The world lives next door in Alberta. How are we doing with our new neighbours?
Next Door
I work with a pastor in a rural Alberta community of just under 6,000 people. Six years ago, the congregation was 95% white. In a recent phone call, we talked about the expansion of his community and congregation. The town is growing for the first time in years, and his Sunday attendance is up over 30% in the past 18 months. Why? 45% of his congregation is now made up of recent immigrants from Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon, India, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, and First Nations.
What was unimaginable in rural Alberta just six years ago is driving community and church growth today.
The world is now living next door.
A Shift
When Jocelyn and I came to Alberta 36 years ago, our congregation had a similar story as our rural pastor friend. We came from Montreal where church pews filled with multi-nationals was normal. Our Edmonton congregation looked different. There was a smattering of colour on a white canvas. Not until we relocated our church 16 years later and invited people to “come as you are” did we begin to see a shift. 13 years later we concluded our ministry at North Pointe, and our congregation was made up of people from over 86 nations. And the numbers have grown since then.
A walk through West Edmonton Mall today is far different than it was 36 years ago. The colours of the world are on full display. And it’s beautiful to see.
Maybe that’s one reason all the talk about Alberta referendums on immigrants and education and health care feels tone deaf.
Our Moment
June 20th is recognized as World Refugee Day.
Edmonton and Alberta’s most famous and loved refugee might well be Alphonso Davies, captain of the Canadian Men’s World Cup Team.
Davies was born in a refugee camp in Ghana to Liberian parents who had fled the civil war in Liberia. He and his family were resettled as refugees to Canada when he was five years old. Davies first played organized soccer in Edmonton with Free Footie, an after-school soccer league for inner-city elementary school students who cannot afford registration fees and equipment
Immigration is not a simple moment. Our personal experiences with immigrants is not shared by everyone. Albertans are living through pressing housing shortages and onerous times. However, when economic solutions aren’t readily available, scapegoats often become a poor solution.
The conversation is around immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable neighbors. Christians can and do hold different views on immigration and legislation. That is real. But whatever our policy instincts may be, followers of Jesus do not have the option of surrendering the dignity of image-bearers, the call to welcome the stranger, or the responsibility to resist language that turns people into abstractions. Christians carry a moral obligation.
Pope Leo XIV said, “We tend to think that when the Church is talking about morality, that the only issue of morality is sexual. And in reality, I believe there are much greater, more important issues, such as justice, equality, freedom of men and women, freedom of religion, that would all take priority before that particular issue.”
Image Bearers
Scripture consistently reminds God’s people to remember the foreigner, protect the vulnerable, and practice hospitality. We live in a nation where Christians can hold differing views on immigration and still be unified in our belief of the Bible and our commitment to the values of the Kingdom of God.
Ultimately, we have a mission to uphold the humanity and dignity of immigrants present in our province, including refugees, migrants, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable populations. They are mothers and fathers, children and neighbours, image-bearers with stories, gifts, fears, and hopes regardless of the factors that led to their migration.
My District ministry role involves engaging ethnic churches that would like to affiliate with our denomination. I’m connecting with pastors and congregations from Ghana, Nigeria, India, Malaya, Ethiopia, the Philippines, and Congo. In June, Jocelyn and I were hosted in a gathering place in Calgary with standing room only for 125 people from Congo. They left homes and family and familiarity for a new life in Alberta. Some immigrated to the US and now live in Alberta. Some are university trained. Life has been hard. But that’s another story.
This is the future. And their future is our future in Calgary, Yellowknife, or Claresholm.
May the Church be known for love, truth, hospitality, and courageous compassion in the way of Jesus. It’s time to shine.
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