People are moving for a variety of reasons: rapid globalization of the labour force, geopolitical shifts, catastrophic natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis), national and ethnic conflicts, socio-economic advancement, and pandemics resulting in a crippling of the workforce (e.g. HIV/AIDS).

Rev. Sadiri Joy Tira (D.Min., D.Miss.) is Global Ministries Diasporas Specialist with The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada. He is also Senior Associate for Diasporas with the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization and International Coordinator for the Filipino International Network.

cmAlliance.ca recently interviewed Dr. Tira and asked him to share some of his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities this scattering of peoples poses to the Church.

Alliance.ca: You have a new position within The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada. How did you arrive at this?

Dr. Tira: I was Senior Pastor of the First Filipino Alliance Church in Edmonton for over 25 years. While there, I helped launch the Conference of Filipino Alliance Ministries and the Filipino International Network (FIN). For over two decades, I studied the growing trend of diasporas and the emerging Canadian mosaic, and later pursued advanced studies in international migration and missiology.

Alliance.ca: What is your role as Global Ministries Diasporas Specialist within the Alliance in Canada?

Dr. Tira: Part of my responsibility is to pioneer, catalyze, network, develop and lead various diaspora groups and ministries within the framework of Global Ministries.

Alliance.ca: What do you mean when you use the term diaspora?

Dr. Tira: This technical term is fast becoming a buzz word. I'm using the term diaspora to refer to the phenomenon of 'dispersion' or movement of any ethnic group. I also use the terms 'migration' and 'people on the move.'

Alliance.ca: Why has the concept of diaspora become of such interest to mission leaders today?

Dr. Tira: Diaspora is a complex issue that is increasingly changing societies, cultures, economies, and world demography. It is one of the dominant forces in the world today that is being watched by government policy makers, economists, social scientists and missiologists.

Diasporas present great challenges and opportunities for the Church. In fact, diaspora is one of the global issues to be discussed at the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa from October 16-25, 2010.

You see, most missions strategies are landlocked and geographically focused. The global Church needs to understand the world has become 'borderless' - caused by migration, globalization, and technological communication. We need a strategy that will effectively reach these millions who are traversing the globe.

For example, diaspora missions addresses the millions of tourists on the beaches of Thailand, the economic migrants in the Arabian Peninsula, the homeless in Uganda, the lonely new immigrants in mega cities (e.g. Toronto, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, etc.), and the millions of international students ? not only those in the U.K. and the U.S.A., but those in Australia, Japan, and Canada, etc. It presents a strategy that goes beyond planting churches in rural communities and urban centres, to planting churches onboard ships (e.g. cruise ships, supertankers, and container ships) for the millions of people working on the ocean. Furthermore, diaspora missions suggests a strategy for soldiers on the battlefield, for the diplomatic community, for researchers in isolated Antarctica, for those stationed for months in space, and for victims of human trafficking now working in the sex industry. They need to hear the gospel of hope and redemption.

Alliance.ca: What are the unique components of diaspora missions as compared to more traditional missions?

Dr. Tira: Let me give you a basic comparison between traditional missions and diaspora missions:

   Traditional Missions

• Its focus is polarized so there is a separation between, for example, saving the soul and the social gospel; church planting and Christian charity; paternalism and indigenization; long-term missions and short-term missions; career missionaries and tentmakers.
• Conceptually, traditional missions is territorial, meaning there is a sharp distinction between here and there. It is lineal, meaning that movement goes one way: sending then receiving; assimilation then amalgamation.
• Its perspective is geographically divided into foreign mission vs. home mission, urban vs. rural, state/nation vs. country/state; and as a discipline, it compartmentalizes between theology of missions and strategy of missions.
• In paradigm, traditional missions priority is the unreached people groups in the most unreached regions of the world.

   In contrast, diaspora missions can be summarized as follows:

   Diaspora Missions/Missiology

• Its focus is holistic and contextualization, integrating evangelism and social concern. For example, we cannot just start a local church among refugees without also addressing their physical needs and becoming their advocate.
• Conceptually, it is 'de-territorialized' (i.e. the 'loss of social and cultural boundaries' in missions strategy). A practical example of this is how we would conduct evangelism training, in say Tokyo, among Japanese believers - but also we have to make it relevant to some Brazilians who will participate, because those Brazilians are no longer in Sao Paolo. These Brazilians are living in Tokyo! Diaspora missions is also GLOCAL. That is a mission strategy that is simultaneously global and local. In contrast to the 'lineal' concept of traditional missions, it is 'multi-directional.'
• The perspective of diaspora missions is not geographically divided or confined to home/foreign, regional/global, urban/rural. Rather it is borderless, trans-national and global. For example, planting churches is not only on land, but also on the ocean, i.e. aboard ships among seafarers.
• Diaspora missiology is integrated and includes biblical studies, theology, evangelism, social sciences, arts, and technology. As a paradigm, diaspora missions goes where God is going and moves providentially where God places people. The priority is every person outside the Kingdom, everywhere. There is no difference between reaching out to Muslims or Hindus who are in Montreal or East-London (U.K.) than to those in the Middle East or South Asia. Evangelism and discipleship must also happen in space and Antarctica among scientists, and not just among the dying patients in urban hospitals or in crowded market places. We must remember it is God who determines where people will live at certain times so that wherever they are in the universe, they can call upon God and find him. (see Acts 17:26-28)

Alliance.ca: What are the unique advantages or benefits of using a diaspora missions strategy as compared to a more traditional missions strategy?

