MIGRANTS AS MISSIONARIES:

America’s New Immigrants and the American Church

Jehu J. Hanciles

Revelations 7:9

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…..

Jehu J. Hanciles

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Global Christianity (1900-2025)

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Jehu J. Hanciles

Global Christianity: Rate of Growth1910-2010

Northern America’s percentage of Christians decreased by 15.4 percentage points.

Europe’s decreased by 14.3 percentage points. Africa’s increased by 38.5 percentage points. of the 10 countries with the fastest growth between

1910 and 2010, six are in Africa and four in Asia. today, more Christians in the world speak Spanish

than any other language.

Jehu J. Hanciles

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2009-105

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Estimated Numbers and Percentages of International Migrants in Relation to the World's Population (1960-2009)

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Jehu J. Hanciles

“Throughout the history of the Christian faith, migrant Christians who settle in new areas and form settled fellowships that provide long term witness have formed the main thrust of cross cultural expansion; not the few gifted specialists serving in distant lands, dependent on the superior resources of their church and country”.

—"Christian Missions at the End of an Era," Christian Living, 8 (August, 1961)

Migration and Mission in Christian History

John H. Yoder (1927-1997) Mennonite theologian

Jehu J. Hanciles

“Go to the land I will show you”

Genesis 12:11-13“As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai…, ‘Say that you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake…’”

Jehu J. Hanciles

Hebraic Jews were born in Palestine and mainly spoke Aramaic.

saw themselves as the true Israel, the custodians of Jewish culture, religious tradition, and way of life.

dominated Temple worship and regarded Jerusalem as the center of the world.

restricted their interactions with non-Jews and would not be caught dead in the house of a Gentile.

dominated the original fellowship of believers.

Jehu J. Hanciles

Hellenistic Jews Jews born outside Palestine who spoke

mainly Greek and their lives reflected Greek values and culture.

as part of the Diaspora, their status in Palestine was akin to that of immigrants.

were generally viewed with suspicion and dislike by Hebraic Jews.

viewed by strict Jews (like the Pharisees) as second class Israelites.

were a marginalized group (regardless of numbers) within the community of believers at this time.

Jehu J. Hanciles

Acts 6:1

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food….

Jehu J. Hanciles

“Faith on the Move:The Religious Affiliation of International Migrants” (2012)

—Pew Research Center (2012)

Jehu J. Hanciles

America’s Foreign-Born Population (2009)

by 2010 the U.S. was home to one-in-five of the world’s international migrant population (about 40 million).

immigrants accounted for about 13 percent of the American population—projected to rise to 19% by 2050.

America’s total “immigrant stock” (including U.S.-born children of immigrants) is estimated at over one-fifth of the entire population.

90 percent of new immigrants arrived after 1960.

unlike previous waves of immigration, the overwhelming majority of post-1965 immigrants are of non-European stock and come from over 150 countries.

75 percent are Christian.

Jehu J. Hanciles

The Disconnect between African immigrant Christian bodies and Indigenous Western Churches

1. Experiences of Paternalism or Condescension.

2. The Perception of African Immigrants as Needy and Dependent.

3. Entrenched View of Immigrants as Objects of Mission.

4. Theological Divergence and Spiritual Difference.

5. Christianity as Cultural Identity (the Legacy of Christendom).

Jehu J. Hanciles

MIGRANTS AS MISSIONARIES, America’s New Immigrants and the American Church

Jehu J. Hanciles