Dr. Pothana's Teaching

2. Dr. Pothana's Teaching

3. http://www.theage.com.au/news/Science/Gen
es-may-reveal-how-humans-colonised-
planet/2005/04/13/1113251682547.html

4. 8
• There are almost one billion migrants worldwide today
• 214 million international migrants;
• 740 million internal migrants;
• The number of international migrants could reach 405
million by 2050;
• The absolute numbers of both male and female migrants
have increased;
• Women are particularly represented among highly-skilled
migrants.
• Remittances
• USD 414 billion in 2009;
• Over USD 316 billion to developing countries alone.
• Urbanization
• Over half of the world•s population lives in urban areas
including a significant share of migrants.
Global Overview:
Facts and Figures
Sources: UN DESA, 2009; UNDP, 2009; UNFPA, 2009; World Bank, 2009.

5. Countries with the largest number of
international migrants, 2010 (millions)
5.3
5.4
6.4
6.5
6.7
7.2
7.3
10.8
12.3
42.8
Ukraine
India
Spain
United Kingdom
France
Canada
Saudi Arabia
Germany
Russian Federation
United States of America
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2009). International Migration, 2009 Wallchart (United Nations publication,
Sales No. E.09.XIII.8).

6. Countries with the highest percentage of
international migrants, 2010*
28%
28%
39%
40%
41%
44%
46%
69%
70%
87%
Saudi Arabia
Oman
China, Hong Kong SAR
Israel
Singapore
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Jordan
Kuwait
United Arab Emirates
Qatar
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2009). International Migration, 2009 Wallchart (United Nations publication,
* Among those with at least one million inhabitants.

7. Key Terms
• “Diaspora” (singular) refers to “the fact of leaving one’s homeland and
being on the move (voluntarily or involuntarily migration/immigration)
of an individual or a people-group, e.g., Filipino diaspora, the Brazilian
diaspora.”
-Scattered to Gather, 11.
• “Diasporas” (plural) refers to “the fact of leaving one’s homeland
(voluntary or involuntary migration/immigration) of all different
peoples or groups as a whole, being on the move.”
-Scattered to Gather, 11.
• “Migration” refers to “the movement of people from one location to
another with no reference to home country.”
• “Emigration” is “leaving one’s own country for another.”
• “Immigration” is moving to another country. ”
-Enoch Wan, “The Phenomenon of Diaspora,” in Scattered: The Filipino Global Presence, 103.

8. Key Terms
• “Diaspora Missions” is “the missions strategy and practice
emerging from the paradigm of `diaspora missiology’ by
ministering to diasporic groups (in evangelism and service) and
ministering through/beyond them (by motivating the Church
and mobilizing Christians) to fulfill the Great Commission. “
-Enoch Wan and Joy Tira, “Knowing Diaspora Missiology,” 3.
• “Diaspora Missiology “ is a “missiological framework for
understanding and participating in God’s redemptive
mission among people living outside their place of origin.”
-”Seoul Declaration on Diaspora Missiology,” November 2009.

9. Diaspora or Migration?
Terry Casiño and Chandler Im, “Introduction,” Global Diasporas & Mission (Regnum, 2014)
• The distinction between “diaspora” and “migration” is crucial to
understanding the interface between people’s geographic and spatial
mobility and world missions.
• Diaspora refers broadly to the global phenomenon of the dispersion or
scattering of people in various parts of the world, occurring either by a
voluntary act or coercive conditions in both domestic and global
contexts.
• Migration facilitates geographic or demographic mobility that
eventually results in diasporic conditions and circumstances. Migration
involves geographic and demographic flows of people or individuals,
taking both internal and international directions.
•

10. Diaspora or Migration?
• The inherent connection between diaspora and migration is
important because of their symbiotic relationship.
• Theoretically, creative tension exists between the two, although
both motifs are complementary; however, they should not be
taken as identical or synonymous.
• Diaspora refers to the overarching structure under which all
forms of mobility take place; migration serves as a tool to
account for diasporic movements.
See Tereso C. Casiño, ‘Why People Move’, Torch Trinity Journal 13:1 (May 2010): 30.

11. Diaspora or Migration?
• In this strict sense, diaspora can be understood more as a grand design
with migration—a specific act or effort—constituting the structure.
• In reference to the Great Commission, diaspora accentuates a strong,
broad missiological perspective over the sociologically-oriented acts of
migration.
• If ties to one’s homeland are indicative of diasporic identity, then not all
migrants could be viewed as people of diaspora.
• Some migrants radically severe ties with their countries of origin;
however, diasporic communities revitalize their identity either by
memory or physical connectivity as they go through the process of
movements and displacements. Thus, the bond that continues to exist
between a person outside his or her homeland highlights a diasporic
identity.

