J. D. Payne - Strangers Next Door: Immigration, Migration and Mission

By reading this book of J. D. Paynes, you will be informed of the opportunities created by global migration and inspired by the real-life stories and case studies of how seemingly ordinary folks can participate in the Great Commission by implementing his proposed action planreaching out to new neighbors in the West from abroad with the gospel, then partnering with them in kingdom efforts. This is a practical guide for Christians who embrace the vision of global mission and engage in local action.

Enoch Wan , president, Evangelical Missiological Society, and director,
Institute of Diaspora Studies, Western Seminary

J. D. Payne has provided an excellent resource for the church in the West to be involved with missions at its doorstep. Scholarly yet written in a very approachable style, full of interesting and illustrative stories, this book is a wonderful addition to the small but growing literature on diaspora missiology. It merits wide reading by academics, church leaders and lay members of congregations alike.

Steven Ybarrola , professor of cultural anthropology,
Asbury Theological Seminary

J. D. Payne is at it again with another perceptive and prophetic call to the Great Commission community! With the perfect blend of Scripture, stories and strategies, this book turns us toward our global diaspora future. Read it with careful attention to what the sovereign God is doing in our timeand with a commitment to be in step with his work in the world.

Grant McClung , president, Missions Resource Group

With an eye toward Scripture, J. D. Payne has helpfully narrated the history and present reality of peoples on the move. Yet he takes the conversation one necessary step further and offers practical advice for Western Christians to welcome the nations and effectively reach the ends of the earth in their Jerusalem.

Edward Smither , professor of intercultural studies,
Columbia International University

The author summons an urgent invitation to Christians and the church in the West to live missionally now ! Both the statistical information of the migration of global strangers and the biblical inspiration of the sovereign Gods orchestration for kingdom expansion are convincing and compelling for us to seize the amazing harvest opportunities in our neighborhoods.

T. V. Thomas , chair, Ethnic America Network (EAN)

It is shocking how negligent the Western church has been in reaching the peoples of the world that God has brought to usespecially compared to how active we have been in leaving our countries to go to them! Strangers Next Door clearly depicts the opportunity before us, and most excitingly, shares great stories of those already having a global impact by reaching the stranger next door.

Chris Clayman , church-planting catalyst with the North American Mission Board, team leader with Global Gates, and author of ethNYcity: The Nations, Tongues, and Faiths of Metropolitan New York

Strangers Next Door is informative, insightful, inspirational and instructional to mission researchers and practitioners; clergy and parishioners; and missiology professors and students. J. D. Payne presents us with a great contribution to the fast-emerging diaspora missiology discourse. It summons the global church to action!

Sadiri Joy Tira , senior associate for diasporas for The Lausanne Movement and vice president for diaspora missions with Advancing Indigenous Missions

Strangers Next Door is a candid admission that a strategic frontier of world missions in the 21st century has returned to the home front. This book will charm readers with heart-rending anecdotes, relevant surveys and the authors insightful analysis of the realities in the changing landscape of missions within the borders of the Western world. This is perhaps J. D. Paynes most fascinating, coherent and convincing work on diaspora missiology to date!

Tereso C. Casio , professor of missiology and intercultural studies, School of Divinity, Gardner-Webb University, and executive chair, North America Diaspora Educators Forum (Global Diaspora Network)

The world has not only shrunk; it has become energetic and mobile. It might be a tad clichd to say it, but the world is now on our doorstep, which requires us to take the gospel seriously and devise a mission strategy to reach, train, partner and resource our global neighbors as they return to their homes with the gospel. J. D. Payne has presented us with the gospel imperative to take responsibility for those from all over the world who are among us. Some books impress you with their fresh insight, while others hit you with a clear and compelling statement of the obvious. This book does the latter, and it does it very well indeed.

Steve Timmis , Director for Acts 29 Western Europe

A wide-eyed look at one of most strategic missiological opportunities for the church today. I was encouraged by Paynes presentation of the possibilities and convicted by our failure to thus far capitalize on them. What if the leaders for the completion of the Great Commission were right now visitors in our cities?

J. D. Greear , author of Gospel: Recovering the Power That Made
Christianity Revolutionary and Breaking the Islam Code

Many in our societyand even within our churchessee immigration as a threat or an invasion, but J. D. Payne challenges us to see immigration as Scripture does: as a missional opportunity. Many immigrants bring a vibrant faith with them to their new country, breathing new life into local churches, but others do not yet know the hope of a transformational relationship with Jesus. If we have the eyes to see it, immigration presents an opportunity to make disciples of all nations without even leaving our zip codes, and Strangers Next Door serves as an informative and practical guide.

Matthew Soerens , U.S. church training specialist at World Relief
and coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger: Justice, Compassion & Truth
in the Immigration Debate

Introduction

S amuel and Young Cho are a middle-aged Korean is their heart language and English is their second language. A few years ago, the Lord used this couple to begin Nepal Church of Baltimore, after they met a Nepalese waitress and her family. Recently, the Chos also planted a Bhutani church in Baltimore.

The Nepalese, whether from Nepal or Bhutan, are considered among the worlds least reached peoples... and they live in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

In 2008 the Chos took a short-term mission trip to Nepal and visited the families of the church members living in Baltimore. In Nepal, one family invited other family members to hear Samuel preach. Several people came to faith and the Antioch Church in Jamsa was planted. By the conclusion of the trip, over two hundred people had made a profession of faith in Jesus.

Did I mention the Nepalese are considered among the worlds least reached peoples... and they live in Baltimore, Maryland, USA?

Shortly after returning from their first missionary trip, the Chos decided to take a second trip to Nepal to minister to refugees and also to travel into India. After finally arriving in a Jhapa refugee camp in southeast Nepal, the Chos were able to locate relatives of members of the Nepal Church of Baltimore. During this visit the Chos were able to share letters and gifts from family members in the States. One of the family members living in Nepal made a profession of faith in Jesus.

While on this second missionary trip, the Chos were able to plant two more churches and to observe two hundred Nepalese, three hundred Bhutanese, and thirty-five Indians make professions of faith in Jesus.

And it began when Koreans in living in Maryland started evangelizing and planting churches with Nepalese living in their neighborhood.

What if more believers like the Chos took seriously the need to cross cultural barriers and take the gospel to the least reached peoples living in the Western world, where the challenges to getting the gospel to the people are not as daunting as trying to reach them in their homelands? What if more kingdom citizens living in Western nations recognized the Great Commission opportunity set before themthat the Sovereign Lord has moved the world into their neighborhoods so that such peoples may become his followers?