Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trap
The migration of Zimbabweans in search of better opportunities has spurred the growth and spread of Zimbabwean Churches within diaspora communities. Currently, many Zimbabwean churches like other African Churches have crossed continental borders, setting up branches in Europe and North America. This...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Afrikaans |
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AOSIS
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Verbum et Ecclesia |
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| Online Access: | https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/3324 |
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| author | Phillip Musoni |
| author_facet | Phillip Musoni |
| author_sort | Phillip Musoni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The migration of Zimbabweans in search of better opportunities has spurred the growth and spread of Zimbabwean Churches within diaspora communities. Currently, many Zimbabwean churches like other African Churches have crossed continental borders, setting up branches in Europe and North America. This phenomenon of African Churches engaging with diasporic communities has been described by scholars as a ‘Reverse Mission’. A critical question that emerges is: To what degree is the establishment of African churches in other nations and continent an indicative of a reverse mission? The case study focuses on two Zimbabwean churches that have established branches in South Africa and other countries both within and beyond the African continent. The selection of the two churches is based on their origins that trace back to South Africa, rendering them pertinent examples for discussion in the context of reverse mission. The research identified ‘missiological gaps’ leading to a ‘missionary trap’ in the context of reverse mission, as the two Zimbabwean Churches face new frontiers. The article discusses how Zimbabwean churches, along with other African churches in the diaspora, created obstacles that impeded the dissemination of the gospel because of their insufficient cross-cultural training and experience. The researcher utilised descriptive phenomenological and interpretive phenomenological approaches for data collection and analysis, respectively.
Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary: The article is framed within the context of reverse mission, missiology, and the history of African Christianity. It contends that the African church should reassess its evangelistic strategies as it transcends national and international borders. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f662a44c5e24461eacb9332eea653f5b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1609-9982 2074-7705 |
| language | Afrikaans |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Verbum et Ecclesia |
| spelling | doaj-art-f662a44c5e24461eacb9332eea653f5b2025-02-11T13:29:56ZafrAOSISVerbum et Ecclesia1609-99822074-77052025-01-01463e1e710.4102/ve.v46i3.33242018Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trapPhillip Musoni0School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics, Faculty of Humanities, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanThe migration of Zimbabweans in search of better opportunities has spurred the growth and spread of Zimbabwean Churches within diaspora communities. Currently, many Zimbabwean churches like other African Churches have crossed continental borders, setting up branches in Europe and North America. This phenomenon of African Churches engaging with diasporic communities has been described by scholars as a ‘Reverse Mission’. A critical question that emerges is: To what degree is the establishment of African churches in other nations and continent an indicative of a reverse mission? The case study focuses on two Zimbabwean churches that have established branches in South Africa and other countries both within and beyond the African continent. The selection of the two churches is based on their origins that trace back to South Africa, rendering them pertinent examples for discussion in the context of reverse mission. The research identified ‘missiological gaps’ leading to a ‘missionary trap’ in the context of reverse mission, as the two Zimbabwean Churches face new frontiers. The article discusses how Zimbabwean churches, along with other African churches in the diaspora, created obstacles that impeded the dissemination of the gospel because of their insufficient cross-cultural training and experience. The researcher utilised descriptive phenomenological and interpretive phenomenological approaches for data collection and analysis, respectively. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary: The article is framed within the context of reverse mission, missiology, and the history of African Christianity. It contends that the African church should reassess its evangelistic strategies as it transcends national and international borders.https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/3324diasporan communitymigrant pentecostal churchesmissiological gapsmissionary trapreverse missionsouth africazimbabwe |
| spellingShingle | Phillip Musoni Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trap Verbum et Ecclesia diasporan community migrant pentecostal churches missiological gaps missionary trap reverse mission south africa zimbabwe |
| title | Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trap |
| title_full | Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trap |
| title_fullStr | Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trap |
| title_full_unstemmed | Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trap |
| title_short | Migrant churches and reverse mission: Missiological gaps and missionary trap |
| title_sort | migrant churches and reverse mission missiological gaps and missionary trap |
| topic | diasporan community migrant pentecostal churches missiological gaps missionary trap reverse mission south africa zimbabwe |
| url | https://verbumetecclesia.org.za/index.php/ve/article/view/3324 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT phillipmusoni migrantchurchesandreversemissionmissiologicalgapsandmissionarytrap |