The Local Church and Mission to the Diaspora: Examples in the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Canada

by Sadiri Joy Tira

Diaspora is not a new phenomenon, and missiology is not a novel field of study. Human migration is in fact a reality of the human experience, and missions and evangelism a mandate from the initial commissioning of Jesus Christ’s disciples. Thus, it is inaccurate to propose that the idea of diaspora missiology was initiated in the minds and meetings of twenty-first-century missiologists. 

Diaspora is not a new phenomenon, and missiology is not a novel field of study. Human migration is in fact a reality of the human experience, and missions and evangelism a mandate from the initial commissioning of Jesus Christ’s disciples. Thus, it is inaccurate to propose that the idea of diaspora missiology was initiated in the minds and meetings of twenty-first-century missiologists. 

Simply put, diaspora missiology is a contemporary label given to the field of study that seeks to comprehensively and systematically gather up the multiple strands of migration and missions in order to effectively equip workers to respond to divinely-determined population movements.

In the twenty-first century, migration is an unprecedented global phenomenon that continues to accelerate primarily due to environmental changes (attributed to climate change), global inequalities
resulting in regional conflicts, and limited economic advancement.¹ Human scattering has impacted all communities, countries, and regions. 

According to the United Nations, there were close to 232 million international migrants in 2015. Local congregations worldwide are strategizing how they can take part in God’s work in and through the Scattered People. Diaspora missiology provides previously disparate strategies with a synchronized approach.

In January 2017, EMQ published “The Local Church and Mission to the Diaspora: A Diaspora Mission Strategy for Local Churches.” In response to that article, people have asked, “How is this even possible? How do we reach all these people with our limited budgets and personal resources?” Below I present three local congregations as successful case studies of diaspora missiology in action. The implementation of diaspora mission strategies is viable for local church ministry to diaspora.

The examples are taken from local churches in the Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) community, within the Christian & Missionary Alliance in Canada. 

Three Case Studies

In 2004, Ralph Winter wrote, “[Diaspora] may well be the most important undigested reality in mission thinking today. We simply have not caught up with the fact that most of the world’s people can no longer be defined geographically.” While this remains true, a growing body of diaspora missions literature, and missions organizations, denominations, and local churches, use diaspora missions strategies. 

In recent years, for example, the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada has renewed its commitment to diaspora missions resources, and is intentional in communicating about and supporting diaspora missions to its constituency.  

Historically, ministry to ‘foreigners’ has been integral to the ministry of the C&MA. When the founder of the C&MA, A.B. Simpson, ministered in New York City from 1879-1881, America was receiving thousands of immigrants from Italy, Scandinavia, Slovakia, Russia, Germany, Mexico, and Japan. He started reaching out to migrants and foreign-born workers who had come to work in various manual labour industries, including factories, mining, and mills. 

At a time when it was unfashionable to interact with impoverished foreigners, Simpson was compelled to reach “the neglected peoples of the world with the neglected resources of the church” (Niklaus 1955). Simpson ultimately resigned from his local parish to launch a missionary movement that gave birth to what is now the C&MA. He assessed the theological issues, cultural and political dynamics of his time, and the results of demographic realities in his country. His missions and evangelism was relevant and his missions strategy updated. Before Simpson thought to reach the regions beyond, he had observed the people around him. For Simpson, the uprooted and scattered were to be gathered into the kingdom.

Fast-forward to the 1980s. At the formation of C&MA-Canada, there occurred a rise of births of ‘immigrant’ or ethnic congregations utilizing the vehicle called the “Canadian Ministries.” These church-planting initiatives among Canada’s diaspora people (the “New Canadians”) accelerated in the 1990s when national committees were formed. These included: Canadian Chinese Alliance Churches Association, Association of Vietnamese Alliance Churches, Conference of Filipino Alliance Ministries, Association of Spanish Alliance Ministries, and others. 

Furthermore, in the 1980s and early 1990s, C&MA-Canada’s denominational schools, formerly Canadian Theological Seminary (CTS) and Canadian Bible College (CBC), birthed the Centre for Chinese Studies that later evolved into the Centre for Inter-Cultural Studies (defunct). This program was intended to be the factory for church planters, and evangelists for the New Canadians. 

Awareness of mass migration or the diaspora phenomenon has grown among many local churches in Canadian urban centres (e.g., Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton) so that these C&MA-Canada congregations are now intentionally reaching out to New Canadians. 

