The influx of immigrants— a burden or an opportunity?
*This article was inspired by a conversation Doris Penner had with long-time EMC pastor Irma Janzen.
Canada has always been a multi-cultural nation due to centuries of immigration, but in the last few decades, the flow of people from around the world landing on our shores has increased. Some are refugees, fleeing from oppressive regimes, while others immigrate because they see this country as a land of freedom and opportunity. With the government’s need to strengthen the Canadian economy and more openness to assist refugee settlement, the flow will not likely ebb any time soon.
What does this mean for the church? What does this mean for the EMC? Do we tend to agree with poet William Wordsworth that “the world is too much with us” with an attitude that says, “Enough already—this is completely unsettling our way of life”? Or do we consider the possibility that this is a move of God, who in his sovereignty is bringing a mission field to our doors?
It seems God is giving Christians an amazing opportunity to reach out and be a blessing to people of every tongue and nation, to have a part in the representation that will someday worship around the throne of God in heaven (Revelation 7:9–10).
It used to be that cross-cultural training was left to missionaries who were moving halfway across the globe to preach the gospel to various tribes and peoples. Today, Canadians only have to go as far as the local grocery store or visit a shopping mall to encounter people of several different races. Every region of Canada has been touched, the urban perhaps more than the rural. Believers are God’s ambassadors whether they cross the world to other countries or simply cross the street.
Many of us feel awkward in attempting to converse with someone who may be wearing a turban or sari and speaking a foreign language. “They probably won’t understand English, and I may offend them with my questions, so I’ll just smile and wave and move on,” we think.
It is natural to feel most comfortable with our “own kind of people.” There is no language barrier, we know how they think, and behaviour and responses are predictable. To step out of our comfort zone takes courage—and a recognition that your neighbour who recently arrived from India or Hong Kong or Ukraine may need a friend to help them navigate a new way of doing things, or perhaps just a dose of love to ease loneliness.
This is how it starts—with friendship and the development of a personal relationship. Love and concern build bridges that open the way for deeper discussions about God, redemption and the afterlife.
Diversity is a gift from God
But first, we must embrace diversity as a gift from God. The Creator planned a world bursting with beauty and variety, not only visible in nature but also in the great variety of races, colours and cultures in humankind scattered around the world. There is no race or ethnicity better than another; to look with disdain on humans of a different culture or language than ours is wrong. All are created in God’s image.
The Creator planned a world bursting with beauty and variety, not only visible in nature but also in the great variety of races, colours and cultures in humankind scattered around the world.
However, it is obvious that cultures differ widely. It may be most visible in day-to-day external behaviours—for example, customary dress, what to eat when, greeting friends; the next layer affects values and beliefs which are revealed in situations such as how one handles conflict, how children are trained, and how to address elders. At the deepest level, culture affects worldview—dictating whether we believe in God or many gods, where evil comes from and how it is dealt with, and where people go after death.
Culture is such an integral part of how we live and what we believe that we consider ours to be the norm—it becomes the standard by which other ways of thinking and acting are judged.
As a side note, we need to be cognizant of the fact that while Canadian Mennonites share similar worldviews with other believers growing up in a Mennonite church and conduct their lives according to what is acceptable in Canadian society, each person sees the world through their own unique lens, determined by parental upbringing, various life experiences, what one reads, on what channel we watch world news, what websites are pursued on the Internet, the influence of peers, what is taught in school and the way the pastor interprets Scripture.
We don’t have to look outside of EMC circles to see how individual or church subcultures and belief systems come into play. For example, over the years churches have had very different views on what comes under the label of “worldly” even though we all read the same Bible—jewellery, dancing, short hair for women? A current issue that congregations and individuals have various views on is the role of women in the church. See the sidebar by Irma Janzen to see how some of these internal cross-cultural differences can create challenges.
Judging with our own lenses
The first step in beginning a meaningful relationship with an individual from another race and country is the simple awareness that we are looking at the world with certain lenses by which we judge other ways—different from ours—and many times negatively. We need to be deliberate about setting those lenses aside for the moment and take the time to learn about the cultures of our neighbours that we run into frequently at the post office or encounter at the workplace. We can start conversations and then listen curiously and carefully. It’s a good idea to research background facts about the cultures for information on codes of behaviour and values that are important.
As we grow comfortable with each other, we may be ready to invite our neighbours into our home or accept an invitation to visit them in theirs. This is a more intimate act, but one that will allow passage into a deeper relationship. Cultural errors that pop up are almost always overlooked if genuine love and care are shown in initial encounters.
The experience of building bridges to form friendships with other people is not easy. It takes time when our lives are already overly busy.
