November 1997 - Evangelicals Now - Christian Newspaper

What does cross-cultural mission mean to you? Brave souls hopping on a plane and flying across the world? But what about Britain? In many towns and cities, different faith communities live cheek-by-jowl.
If you are contemplating mission abroad but have not yet reached out to Asians here in Britain, why not? 'Reaching out to Muslims in Huddersfield' may not have quite the same ring as 'pioneering mission in rural Pakistan' but it is essentially the same thing.

Respect and welcome?

'Ministry among Asians in Britain' (MAB) is the home ministry of Interserve, an international Christian mission with over 400 partners in Asia, the Middle East - and the UK. The MAB team has over 30 partners (some of Asian origin themselves) serving Christ in multi-racial areas of Britain. MAB places workers with local church projects, encouraging Christians to reach out to their Asian neighbours. There are many issues to work through. In Britain, Asians are a minority community, so particular sensitivity is needed when reaching out with the gospel. Then there's culture. Many Asian people understandably hold on to their culture to maintain their individual identity in the cultural and moral vacuum of contemporary Britain. We need to respect that. Then there's the church. Are British Christians ready to welcome Asians or do we subconsciously expect them to follow our culture? Did you know that there are an estimated 40,000 Asian Christians in Britain, many of whom belong to a network of Asian Christian fellowships?
MAB seeks to demonstrate that Christ is for all races and all cultures. Punjabi-born MAB team member Richard Christopher with his wife Kulwant has been patiently witnessing to local Asian communities in Southall for several years, through door-to-door outreach and Asian boys' clubs. He was recently ordained curate in the Anglican church and comments: 'A colleague has called me a 'walking sacrament, destroying a stereotype'. My dog collar is a witness in itself; as I walk down the street no words are needed to witness to the presence of Asian Christians in Britain.' In no doubt too that Christianity is for all cultures is former MAB team leader, the Reverend Basil Scott, who was involved in the 'One Christ: Many Faces' celebration of the multi-racial churches in Derby in June.

The threshold

Multicultural celebrations are one way we can witness to our Muslim, Hindu or Sikh neighbours. Other ways are for us to join them on their 'home ground' where we are in the learning position. Crossing the threshold into an Asian neighbour's home may be the start of a deep friendship. Asian families value true friends and can see through any friendships where strings are attached. Mission to those of other faiths requires no less patience and long-term commitment than it does overseas, and we may have much to learn and receive from our friends before we earn the right to speak of Christ. At the same time, we will find that God is not taboo. There will be many natural opportunities to witness to our faith once we have built healthy two-way relationships.

Public debate

This patient, ongoing friendship-building is one key to cross-cultural evangelism. Another is proclamation in public debate, particularly with Muslims. Egyptian-born MAB team member Lee Burrows in Middlesborough believes these two different approaches are not necessarily mutually exclusive, for Muslims actually respect Christians who are prepared to stand up for their faith. Lee and other MAB team members, such as Pakistani-born Steven Masood, have held public debates with Muslim leaders. Steven looks out for the quiet onlookers who wait until the end to ask serious questions about Christ.
Children are the key to any community. MAB team members have invited Asian children to church holiday clubs this summer in Oldham, Birmingham, Sheffield, Gravesend and Ilford. Next year we need more Christian volunteers aged 18-30 to come and join us in some of these outreach programmes; no experience needed! It's a great way to learn. Some MAB team members reach out to children during term-time too; Adrian and Fleur Boyle in Sheffield take their muppet friends into school assemblies with great effect!
There is a huge need for volunteer tutors of English across the country and this is something several MAB team members (and maybe you could) do. Others help with immigration and asylum procedures, DSS and other bewildering aspects of British bureaucracy. One-to-one Bible studies and long-term friendship sometimes bears fruit and some have come to faith. But this is a ministry with no shortcuts.

For more information on the mission field on your doorstep, contact MAB c/o Keith Wood, 9 The Avenue, Clifton, York YO3 6AS (01904 626 684).

Sally Sutcliffe is MAB Communications Consultant and author of Aisha my sister: Christian encounters with Muslim women in Britain (Solway, September 1997), a book with practical suggestions for all who want to reach out to their female Muslim friends, neighbours or colleagues: £6.99 from bookshops or Interserve, 325 Kennington Road, London SE11 4QH (0171 735 8227).
Also published is MAB team member Steven Masood's new book Why follow Jesus? (OM Publishing). This book answers the questions Muslims ask about Christ: £4.99 from bookshops or Word of Life, PO Box 14, Oldham OL1 3WW (0161 628 4051). It was reviewed in EN last month.

Mission on our doorstep

Ministry among Asians in Britain

Respect and welcome?

The threshold

Public debate

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