ENI — Global migration poses new challenges for churches worldwide, said Rev. Samuel Kobia, the general secretary of the World Council of Churches.
The phenomenon is the “human side” of globalization, especially for churches. “Welcoming the stranger is not optional for Christians. Nor is it conditional,” Kobia stated. “Christ didn't call for Christians to welcome those strangers whose papers are in order or who speak our language.” The WCC general secretary urged churches to increase their capacity to practice hospitality in an era of “new forms of migration.”
“It is easier for a church to welcome migrants as long as they adapt to the traditions and policies established by the host church. This is assimilation,” he stated. “Integration, on the other hand, implies a willingness to accept the contributions of migrants to change the church and to create something new. This is more difficult for many to accept.”