As believers, there is concern about spiritual welfare, but in a way, one must earn the right to tell others about Jesus. When we show interest in their lives, learning about their journey to Canada and what might have instigated their coming to a foreign country and what religion they follow, we may also have the opportunity to talk about our beliefs.
The experience of building bridges to form friendships with other people is not easy, especially if there are significant cultural barriers. It takes time when our lives are already overly busy with family, jobs and church meetings. Some established patterns of what is comfortable and convenient might have to be modified. In addition, this sort of experience may involve an emotional drain. In other words, this will involve sacrifice—which should not be a surprise for believers!
Invitation to church
If our ethnic neighbours feel comfortable with our family and look on us as friends, it will seem right and natural to invite them to church. What can EMC churches do to make people from other countries and cultures feel welcome? What can be done to give them the feeling that church is a warm secure place they want to be part of?
Friendly greetings and smiles of welcome are gestures everyone can offer. Filling immediate needs will go a long way in opening peoples’ hearts and minds to the gospel. It’s important to identify needs of new attendees and respond accordingly. Offering English classes in the church or finding out where they are taught is one example. New arrivals will need help in doing paperwork, and finding jobs and rides to doctors, dentists and shopping malls. Some newcomers may be refugees who have fled horrific situations for which counselling might be appropriate. Be patient and compassionate.
The Canadian Church Planting Task Force appointed by the EMC is currently working with Ethiopian, Middle-Eastern, Hispanic and Chinese churches that are reaching out primarily to immigrants of their own backgrounds. For example, EMC is partnering with two Ethiopian churches: Ephrata Evangelical Church in Edmonton and Glory of Christ Evangelical Church in Toronto, as well as assisting the Arabic-speaking Kingdom Life Church in Winnipeg. This program has the potential to expand as EMC congregations support it with prayer and finances.
It is not feasible to establish an EMC church within each ethnic group in every city and town across the nation. But many of us are in contact with someone who would accept an invitation to attend a service in our church. The message we proclaim from the pulpit never changes—it is the truth of God seeking a relationship through Jesus Christ with all peoples of the earth. God has given us the task of reconciling people to him (2 Corinthians 5:18–20). When newcomers attend a gathering of Christians who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who pray and sing and preach, they will sense the presence of God.
We need to keep in mind that much of how we conduct church is tradition, and if changing it up a little bit here and there helps newcomers feel more comfortable, let’s do it. With time, ethnic music could be incorporated, Scripture read in the language of people attending and ethnic foods showcased at a potluck. Remember the Apostle Paul’s words, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means, I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).
A few thoughts on the challenges of cross-cultural communication
By Irma Janzen
1) Take a baby boy born today to farming parents in southern Alberta. Both he and I are Canadians born into farming families who practiced their Christian, even their Mennonite faith, in their communities. Yet there are significant differences in our cultural experiences: age, gender, the beliefs and lifestyles of our parents, the teachings of the church, the digital age and all that comes with it.
Maybe if I visited him as a baby, I could cuddle him and love him and he might respond. However, as the years go by, we would find it very difficult to communicate about important matters because our experiences would have been so different. (It might be possible but that would take a good deal of effort on both our parts.) This is a cross-cultural communication challenge.
2) I had a friend when I was a child. Her dad was my dad’s cousin and we were born within about a month of each other and no more than 10 miles apart. Their family moved to Mexico when I was about 10 years old. Then they moved to Belize; later, she and her husband moved to the southern U.S.
About 25 years ago she was visiting relatives in the Blumenort, Man., area and suggested she would like to meet me. I got the invite and went out to see her. After we had said hello, I asked her about her life, her family, garden, where she lived, and similar questions. When I had no more questions to ask there was silence. I didn’t know what to tell her about myself because I felt it was all a foreign world to her.
I left wondering, was this visit worthwhile to her? I did not feel any connection had been made and there has been no further connection. How many cross-cultural hoops would we have needed to jump through to have any kind of meaningful conversation?
3) I have a friend who came to Canada from India to go to university back in the 90s. She attended our church and we connected and eventually became good friends. She is about 30 years younger than I am. She grew up in a Christian home, spoke English well when she came, was curious and learned lots about Canada, studied hard, and eventually moved to Ontario for job opportunity. She and I shared lots of cultural similarity even though she had grown up in India. I’m not saying there were no issues in cross-cultural communication, but they were minimal.
If we want Indigenous, Ethiopian, Korean, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic churches in our conference we have to take cross-cultural communication seriously so people from other countries feel welcome and included. And I suspect we also need to explore those ideas within our own ethnic background.
Irma Janzen (Fort Garry EMC) has served in education, as the coordinator of Mennonite Central Committee Canada’s Mental Health and Disabilities Program and as a pastor.
