Refugee Diaspora

• Sam George, Miriam Adeney, Chris Wright, and others take on one of the most important issues facing the global church today—the refugee crisis. They humanize refugees by telling their stories and offer a biblical, but clarion call to the church. Jesus was a refugee. He calls us to welcome the stranger. When we do, we welcome God. Refugee Diaspora is an urgent, poignant, and personal book. I couldn’t commend this book more highly. Let these words change you.

  — STEPHAN BAUMAN, author of Seeking Refugee and former president/CEO of World Relief

• For all who claim to be followers of Christ, this book is a timely “must read.” To care for refugees is to touch the heart of God. God built the Hebrew nation out of a group of refugees. The incarnate Son was born into a refugee family. Repeatedly in the Scriptures God declares that the measure of a people is how we welcome aliens and refugees. Jesus himself says, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Given our era’s unprecedented number of refugees and its rancorous debates, this book provides needed insights to shape our attitudes and actions.

  — TIM DEARBORN, PHD, former partnership leader for faith and development, World Vision International

• Refugee Diaspora presents painful experiences of dislocated refugees in our time. The contributors, however, powerfully argue that the Lord’s plan is to transform this people on the move to an army to witness to the God of salvation. The Holy Spirit loves to empower people from the margins, and the book signals another great season of harvest.

  — WONSUK MA, PHD, dean and professor of global Christianity, Oral Roberts University

• Refugee Diaspora is a series of eye-opening, heart-wrenching, and soul-stirring narratives of the current global refugee crisis. It shows us what God and God’s people are doing among the forcible displaced peoples of the world. It is a powerful call for all churches and Christians to get involved with the refugees across our streets and around the world. I encourage you to read it along withother church leaders.

  — ED STETZER, PHD, DMIN, Billy Graham Distinguished Chair of Church, Mission, and evangelism, Wheaton College

• It is not enough for us to open our eyes. But it is a start. We need to listen learn about the unique challenge and opportunity of refugees in our world today. We need to open our eyes, and then we need to open our hearts. These are people. These are individuals whose life is as precious as yours and mine. And we need to open our arms. It is not enough to learn or to empathize. I trust you will read this book and God will open your eyes, heart, and arms to the world that is on our doorstep. This is a unique gospel opportunity in our generation.

  — MICHAEL OH, PHD, Global CEO, The Lausanne Movement

• This is a fascinating book unveiling how open hearts, open arms, open homes, and open churches can transform helpless refugees to become HOPE-FILLED followers of Jesus. This is a remarkable collection of global vignettes of how the Kingdom is expanding when human misery is met with God’s mercy through the courage and compassion of God’s people.

  — T. V. THOMAS, DMIN, chairman, Lausanne’s Global Diaspora Network (GDN)

• Carefully documented, insightful, arresting, compelling! Refugee Diaspora portrays one of the catastrophic global crises during the first quarter of the twentyfirst century. This book is not all about disasters, agony, sufferings, injustice, and gloom! It is about compassion, mercy, justice, deliverance, and hope! All contributing writers are reflective practitioners calling everyone who

  — SADIRI JOY TIRA, DMISS, DMIN, Catalyst for Diasporas, The Lausanne Movement

• At the face of unprecedented levels of forcibly displaced people around the world, will the church shrink in fear, turn away in apathy, or will it live out its mandate to care for the poor, the widow, the orphan, and alien among us? Refugee Diaspora is a blessing and much needed resource for the church. It should be read by everyone who wants to have a response to the next generation when they ask, “How did the church share the good news of Jesus Christ when this tide of human suffering was unfolding?”

  — Hyon Kim MD, MTS, MPH, global director, SIM International

• Refugee Diaspora is a perfect example of how to learn about Diaspora Missions, going after what God is doing around the globe through His people. These brave disciples of Christ see the incommensurable need, discern God's direction, and act in love, right now! The editors, both highly qualified and passionate, created a good story out of many different stories. It is a work well done!

  — Jura Yanagihara, PHD, president of Alliance World Fellowship

Editors

• Miriam Adeney
  Miriam Adeney

  Miriam grew up in Oregon and is still at home among the vast evergreen forests and blue lakes beside the unpredictable Pacific. Always active on school newspapers, Miriam earned an MA in journalism from Syracuse University, and continues to make writing a priority.  For Christianity Today, she has served as a writer, senior editorial consultant, and longtime Board member. That led to her writing the CT editorial titled “Think Globally, Love Globally” immediately following the World Trade Center disaster on September 11, 2001.  

  Bookending Miriam’s journalism degree are a BA and a PhD in anthropology (Wheaton College and Washington State University). For many years Miriam has served as a professor of applied anthropology and missiology at Seattle Pacific University. Simultaneously she has crossed the Canadian border regularly to teach at Regent College.  Miriam consults for Christians in wide range of cultures, from a pig-selling business in Sumatra to a toilet cleaning caste in Pakistan to researchers on childraising in Iran.

  She grew up in a home that loved the Word, the church, and God’s world. To those passions she added a quest to understand culturally-contextualized communication.  For four years during her twenties, Miriam directed publications for the Philippine InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. 

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• Sam George
  Sam George

  Sam George (PhD) serves as director of the Global Diaspora Institute at Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and as a catalyst of the Lausanne Movement. He holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Business Management, and Theology. He researches and teaches global migration, diaspora missions, and World Christianity around the world. Sam is the author/editor of a dozen books, including three volumes on Asian Diaspora Christianity.

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