Imagine leaving everything you know behind, to move to a new country where you’re unfamiliar with the language, the culture and do not know anyone you can call on to support you. This is the case for many refugees and asylum seekers who have fled from violence, war and persecution, to find sanctuary in a foreign land.
According to statistics reported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the end of 2020, there were 132,349 refugees in the UK, not including those whose asylum cases were pending. This is a small percentage when you compare it to the 26.4 million population of refugees across the world.
As Christians, it is our God-given mandate to welcome the stranger, as instructed in the Bible in Matthew 25:35, ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.’ It is a responsibility we shouldn’t take lightly. The scripture explains that when we show care and welcome the stranger, we are welcoming Jesus. It is a calling and a ministry, which is why I feel privileged to work for an organisation like Welcome Churches, whose vision is to see every refugee welcomed by their local church.
Welcome Churches was co-founded in 2018 by Karina Martin and Emily Holden, who saw the need to make their passion for welcoming refugees and asylum seekers into something more substantial and UK-wide. The organisation started growing a network of churches across the UK, called the Welcome Network, dedicated to welcoming the stranger. 2021 has seen the Welcome Network grow exponentially; from 76 churches at the start of the year, to over 700 churches by the end of October. We train and equip churches to offer a good cross-cultural welcome to their new neighbours. This training can be teaching churches how to give a trauma-informed, cross-cultural welcome. We also speak to churches who want to disciple those who want to find out more about the Christian faith. Sometimes churches request training that is more specific to their own needs.