12. Diaspora or Migration?
As an interdisciplinary field, diaspora missiology refers to the
study of the geographic or demographic mobility of people in
various parts of the globe viewed through the lens of God’s
redemptive plan for “all nations” (panta ta ethne). It also refers
to the exploration of how the Body of Christ can participate in
this redemptive purpose and work.
Enoch Wan: Diaspora missiology is fundamentally “glocal” in
nature because it is borderless and transnational, multicultural
rather than homogenous, and both multiethnic and multi-
directional.
Enoch Wan, ‘Diaspora Missiology--A Different Paradigm for the 21st Century’, in Enoch Wan (ed),
Diaspora Missiology: Theory, Methodology, and Practice (Portland, OR: Institute of Diaspora
Studies, 2011), 97-100.

13. From a Theology of Global Diaspora . .
.
A “theology of global diaspora” refers to the dynamic
process of articulating and systematizing the
fundamental tenets of the missionary intentions and
works of God as interpreted and implemented by
God’s covenant people among diaspora communities
and situations around the world through the lens of
the Scripture and the historical formulations of
doctrines, using both coherent, traditional and
contemporary speech-forms and metaphors
available.
-Terry Casiño, “Global Diaspora: Basic Frameworks for Theological Construction.”

14. • A theology of global diaspora unveils the universal dispersal of
God’s grace and the availability of God’s love in all corners of the
world.
• Grace permeates the mobility of peoples around the world. Divine
grace is never absent in the presence of people, whenever they
are found.
• Diaspora is grace-oriented to fulfill the missionary intent and
purpose of God. God allows the scattering of peoples in his grace.
God gathers peoples by his grace and for his grace.
• The church is paradigmatic for the missional scattering and
intentional gathering of people in global diaspora.
• The global phenomenon of the dispersion of people from all walks
of life presupposes the reality of divine-human encounters in the
face of demographic shifts caused by migration, cross-cultural
interactions, and clashes of civilizations.

15. To Diaspora Missiology. . .
• David Bosch laments that for more than a millennium and a
half, Western systematic theology imposed a “universally
valid theology” without appreciating the contributions of
theological thinking from the Third World situations.
“Indeed,” Bosch writes, “how can systematic theology be
blind to its own innate missionary character?”
-Bosch, Transforming Mission, 2001:495.
• Theology, as the intertwining Jewish and Christian traditions
indicate, was born, developed, and interpreted through the
lens of the missionary intentions of God in the world.
-Terry Casiño, “Global Diaspora: Basic Frameworks for Theological Construction.”

16. • The mobility of God’s people in particular, and the
movements of communities, tribes, or nations, in
general, help to cement the complimentary
characteristics of both theology and diaspora missiology.
• Missiology is inherently theological as theology is
indispensably missions-oriented.
• To construct global diaspora missiology through the lens
of theology is therefore a logical necessity.
-Terry Casiño, “Global Diaspora: Basic Frameworks for Theological Construction.”

17. #
ASPECTS TRADITIONAL MISSIOLOGY  DISPORA MISSIOLOGY
1
FOCUS
-Polarized/dichotomized
-“Great Commission” “Great Commandment”
-saving soul  social Gospel
-church planting  Christian charity
-paternalism  indigenization
-Holistic Christianity with strong
integration of evangelism with
Christian charity
-contextualization
2
CONCEPT-
UALIZATION
-territorial: here  there
-“local”  “global”
-lineal: “sending”  “receiving”
-“assimilation”  “amalgamation”
-“specialization”
-“deterritorialization”
-“glocal”
-“mutuality” & “reciprocity”
-“hybridity”
-“inter-disciplinary”
3
PERSPEC-
TIVE
-geographically divided:
foreign mission local, urbanrural
-geo-political boundary: state/nation state/nation
-disciplinary compartmentalization: e.g. theology of
missions / strategy of missions
-non-spatial,
- “borderless,” no boundary to
worry, transnational & global
-new approach: integrated &
Interdisciplinary
4
ORIENTATION
-OT: missions = gentile-proselyte --- coming
-NT: missions = the Great Commission --- going
-Modern missions:
E-1, E-2, E-3 or M-1, M-2. M-3, etc.
-New reality in the 21st Century –
viewing & following God’s way
of providentially moving people
spatially & spiritually.
-moving targets & move with the
Targets[1] Adapted from Enoch Wan, “Diaspora Missiology,” Occasional Bulletin, Spring 2007:6.
•[2] “deterritorialization” is the “loss of social and cultural boundaries”
[3] See “Filipino International Network: A Strategic Model for Filipino Diaspora Glocal® Missions” by Sadiri Joy B. Tira Published in Global Missiology, Featured Article, October 2004, www.globalmissiology.net
“Traditional Missiology” vis-à-vis
“Diaspora Missiology” (4 Elements)[1]

