World Mission Conference: CEC Urges Europe Churches to Develop Ethnic Diversity

In the afternoon of 11th May, the World Council of Churches (WCC) Conference on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME) continued with a "synaxis" programme of workshops and meeting spaces.

During the Conference of European Churches (CEC) delegates the Rev Darrell Jackson shared his vision of developing mission initiatives among the diverse ethnic communities in Europe, according to reports on Ekklesia's website from Simon Barrow.

As a researcher of mission trends across Europe, Rev Darrell Jackson, explained the changing complexity of the population in Europe. In the face of increasing immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers from the Global South over the last 50 years, a demand for the pastoral care for ethnic minorities has arisen.

However, Rev Jackson pointed out that unfortunately there are still stereotypes and misunderstandings of minority churches, and the tabloid media has whipped up fear against ethnic minorities. He recalled the experience of the African-Caribbean Methodists and Anglicans in Britain in the 1950s. They were advised by white denominations that "they would not fit in here".

According to Ekklesia, Rev Jackson quoted the 2005 Eurostat data, the number of immigrants coming to Britain in 2003 was just 4.4 per thousand of the population, and the issue on immigrant policy and racial justice were yet again being highlighted in the recent General Election.

The official national ecumenical body, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, has issued a statement urging politicians to respect humanity and the dignity of immigrants and asylum seekers. It called for them to uphold the maintenance of fundamental rights and civil liberties regardless of skin colour, ethnicity, gender, religion or nationality.

A representative of the Irish Council of Churches (ICC) told the gathering that their research had discovered 10,000 worshipping Africans, 6,000 Russians and 5,000 Romanians in Ireland, Ekklesia reported. Yet fewer than 20 churches associated with ICC have significant minority ethnic participation.

Rev Jackson told CWME participants Christian communities and churches need to offer deeds of practical cooperation and friendship with the ethnic minorities.

Rev Jackson cited a number of innovative church programmes across Europe that are associated with the ethnic minorities. For instance, KIT (Churches Integrated Together) in Denmark; "Unity in Diversity" projects in France; networking among black majority churches in the UK; pan-European work through CEC itself (the Churches’ Commission for Migrants) and the evangelical Lausanne Committee (Refugee Highway).

Rev Jackson also said that he is seeking to map ecumenically a range of mission initiatives and opportunities across Europe. The aim is to enable and encourage further cooperation among Christians of different traditions.

The WCC Conference on World Mission and Evangelism continues until Monday 16th May 2005.