Don't be a stranger

Church and Evangelism

"Christians need to recognise that we are a family, born and created in the image of God. That is our common identity: regardless of culture, colour, political or religious background we are one people under God." - Rev Arlington Trotman.

This view of the "stranger" as a person loved by God is what drives these Christians to serve, welcome, fight for and honour the migrant in their communities.

This care is in no way conditional on their conversion to Christianity, but the love for God that underpins this world view also inspires them to tell others about the Christ that motivates them, and to provide them with spiritual care if they desire it.

Major David Blowers says evangelism came after social action for those working with migrants in Margate.

"We had been meeting with migrant people from the community and we became known within the community," he says.

"There were people who trusted us and more people who would come and ask us questions and we were able to help them. The only thing we were not doing was any church for them or providing any situation when we would preach the Gospel.

"It seemed we were introducing them to a lot of government agencies, but not really introducing them to Jesus. So we took that to our established church eldership."

He said the church was pleased to support them, and they set up a Czech speaking congregation, which meets on Fridays.

Rev Iesinga Vunipola believes people are often looking to the church for spiritual confirmation, and that the church should be more outward looking.

"The church exists to share love and give what we have and share what we have with others. The people are aware that there is a supernatural power, but what they are looking for is evidence of this from the church.

"They are looking for loving fellowship and acceptance and I think that is what the church should be doing in order to help people integrate with each other."

Maron Ehata, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was helped by the Boaz Trust on his arrival in England and now volunteers for them as well as working for the Red Cross.

He says the love he was shown by the Boaz Trust's Dave Smith, and other Christians in Manchester reignited his Christian faith, which had been challenged by the difficulties he was facing in the UK.

He says he met Dave when his voucher book was stolen and he was referred to the Mustard Tree, a Manchester soup run.

"As soon as I got there, Dave Smith and another worker called Mark saw that I was depressed and asked if they could pray with me," he says.

"They also gave me soup to eat and some shoes. This moment really brought me back to a belief in God."