Dr. Tira: I'll give you a short and simple answer. A diaspora missions strategy (1) is economically sustainable; (2) benefits from travel accessibility to the target audience; (3) has less political and legal restrictions; (4) is accepting of partnerships among like-minded people and organizations; and (5) is conducted by more than a few experts or International Workers.

However, diaspora missions should not be promoted over traditional missions. These two strategies are not in competition, but are complementary in light of the global situation in the 21^st Century.

Alliance.ca: Briefly discuss the C&MA experience in diaspora missions in Canada.

Dr. Tira: Historically, diaspora missions has been integral to the C&MA. Dr. A.B. Simpson, the founder of the C&MA, started reaching out to Italian immigrants in New York at a time when it was unfashionable to interact with non-English newcomers.

Then in the 1980s, at the formation of the Alliance in Canada, we saw a rise of births of immigrant or ethnic congregations utilizing the vehicle called the Canadian Ministries. These church planting initiatives among the so-called 'New Canadians' accelerated in the 1990s when national committees were formed such as the Canadian Chinese Alliance Churches Association, Association of Vietnamese Alliance Churches, Conference of Filipino Alliance Ministries, Association of Spanish Alliance Ministries, and others.

Over the years, many local churches in Canadian urban centres became more aware of this new phenomenon of 'diaspora,' so that these Alliance congregations were intentionally reaching out to new Canadians. Innovative ministries were launched. Alliance people were intentionally reaching out with great success to international university students. Many were also heavily supporting global diaspora networks.

It must be noted that many of our International Workers are non-Caucasian; they are products of the Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese congregations. However, while diaspora missions is long-standing in the Alliance in Canada, some of our denominational efforts are random and could be further synchronized to be more strategic across our denomination.

Alliance.ca: How can Alliance congregations embrace diaspora missions?

Dr. Tira: We need to:

1. Rethink diaspora as part of God?s sovereign design to accomplish his mission (i.e. Mission Dei). When we think of diaspora missions, it should not be categorized as 'Canadian Ministries' or 'Foreign Ministries.' Rather, it is GLOCAL - here and there simultaneously, affirmed and supported equally by word and deed.

2. Teach our congregations to be hospitable. The most recent statistics from Canada Citizenship and Immigration indicate that, in 2007 alone, Canada:

• welcomed 302,303 foreign workers as temporary migrant workers,
• granted initial entry to 233,971 foreign students,
• welcomed 27,956 refugees, and
• granted 236,758 people permission to make Canada their home as permanent immigrants. Of these, the top ten source countries for permanent immigrants were (in descending order): China, India, Philippines, U.S.A., Pakistan, U.K., Iran, South Korea, France, and Columbia.

Canada continues to welcome immigrants in the thousands. Are these not the very people we are trying to reach 'out there'?

3. Build cultural awareness. We need to educate our congregations to be effectively relational in our 'global neighbourhood.' For example, maybe we should try eating at the new Somalian restaurant and then invite our friends to also expose them to the culture of our new neighbours. It is important for Alliance congregants to continue to build a cultural awareness that will lead to authentic relationships, thus making them credible witnesses for Jesus Christ.

4. Come up with more creative ministries. For example, in recent years, FIN brokered a partnership with Operation Mobilization, Campus Crusade for Christ, the Seamen's Christian Friends Society, and the Alliance Graduate School in Manila. This partnership formed Alliance of Churches at Sea (ACAS). Since Filipinos compose over 25 percent of the global maritime workers, ACAS has been training Filipino seafarers to plant churches on board cruise ships, supertankers, and container ships. This is a case of a creative, multi-directional and trans-national approach to church planting.

A location with lots of potential is Pearson International Airport in Toronto. For example, it receives three packed Emirates Airbus A380 flights a week. This is the largest passenger aircraft and seats up to 853 people. The simple math is: 853 x 3 flights/week x 52 weeks/year equals 133,068 passengers/year on Emirates Airlines alone! Most of the passengers are coming from the Gulf region. Do we have a strategy to reach these 'people on the move' who are tourists, businessmen, international students, and new immigrants? These are the very people our International Workers are trying to minister to 'over there.'

5. Accelerate formal and non-formal training for our future pastors, International Workers and lay leaders to prepare them for ministry in our borderless world. One good GLOCAL model is the Jaffray Centre for Global Initiatives at Ambrose University College which ?is an integrative platform that enables Christians to innovatively and collaboratively engage in intercultural redemptive initiatives in Canada and around the world.? We also need to provide more non-formal training and ministry tools for our local church leaders, plus our congregations need continuing evangelism and discipleship training and tools.

6. Affirm and celebrate the GLOCAL ministries of Alliance people. Some wonderful examples are the international ministries in Edmonton, AB and also those at the Toronto Alliance Church in Toronto, ON. They are intentionally reaching out to new Canadians in the heart of their cities.

There are many other things we can do. One need not look further than the local Starbucks to meet diaspora peoples. They are in our schools, drinking coffee at our cafes, serving our meals at our favourite Sunday restaurants, playing with their kids in our playgrounds, and jogging around the park with us. They may even be living 'next door.' People today are on the move.

We have an unprecedented opportunity to introduce the diasporas to Christ and invite them to become part of his Church. Within the Alliance in Canada, we are proactively responding to this major global trend of diasporas and recruiting participants for this new missions initiative.

Alliance.ca: Thank you, Dr. Tira.

Peter White is an independent communication, media and adult education consultant