With the support of C&MA leadership, many innovative ministries have been launched, including the Palm Ministries (PALM) in Edmonton that ministers to Muslims. Notably, PALM can trace its roots back to the diasporic New Canadian congregation in Edmonton, the First Filipino Alliance Church. Clusters of Alliance church members are intentionally reaching out to university international students. In addition, many C&MA members are heavily supporting global diaspora networks. 

Building on the C&MA history of reaching out to diaspora people, coupled with regional knowledge, a diaspora missiology strategy will focus on addressing the challenges of local C&MA churches today: reaching the thousands of new immigrants—temporary residents (i.e., foreign workers, foreign students), permanent residents, and tourists and refugees who are entering Canada, and are consequently changing the mission field. 

In my own city there are local churches that are strategically addressing diaspora missions. Here are the examples of Beulah Alliance Church, South Edmonton Alliance Church, and Crosspoint Church.

Engaging the City: Beulah Alliance Church

Beulah Alliance Church (BAC) is one of Edmonton’s largest and oldest congregations and was founded in 1907 as a mission to Edmonton and its surrounding areas. Beulah excels in developing homogenous units that maintain a healthy connection to the main hub congregation. In its history, Beulah has launched Beverly Alliance Church, Sherwood Park Alliance Church, and Crosspoint Church as daughter churches. Below is the vision of BAC: 

Beulah is one church with multiple locations. Our vision to reach 1% of Greater Edmonton for Christ is supported by our 3 locations in West Edmonton, East Edmonton, and Southwest Edmonton. 

Under the leadership of Keith Taylor, Beulah incorporates Lighthouse Campus, reaching out to the Hispanic populations of Edmonton and meeting at the busy location of Whyte Avenue. It is also planting the Arabic Church (an Arabic-speaking congregation) and is hosting various first-generation diaspora care groups, including the Tagalog-speaking mid-sized community. 

Furthermore, Beulah’s multiethnic staff is a microcosm of the international community. Neil Truong, Beulah Alliance multisite campus pastor of Whitemud Creek Church, values that “multicultural diversity is represented in the congregation… [and] the diversity of [the] people is reflected first in the staff.”

Simultaneously, Beulah is actively participating in global ministries. BAC’s “goal is to work in specific areas around the world… mak[ing] a difference over a three to five-year period to ensure [a] … a lasting, sustainable difference.” Investing significantly in initiatives from Niger, Vietnam, Ecuador, and Thailand, BAC exemplifies the GLOCAL ministry of a local church practicing diaspora missiology.

Diaspora Unlimited: South Edmonton Alliance Church

Started in 1988, South Edmonton Alliance Church (SEAC) is historically an ethnic Chinese congregation. Today, SEAC, led by senior pastor Genghis Chan, vitally ministers to the entire community surrounding it. While SEAC addresses generational and linguistic issues common to immigrant churches via English, Mandarin, and Cantonese ministries and services, SEAC also hosts Punjabi and Filipino congregations at its facilities. SEAC distinctly reaches beyond Chinese immigrants and succeeding Chinese-Canadian generations, using extensive community services for the greater community. 

Notably, SEAC has taken over the facility of the former Millbourne Alliance Church in ethnically-diverse Millwoods in South Edmonton and has transformed the former church building into the Millbourne Community Life Centre. Partnering with non-profit organizations and other local churches, through the Millbourne Community Life Centre, SEAC hosts programs for New Canadians, underprivileged youth, and the community in general. Food pantries, youth services, clothing drives, professional tax filing, and special events including Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are valuable services for diaspora
communities. 

Coming full circle, SEAC also organizes the chapel ministries of a neighboring senior citizen’s compound, a senior’s manor primarily populated by Canadians of European descent. SEAC may have been primarily a Chinese congregation initially, but today SEAC ministers to the community, including New Canadian (new immigrant) and established Canadian, privileged and marginalized, young and old, through their various programs and through their community ministry at Millbourne Community Life Centre.

Blossoming & Strategic: Crosspoint Church

Crosspoint Church is in the ethnically-diverse Northside and is intentional in its multiculturalism. It is a young mid-sized congregation, birthed by its mother church, Beulah Alliance Church, in 2005, but it is intentional and strategic in its strategizing and networking for its community. I had the privilege of interacting with Crosspoint’s lead pastor, Rob Chartrand, in December. Here is what he had to say about it:

One of our core values is to become a multiethnic church community that reflects the cultural and religious diversity of the community where God has placed us…. We realize that this is going to take some time and intentionality. When Crosspoint first launched we were a very vanilla, Caucasian bunch. But over time, we have seen a beautiful kaleidoscope of ethnicities starting to emerge.

