearing a red T-shirt, jeans shorts, and velcro sneakers, he was a little boy who could have been one of our own children.
With an estimated 17.5 million strong diaspora, India has the largest diaspora population in the world, according to the United Nations report on migration trends. The report found 272 million people lived as international migrants, or in a country other than the one they were born in.
Mexico had the second-largest diaspora population at 11.8 million, followed by China (10.7 million) and Russia (10.5 million). The report also said that the top ten countries of origin account for one-third of all international migrants.
Top 10 countries with the largest diaspora population in the world, 2019:
India: 17.5 million
Mexico: 11.8 million
China – 10.7 million
Russia – 10.5 million
Syria – 8.2 million
Bangladesh – 7.8 million
Pakistan – 6.3 million
Ukraine – 5.9 million
Philippines – 5.4 million
Afghanistan – 5.1 million
Regionally, Europe hosted the largest number of international migrants (82 million), followed by Northern America (60 million), and Northern Africa & Western Asia (49 million).
At the country level, about half of all international migrants lived in only ten countries – the US, which hosted 51 million, or about 19% of the world’s total – followed by Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.
India hosted 5.1 million international migrants in 2019. Among the international migrants (5.1 million) in the country, the female population was 48.8%, and the median age of international migrants was 47.1 years. In India, the highest number of international migrants came from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
The increased cross-border movement of millions of people, which is a common feature of globalization, impacts many Western societies and the church in these countries. Since the mid-eighties America, for example, has seen a considerable number of both forced and voluntary migrants entering the country. Migrants have been both Christian and non-Christian. Some immigrants were Christians before they came to the U.S, others embraced Christianity following their arrival. They face two immediate challenges: integration into American society and establishment in the Christian community.
The subject of immigrant reality is very personal to me. I was born in Brazil and back in 1989 was arriving in America for a new experience with my family.
Establishing a multicultural church to reach the next generation
The FBC-Framingham Baptist Church is a multi-ethnic church merge with River of Life Worship Center & Igreja Batista Brasileira de Framingham located in the MetroWest region of Boston, Massachusetts. The church’s congregation is composed of Brazilian immigrants. We started the planting process in 2014. The River of Life Worship Center has gone through several transitions over the seven years since its inception, in terms of location and target groups. When the church reached 4 years of existence, we noted the need for a further transition from a Portuguese-speaking congregation to a truly multi-ethnic church that uses English as its primary language of worship - an ongoing process to this day.
The dilemma facing the FBC-Framingham Baptist Church is not unique and is something that many ethnic churches in America also experience. The growth of immigration to the United States has brought with it a proliferation of ethnic churches that can span districts and regions. However, as these immigrants settle down and establish families, it is inevitable that the second and third generations will adopt the English language and the prevailing culture. Their own new culture is different from their parents. The result is that these new generations will leave the church of their parents where they grew up or abandon Christianity altogether, since it is difficult for them to locate a church that understands and reflects their reality. For example, Korean American churches face what is called the "second exodus" of the second generation leaving their parents' church when they go to college. An article published in Christian Century reported that the cause of the exodus is that members of the second generation do not master the native language of their parents and that there is no effort on the part of the leaders to present alternatives for this group. Many of the first generation speak with a heavy accent and have little or no awareness of the American language and culture.
The risk of this is that twenty to thirty years from now, when the original members age, die, or return to their home country, a once vibrant ethnic church finds itself in the precarious position of being reduced to a handful of members or closing its doors. The church survives if the majority ethnic group maintains its presence through immigration, as is the case with many Korean and Hispanic churches. When this is not the case, those who have been successful have moved to English congregations; however, they have not been able to resolve the ensuing identity crisis due to a lack of cultural adaptation. This was a warning sign for our FBC-Framingham Baptist Church, because the faith community completes 7 years of ministry, the church finds itself at this exact crossroads.
The time for the church to adapt culturally is when the church is vibrant and resources are available to transition to a multi-ethnic congregation, such as the primary language used in the main services. Church transition is necessary to ensure continued growth and future survival. Additionally, one major fact to consider is that the children of current members of the congregation are often born in the United States or arrived so young that they spent their formative years in the United States. These children are mostly bilingual and operate primarily in English. Teens represent an influential demographic that I refer to as the "New Generation" and they need to be reached in a different way than their parents, which offers a challenge and an opportunity for the future viability of the church.
The Bible, theology, missiology, and ecclesial practice are crucial for a full-orbed engagement with migration. The church in America has not always been a place of inclusion. It reflects the society in which it finds itself. But there is hope that we can become a place of belonging.
The church has an incredible opportunity to respond, not to what is easy or comfortable, but to what's true and right at this moment in history. We have an invitation to demonstrate to the world that the church's doors are open, and that hospitality lived out in community is good news.
Lierte Soares is the vice-president of the Baptist Churches of New England, local pastor, educator, and church planter missionary with a passion for evangelism & discipleship. He has been married for 19 years and the father of 2 children. A graduate in Theology and Law, he also holds a master's degree with a concentration in Cross-Cultural Missions from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and is currently working on his doctorate in evangelism and missions at the same seminary.
