Strangers Next Door: Immigration, Migration, and Mission

Abstract

Strangers Next Door: Immigration, Migration, and Mission centers on the integration of global migration and Christian mission. J. D. Payne lives in Alabama and is both a seminary professor and a pastor. His previous books have focused on church planting and evangelism. Strangers Next Door brings these together in light of the rising interest in “diaspora missiology.” Payne’s heart to obey Jesus’s Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20) through planting churches resonates through the book as he writes to educate, motivate, and give practical insight. His premise, drawn from his theological and missional understanding of migration, is “that the Sovereign Lord orchestrates the movement of peoples across the globe in order to advance his kingdom for his glory” (22). Written for a Christian audience, the book addresses the context of the Western church, particularly in the United States (20), though the author expresses a desire for a broader audience. Payne challenges pastors, church planters, missiologists, and laypeople in the church: “What are you doing to reach, equip, partner with, and send the strangers next door back to their loved ones with the good news?” (23). He sees all Christians as people on mission wherever they are, and thus a key motif throughout the book is for church members to see their neighbors as more than just foreigners in their community. Rather, they must see them as possible carriers of the gospel to their families and the countries they came from. Payne states at the beginning the error of the church being willing to send missionaries across the globe to other nations while not looking at members of those “nations” living next door. He says: “It is not enough to know that least reached peoples are living in our communities; rather, we must be intentional about ministering to them. . . . It is necessary that we begin to think strategically” (33).Payne intentionally looks for ways to “intersect” the story of migrants with the story of Jesus (27). To do this he introduces unreached “people group” lists as developed and defined by the Joshua Project and the International Mission Board. He does a good job describing their distinct perspectives while noting the shortcomings in the statistics. Payne justifies their usage as a way for church members to be more informed kingdom citizens (56). As the backbone to educating the church, he gives two good, but sweeping, chapters describing migration in the Bible and how God used migration throughout scripture to reach the nations. Beginning with Adam and Eve coming out of the garden in Genesis and moving to the exile of John in Revelation, Payne briefly points to these movements in scripture. Following this, he then motivationally tells the stories of students, refugees, and globally aware Christians who have impacted migrants’ homeland communities. Two sections are then given to set guidelines and strategies for reaching out to one’s neighbors next door. In this instructional and educational section Payne encourages the beginner/novice reader to act practically and move beyond theory. He then concludes by introducing the study of diaspora missiology.While mentioning a few scholars of migration and diaspora missiology, it is not a book questioning or confronting the writings of others. It, rather, builds upon the small but growing literature of diaspora missiology and claims that this is the “first extensive treatment of connections of missions and migration to the west” (24). With this statement, Payne does academically continue and add to the discussion on the merger of migration and mission. That said, his style and aim to practically reach a broad audience minimizes the research presented and leaves ample space for others to build upon what he has written. Strangers Next Door hits its target when looking to the average church member who is new to the topic as well as practitioners wanting to get to know more about ministry to and through their neighbors. With an emphasis on keeping the book practical and readable, Payne does a good job with accessibility. His focus on a simple framework and moving the church and its members to involvement is felt throughout the book. This is especially emphasized through the stories given, the examples of students and arriving refugees, and the strategy and guidelines section. Payne is constantly walking on the edge of a practical manual or motivational challenger, giving a taste of issues that could easily be books unto themselves. The book also helps explain migration in light of the Great Commission and how Christians can be involved right where they are.