A S T R A T E G Y F O R I N T E G R A T I O N O F F A R S I S P E A K I N G N E W C O M E R S I N T O T H E D A N I S H C H U R C H B Y S A R A A F S H A R I F O R T H E C O U N C I L O N I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S O F T H E E V A N G E L I C A L L U T H E R A N C H U R C H I N D E N M A R K A U G U S T 2 0 1 8 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................4 CONVERSION AND INTEGRATION ................................................................................................................................ 5 THE OUTLINE OF THE PROJECT.................................................................................................................................... 5 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER ONE: CONVERSION OF FARSI SPEAKING PEOPLE INTO CHRISTIANITY..................6 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Iran ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Afghanistan ................................................................................................................................................... 9 CONVERSION ....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Religious conversion and Migration ........................................................................................................... 14 Why are some Muslims becoming Christians in Europe? ........................................................................... 14 Conversion as migration strategy ............................................................................................................... 14 Conversion as integration strategy ............................................................................................................. 16 CHAPTER TWO: CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND PERSIAN SPEAKING CONVERTS ....................... 16 PRESENCE AND ENGAGEMENT ................................................................................................................................. 17 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER THREE: FINDINGS ................................................................................................................. 18 SECTION ONE: REFUGEE CONVERTS.................................................................................................. 18 Who are they? ............................................................................................................................................. 18 What does Christian faith mean to them? ................................................................................................... 20 The concept of God ..................................................................................................................................... 21 The concept of Faith ................................................................................................................................... 21 Proclamation ............................................................................................................................................... 22 The church .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Church leaders / Pastors ............................................................................................................................. 23 Changes converts would like to see in the church ....................................................................................... 23 Converts’ views on church congregation .................................................................................................... 24 How can the church help?........................................................................................................................... 24 Integration ................................................................................................................................................... 25 SECTION TWO: FINDINGS FROM THE INTERVIEWS WITH CHURCH LEADERS AND PASTORS ..................................................................................................................................................... 26 WHO ARE THEY? ................................................................................................................................................... 26 THE CHURCH ....................................................................................................................................................... 27 2 RESOURCES (THIS SECTION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS RECOMMENDATION AS WELL) ......................................................... 28 Materials for teaching ................................................................................................................................. 28 Resources for pastors and church leaders to understand refugees’ cultures and worldviews .................... 28 Human resources ........................................................................................................................................ 28 CONVERSION AND BAPTISM .................................................................................................................................... 29 AFTER BAPTISM .................................................................................................................................................... 30 INTEGRATION ....................................................................................................................................................... 30 Faith integration ......................................................................................................................................... 30 Cultural and social integration ................................................................................................................... 31 The integration of the church ...................................................................................................................... 32 Local congregations .................................................................................................................................... 32 CHALLENGES ........................................................................................................................................................ 33 Cultural issues............................................................................................................................................. 33 Discrimination, persecution and racism ..................................................................................................... 33 Resources .................................................................................................................................................... 34 The Church .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Institutions (government and media) ........................................................................................................... 35 FUTURE .............................................................................................................................................................. 35 FREE CHURCHES VS LUTHERAN CHURCHES .................................................................................................................. 35 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER FOUR: RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................. 36 RECOMMENDATION #1: MAKING THE CHURCH INCLUSIVE ............................................................................................ 36 RECOMMENDATION # 2: SETTING UP A STEERING COMMITTEE AND APPOINTING A COORDINATOR ........................................ 37 RECOMMENDATION # 3: EDUCATION AND FORMATION ............................................................................................... 38 RECOMMENDATION #4: CULTURAL AND SOCIAL INTEGRATION ....................................................................................... 39 RECOMMENDATION #5: AT A NATIONAL LEVEL ........................................................................................................... 40 RECOMMENDATION #6: THE CHURCH SHOULD SUPPORT ASYLUM SEEKERS ....................................................................... 41 3 Executive Summary and Introduction The recent waves of refugees and migrants from Muslim background into Europe have challenged the European societies as well as the Church. One challenging area is the increased conversion rate to the Christian faith among refugees and migrants with a Muslim background, especially among Iranians and