“The foreigner living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt” (Leviticus 19:34)

Ministry amongst the diaspora and migrants in our community is not complex but needs us to think sensibly and prayerfully, with a focus on:[1]

1. Knowing our community profile[2]

1. 2. Being able to identify points of entry or felt need amongst our diaspora.

1. 3. Developing a strategy for ministry within the diaspora e.g. 4 steps to a multicultural ministry:

1. Identify and use welcomers

1. b. Develop a team for ministry and prayer

1. c. Make international student/migrant (diaspora) ministry a central feature of your church or group

1. d. Develop partnership with missions groups and ministries that can assist you with resources and training as well as providing links for those returning to their home country.

An illustration of this is the story of Central Baptist Church in Palmerston North, whose story of welcoming the foreigner started with welcoming international students. A group of friendly, welcoming, mission focused members built relationships with international students, welcomed them into their homes and offered them friendship and hospitality, out of which, some of these students joined the church. At the same time and over a period of time, the church congregation also became aware of migrants feeling comfortable with the environment at Central Baptist. Some of these migrants began asking about Christianity and were interested in having a Bible study. The result of all of this together, is that the church now has a full Chinese congregation and Chinese pastor. Alongside this, there are many others in the migrant community who have found a place to belong there. Critical to this, has been the endorsement and support of their church leadership and consequently migrant ministry has become a part of their church’s DNA.

In our example of Central Baptist Church, we see a growing cultivation of cross-cultural competencies and people naturally interacting across cultures, with a genuine, loving approach to sharing the gospel. These are vital to upholding the value and dignity, the ‘mana’ of each person we meet, and for life-long discipleship.

At the centre of the Bible is relationship: relationship between God and people, relationship between people and God, and the relationships between people. When Jesus was asked by one of the experts of the Jewish religious law, the question: “’Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:34-40). Many of us will know this passage from Matthew well, but we need to remember that the command to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ flows out from how we love God. From earliest times, the concept of showing loving and kind treatment of foreigners has been inherent in what God expects of us.

The latest statistics for New Zealand show that around 30%[3] of our population were not born in New Zealand, and many people trace their recent ancestral origins elsewhere. As we look outwardly on our local mission field, we discover that the world has come to us in the form of migrants, international students, refugees, temporary labour and tourists. The flow of people into and though our country accounts for a great many people and a wonderful opportunity for the gospel: opportunities for the gospel from, to and through the diaspora that we encounter in our context. History shows us that the gospel moves wherever people move, and we in Aotearoa New Zealand have experienced all sorts of people movement that have had implications for the gospel. Temporary workers, students and practical trade training have, over many years, had an impact for the gospel amongst those coming to New Zealand for training and then returning to their home countries.[4] However, in recent times the church In New Zealand has also undergone a level of renewal through the arrival of migrants of faith.

Some specialist ministries have arisen in response to these opportunities, such as International student Ministries of New Zealand,[5] which is now a nationwide ministry dedicated to building capacity amongst international students and migrants who are responsive to the gospel. Those who respond to the gospel are then able to act as carriers of the gospel through and into their post academic phases and into their different work and living contexts, either in their home countries or within the migrant community in New Zealand.

As the church wrestles with the opportunity posed by migration in its various forms, a well known Diaspora Missiologist,[6] Dr Terry Casino[7] of Gardner Webb University, has posed these questions that can help us think through how we evaluate our mission amongst diaspora:

• Do we have a solid biblical theology of missions among the diasporas?

• Do we have strong support from leadership to do diaspora mission?

• Do we have intentional evangelism and discipleship efforts among diaspora groups?

• Are we equipped and empowered to deal with ethno-linguistic and cultural issues?

• Do we have qualified personnel, adequate resources, and relevant experience for diaspora mission?

The Lord has allowed so many of the nations to come to us here in New Zealand, and has uniquely given us the privilege of walking with them for the gospel’s sake and for building up His church. The invitation to us now, is to have “ears to hear and eyes to see”, so that we might be involved in ministry amongst the diasporas and migrants of our communities; in the workplace, the marketplace, places of sport and recreation, hospitality, entertainment and education – journeying alongside and for the sake of the gospel.

[1] Another excellent approach is offered by Elias Madeiros in “Local Churches in Missional Diasporas”, pp190-193 in Scattered and Gathered – A Global Compendium of Diaspora Missiology, Edited by Sadiri Joy Tira and Tetsunao Yamamori, 2016.

[2] Local councils very often have good information on the diversity within their communities, as well as entry points.

[3] New Zealand 2023 Census on birth origins.

[4] Luke 8:39 “Return home and tell how much the Lord God has done for you”.

[5] https://www.ismnz.org.nz/

[6] Definition of Diaspora Missiology: A “missiological framework for understanding and participating in God’s redemptive mission among people living outside their place of origin.” Seoul Declaration on Diaspora Missiology, November 2009.

[7] https://gardner-webb.edu/peopl...