Her years of experience in Africa have prepared her to expect a warm welcome and she is not disappointed. Her hosts are not well off, but they are extremely hospitable. After eating with the family, she tutors the mother and children in basic English language skills. During this time, the opportunity arises to share a little of the gospel with them. As she leaves the home that night, she is thankful for the seed that has been planted here. Mind you, the blustery winds and rain still haven’t let up, and this in the middle of July — ah well, that’s the British summer for you!

For two centuries or more, missionaries from the West have gone to Africa. But today, changes are taking place on our doorstep. Africans are coming to Europe to find work and prosperity. There can be few sizeable communities in Britain today that do not play host to African migrants. Even our top football clubs are watching the continent, eyeing up talent from Africa. Even the direction of ministry is changing. Alarmed at the spiritual state of what was one of the great sending countries, African missionaries are increasingly bringing the gospel to the UK. So what should Aim be doing? Should the focus of the Mission’s work be on the continent of Africa, or on its people, wherever they may be? With the launch this year of African Connections in Europe (ACE), a ministry to Africans living on this continent, we are re-affirming the priority of reaching Africa’s peoples whether they are in Africa or in Europe. The focus must be the people and not merely the geographical area. John Brand, director of Aim Europe, sees five main reasons why the Mission needs to be responding to these challenges. Firstly, and most importantly, there are obvious biblical foundations. In Deuteronomy, we read that God ‘loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt’. This passage and others like it have been instrumental in the call of the Priors. Jesus himself calls on us to love our neighbours as ourselves and his story of the Good Samaritan shows that neighbourliness should cross ethnic, cultural and religious boundaries. Secondly, it forms an integral part of Aim’s ministry as an organisation seeking to bring the gospel to all corners of Africa. Many of those coming to Europe are from ‘difficult’ countries. We refer to such countries as Creative Access Nations (CANs), that is, countries that do not give visas to mission workers.. “There is a great opportunity here in the sense that so many of these migrants come from countries where it is difficult for us serve in the same way as we have worked in much of Africa John gives one example. “Aim has had ongoing work on a group of Indian Ocean islands that is predominantly Islamic. We recognised that this type of ministry would always be a long-term investment, but for the past thirty years or so there has been little impact. However, in one of France’s main cities, there are immigrants from these islands. In October 2004 a team started there with the specific goal of seeing people from this group come to Christ and be discipled within local churches.”

A RESOURCE Thirdly, cross-cultural mission should be part of the ministry of the British church. It is for this reason that Aim is looking to work alongside churches and individuals. The vignette in the opening paragraph is already taking place today in the UK. Aim is looking to support and work alongside such individuals. The programme will have an office based in the Nottingham headquarters of Aim UK, but the real operation will be a network throughout the country. “Already across the UK there are many people who are involved in local and personal evangelism among Africans,” says John. “We would like to work together with those people and, where we are able, provide them with resources.”

PARTNERSHIP Fourthly, this venture can increase our partnership with the African church. We would like to see members of our partner churches come to Europe, both to help us reach Africans who share a similar language and culture to their own, and also to be involved with Africans from different cultures. As not all churches in Africa are engaged in evangelism beyond their own ethnic borders, this cross-cultural exposure – whether it be part of their ministry or because they are living in a different culture – will be useful when they return to Africa. Aim has committed itself to raising one-third of the support required for a Kenyan woman who will be working in the UK. The remainder of her finances will come from support that she raises personally and from her church in Kenya.

And lastly, it should not be forgotten that many Africans come to Europe to study. “There is a crucial ministry in this area, because many of these students will go back to their countries and work in places of influence.” Aim has already seen the fruit of this in its support of the Philip Project in London. The Project enrols Christian African students in a specially tailored course run in partnership with the Proclamation Trust’s Cornhill Training Course. They then return home – not only with enhanced qualifications for their secular employment but also with skills in Bible teaching and preaching – to serve effectively in their home churches.

PILGRIMS Stories of the progress of the gospel among Africans in Europe are full of encouragement. In eastern Europe, a refugee church led by a Sudanese man has opened and is the meeting place for Christians from over a dozen African countries. Meanwhile, in central Europe a major city has been impacted by a Sudanese refugee church – led, again, by a Sudanese pastor – to the extent that it can count among its congregation some European nationals who have been converted through its work. A local politician went on record as praising the good work they do in the community and the outstanding example of their obvious care for one another. Closer to home, the work is just beginning in two British cities. “Above all,” says John, “this is a burden of Aim, not merely a new strategy”. Maybe we could partner with you or your church in this work? As aliens and strangers in this world we can surely sympathise with those who are aliens in our own land.

ACE Ministries Co-ordinator

Bill Rettie is ACE Ministries Co-ordinator “We see the focus of our outreach and ministry as being among first and second generation immigrants, particularly from what we call ‘Creative Access Nations’, that is, countries that do not give visas to mission workers. Alongside this first priority we will also be looking to strengthen links with churches that have connections with our partner churches in Africa.”

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