Towards this end, one of the things we are trying to do is equip and incorporate leaders from ethnically-diverse backgrounds. We think it’s important that the leadership reflect the diversity of the local community.

At this time, our greatest reach is to second or third-generation Canadians. We are not yet set up to reach first-generation Canadians, although should the opportunity present itself, we would joyfully follow God in obedience towards reaching New Canadians. So for us, our task is to reach the children of New Canadians. And we pray that as we reach them, God will open the door to reach New Canadians through them. 

Crosspoint does this is by organizing family activities such as 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, community meals, and sponsoring Kids Kapers, a children’s summer camp specifically for unchurched children in the community. Chartrand explains:

…We offer halal snacks for the kids and… teach from the Old Testament. Because of this, we have a number of Muslim families who have sent their kids and we have seen ethnic and religious diversity. Throughout the year, after camp is over, we work hard at maintaining relationship with the Kids Kapers families and even host a Kids Kapers reunion party during the winter months. 

Chartrand further describes how they are equipping and mobilizing their congregation for local and global impact. First, he says, Crosspoint leadership conducts thorough community needs assessment in partnership with a major local charity. Chartrand adds, “We were trying to do good cultural exegesis and gospel contextualization. We discovered that many New Canadians live in our area and they have many unique needs.” Rather than just reinventing the wheel, Crosspoint partners with organisations in the community that were already meeting the needs.

Finally, Crosspoint leadership is determined to “challenge and support… Crosspointers to be on a mission where they live.” Leadership is intentional to teach, resource, and coach those who want to incarnate the gospel in their neighborhoods. They provide the congregation with the pragmatic resource, the “Portable Party Pack,” a portable trailer equipped with a commercial barbecue, picnic tables, party games, propane tanks, and that comes with a crew of Crosspoint volunteers, enabling Crosspointers to host their neighbors. Chartrand says, 

We want our Crosspoint church to really know their neighbours, to move from being strangers, to acquaintances, to close friends. You cannot love the neighbor you do not know. We don’t set up programs to reach New Canadians—we are raising up a people to reach their neighborhoods, which happen to have New Canadians.

To actively educate Crosspointers, the leadership organized the teaching series called “Contrasting Gods,” with a goal to “expose a misconception… that all religions are essentially the same as well as equally true and valid.” Guest speakers—C&MA pastors with a background in one of the major world religions: Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—were invited over the course of a month to describe their specific religious background and to share their testimonies of coming to Jesus. Crosspoint also provided supplemental teaching material for people.

Although Crosspoint is a relatively young congregation with the modest resources of a mid-sized congregation, Crosspoint makes an impact in its intentional assessment of its community, its strategic programming, and its timely training of its members.

Conclusion

Thirty years ago in Edmonton, local churches practiced diaspora missiology strategies with newly-immigrated Chinese, Vietnamese, Hispanic, and Filipino Canadians. Edmonton congregations continue this legacy. As local churches recognize and embrace God-ordained missional opportunities presented by global migration, and are diligent to address contextual issues, people from all over the globe are presented with the gospel of Jesus Christ wherever they are.

Endnote

1.  There are, however, voluntary causes of migration, including educational advancement, long-term tourism, and career deployments.

. . . .

Sadiri Joy Tira (DMiss, Western Seminary; DMin, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Lausanne Movement’s Catalyst for Diasporas (i.e. formerly known as Lausanne Movement’s Senior Associate for Diasporas), and Vice President for Diaspora Missions for Advancing Indigenous Missions (AIM). He also serves as Missiology Specialist at the Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University and Seminary (AUS), Calgary, AB, Canada.

EMQ, Vol. 53, No. 2. Copyright  © 2017 Billy Graham Center for Evangelism.  All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced or copied in any form without written permission from EMQ editors.

Questions for Reflection 1. How can congregations as large and as old as Beulah Alliance Church reach migrants (or Scattered Peoples) in their cities? How would these congregations work to reflect multicultural diversity in ministry initiatives and in staff workers? How would larger and older congregations appropriate budgets to balance overseas and local ministries? 2. In what way(s) could a traditionally diaspora/ethnic-minority congregation such as South Edmonton Alliance Church reach out to the native/host/dominant population? How can ministries be intentional in reaching out to migrants and the second and third generations? What kind of church government would it be willing to adopt? 3. Although Crosspoint is a relatively young congregation, it has positioned itself with contextualized ministries. What could similar size and aged congregations do to attain maximum impact with migrant communities?