Responses of African Pentecostal churches to African refugees in Düsseldorf between 2015 and 2020 : a case study of mission and migration

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dc.contributor.advisorSimon, David Xolileen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorGyasi, Charlesen_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Practical Theology and Missiology.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-24T07:53:52Z
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-16T12:49:29Z
dc.date.available2022-11-24T07:53:52Z
dc.date.available2023-01-16T12:49:29Z
dc.date.issued2022-12
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study presents the African Pentecostal Churches’ (APCs’) response to the plight of African refugees in Düsseldorf, Germany, between 2015 and 2020. The APCs’ response reveals their understanding of compassionate mission, appreciation of identity as a context for mission, and integration of African refugees and asylum seekers. Approximately one in seven people migrate daily. An estimated figure of over eighty million people have become displaced globally as of 2020. Migrant churches in Europe have become a context for receiving refugees and immigrants from their continents. APCs in most cases are the greater beneficiaries from the arrival of African refugees and migrants in Düsseldorf. They also share similar cultural and social identities with the refugees and immigrants. Twenty-four (24) research participants (four APC leaders and 20 African refugees/asylum seekers) were selected through non-probability sampling for this case study. Data were collected through semi-structured online interviews and examination of written church documents on social action. The data collected were thematically analysed. This experiential research explores the question: “How have APCs responded to the situation of African refugees in Düsseldorf between 2015 and 2020?” Some key findings are that African refugees and asylum seekers have pressing needs such as language skills, basic legal orientation, emotional therapy/counselling, accommodation, employment/financial, and prayer support. APC leaders see themselves as missionaries sent by God to carry out mission in the research field; however, their response to the refugee crisis lacks proactivity and compassion. APCs serve as a context for reception and integration of African refugees and asylum seekers. There is a lack of written social action policy within the APCs in Düsseldorf. What they have are welfare policies. There is also a lack of public advocacy on behalf of African refugees and asylum seekers. Furthermore, voluntarism is a paradigm for mission in the research context. Additionally, African refugees and asylum seekers confessed to the use of creative survival tactics, many of which are in conflict with their faith as Christians. APCs and African refugees see prayer as fundamental to their survival. Government sponsored welfare schemes, integration programmes, the activities of NGOs, previous negative experiences with African refugees, financial challenges, and non-registration of some APCs weakened their ability to offer a compassionate response. The APCs’ response suggests that the relationship between privileged and vulnerable African minority groups requires compassion and structure. African refugees however see the church not only as a place of prayer and spiritual formation but as a family, and a place that facilitates their integration. Thus, this research makes a case for the importance of identity to mission and the integration of Africans in the research area. Several recommendations are made to provide different perspectives to the issues of mission, migration, and integration. The study provides primary data for discussions in the area of mission and migration; makes a case for a contextual definition of African Pentecostal Christianity; highlights the importance of the prosperity gospel in Africa; and constructs a diagram to depict compassionate mission based on the universal interpretation approach of Matthew 25:31-46 as its original contribution to knowledge.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie lê voor die African Pentecostal Churches (APC) se reaksie oor die toestand van vlugtelinge in Düsseldorf, Duitsland tussen 2015 en 2020. Die APC se reaksie stel hulle begrip van ‘n barmhartige sending bloot, en waardering vir identiteit as ‘n konteks vir sendingwerk en integrasie van Afrika vlugtelinge en asielsoekers. Min of meer een in sewe mense migreer daagliks. ‘n Geraamde 80 miljoen mense is wêreldwyd ontheem sedert 2020. Migrantekerke in Europa het ‘n konteks geword waarin vlugtelinge en immigrante uit hulle kontinente ontvang word. In meeste gevalle is die APC die groter bevoordeelde van die aankoms van Afrika vlugtelinge en immigrante in Düsseldorf. Hulle deel ook soortgelyke kulturele en sosiale identiteite met die vlugtelinge en immigrante. Vier-en-twintig (24) navorsingsdeelnemers (vier APC leiers en 20 Afrika vlugtelinge/ asielsoekers) is uitgesoek deur middel van nie-waarskynlikheidsteekproewwe vir hierdie gevallestudie. Data is ingevorder deur semi-gestruktureerde aanlynonderhoude en die nagaan van geskrewe kerksdokumente oor sosiale-aksie. Die data wat ingevorder was, is tematies geanaliseer. Hierdie belewenisnavorsing ondersoek die vraag: “Hoe het die APC gereageer op die situasie van Afrika vlugtelinge in Düsseldorf tussen 2015 en 2020?” ‘n Paar sleutelbevindinge is dat: Afrika vlugtelinge en asielsoekers het dringende behoeftes soos taalbekwaamheid, basiese regsoriëntasie, emosionele terapie/berading, akkommodasie, finansiële/werks- en gebedsondersteuning. APC leiers sien hulself as sendelinge deur God gestuur om sendingwerk te doen; hoewel in die navorsingskonteks gesien, is hulle respons tot die vlugtelingkrises gebrekkig in proatiwiteit en barmhartigheid. Die APC dien as konteks vir die ontvangs en integrasie van Afrika vlugtelinge en asielsoekers. Daar is ‘n gebrek aan geskrewe sosiale-aksiebeleid binne die APC in Düsseldorf. Wat hulle het is welsynsbeleid. Daar is ook ‘n gebrek aan openbare voorspraak ten bate van Afrika vlugtelinge en asielsoekers. Verder, is vrywilligheid ‘n paradigma vir sendingwerk in die navorsingskonteks. Bykomend, Afrika vlugtelinge en asielsoekers erken dat hulle kreatiewe oorlewingstaktiek gebruik, baie waarvan in konflik is met hulle geloof as Christene. Die APC en Afrika vlugtelinge sien gebed as fundamenteel tot hulle oorlewing. Regeringsgeborgde welsynskemas, integrasieprogramme, die aktiwiteite van NRO’s, vorige negatiewe ervarings met Afrika vlugtelinge, finansiële uitdagings en nie-registrasie van sommige APC’s het hulle bevoegdheid verswak om ‘n barmhartige respons te lewer. Die APC se respons suggereer dat die verhouding tussen bevoorregte en kwesbare Afrika minderheidsgroepe barmhartigheid en struktuur benodig. Afrika vlugtelinge sien die kerk egter nie net as ‘n plek vir gebed en spirituele formasie nie maar as ‘n familie, en ‘n plek wat hulle integrasie fasiliteer. Dus, maak hierdie navorsing ‘n saak vir die belangrikheid van identiteit vir sendingwerk en integrasie van Afrikane binne die navorsingskonteks. Verskeie aanbevelings word gemaak om so verskillende perspektiewe oor die kwessies van sendingwerk, migrasie en integrasie te lewer. Die studie verskaf primêre data vir gesprekvoering in die area van sendingwerk en migrasie, maak ‘n saak vir ‘n kontekstuele definisie van African Pentecostal Christenskap, beklemtoon die belangrikheid van die evangelie van voorspoed in Afrika en ontwikkeling van ‘n diagram wat barmhartige sendingwerk uitbeeld gebaseer op die universele interpretasiebenadering van Matteus 25:31-46 as die oorspronklike bydrae tot kennis.af_ZA
dc.description.versionDoctoralen_ZA
dc.format.extentxviii, 246 pages
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126088
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectPentecostalismen_ZA
dc.subjectRefugeesen_ZA
dc.subjectMissionsen_ZA
dc.subjectUCTDen_ZA
dc.titleResponses of African Pentecostal churches to African refugees in Düsseldorf between 2015 and 2020 : a case study of mission and migrationen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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