18. # ASPECTS TRADITIONAL MISSIONS PRACTICE DISPORA MISSIONS
1
MINISTRY PATTERN
OT: calling of gentile to Jehovah (coming)
NT: sending out disciples by Jesus in
the four Gospels & by the H.S.
in Acts (going)
Modern missions:
-sending missionary & money
-self sufficient of mission entity
-new way of doing Christian missions:
“mission at our doorstep”
-“ministry without border”
-“networking & partnership” for the
Kingdom
-“borderless church,” “liquid church”
-“church on the oceans”
2
MINISTRY STYLE
-cultural-linguistic barrier: E-1, E-2, etc.
Thus various types M-1, M-2, etc.
-“people group” identity
-evangelistic scale: reachedunreached
-“competitive spirit” “self sufficient”
-no barrier to worry
-mobile and fluid,
-hyphenated identity & ethnicity
-no unreached people
-“strategic partnership,” “relational
accountability,” “networking” & synergy
A Comparison of “Traditional Missions” Practice
with “Diaspora Missions”[1]
[1] Adapted from Enoch Wan, “Diaspora Missiology,” Occasional Bulletin, Spring 2007:6.
[2] David Lundy, Borderless Church
[3] Peter Ward, Liquid Church. Carlisle: Paternoster, 2002
[4]A church was founded by the chief cook brother Bong on board of the container vessel Al Mutannabi in Nov. 2002 (see Martin Otto, Church on the Oceans, UK: Piquant. 2007, p.65). From personal communication of March
29, 2007, a staff worker reported that “Last week I met the second cook on another ship and I was very happy to see that the second cook already started planting a church...”
[5] “Partnership” defined: entities that are separate and autonomous but complementary, sharing with equality and mutuality.”

19. NO YES
-No visa required -Yes, door opened
-No closed door -Yes, people accessible
-No international travel required -Yes, missions at our doorstep
-No political/legal restrictions -Yes, ample opportunities
-No dichotomized approach -Yes, holistic ministries
-No sense of self-sufficiency &
unhealthy competition
-Yes, powerful partnership
Diaspora Missions:
The “Yes” and “No” of “Mission at our Doorstep”[1]
[1] Enoch Wan, “Diaspora Missiology,” Occasional Bulletin, Spring 2007:6.

20. 1. Biblical & Theological Framework
2. Historical Contexts of Diasporas
3. Socio-Cultural Factors and Issues
(e.g., globalization, multiculturalism,
urbanization. etc.)
4. Methodological
5. Strategic Application (academic
practitioners): ministry to, through/by,
and beyond diasporas
6. Practical/Experiential
+ Case studies---personal stories; cases
-Based on North America Diaspora Educators Consultation on Diaspora Missiology, March 31-April 2, 2011, Orlando, FL

21. Through
Beyond
To
Ministering cross-culturally to the
host society and other ethnic
groups within their geographic
context
Ministering to people who
move geographically or in
transition to a new place
of residence
Catalysts for
evangelism/discipleship

22. Constants in Diaspora Missiology
1. Geographic and spatial movements of people or
individuals could open up missions opportunities.
 The dispersion of people caused by natural, social, political, economic,
personal, educational, and religious factors may be perceived as
providential and thereby missiological.
 From a missiological standpoint, migration flow is not simply a “natural
occurrence” that human beings participate in; this phenomenon takes
place under God’s sovereignty and direction.
 In other words, “God controls these movements. The Bible is full of
examples, from Genesis to Revelation of God using them for his
purposes.”
Tom Houston et al., The New People Next Door: A Call to Seize the Opportunities, Occasional Paper
55 (New Delhi: South Asian Concern/ Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, 2005), 10.

23. Constants in Diaspora Missiology
2. The dispersion of people or individuals could create many
opportunities for discipleship or discipleship training.
 Christians in diaspora could influence other people on the move with their testimony,
compassion, and care.
 Citizens of host countries can also be impacted by diaspora believers as they live out
a life of love and forgiveness. Also, non-believers may move to places where the
presence of Christians is strong.
 However, it is also possible for some migrants to become a follower of Christ even with
a minimal Christian presence. As people move from one place to another,
opportunities for evangelism and discipleship could happen.
 The sojourn of people in diaspora may be exposed to the gospel and then go through
discipleship training.
 People’s mobility could be a powerful tool on the part of committed Christians to fulfill
their own share of the Great Commission among people on the move.

24. Constants in Diaspora Missiology
3. God’s grace precedes migration flows in the world.
 As people or individuals move from their homelands to other places, God’s
grace prepares their hearts and then orchestrates situations for a
transforming divine-human encounter.
 Divine grace always precedes any human attempt for evangelistic and
discipleship activity.
 Dispersions of people or individuals discloses the universal distribution of divine
grace and the presence of divine love across the globe.
 Precisely stated, “God’s grace permeates the mobility of peoples around the world.
God’s grace goes wherever people go and operates wherever people are situated so
that the divine missionary intent and redemptive purpose will be fulfilled. By his
grace, God allows the scattering of peoples around the world; God also gathers
peoples through his grace and for his grace.”
Terry Casiño, ‘Global Diaspora: Basic Frameworks for Theological Construction’ (A Paper Presented at the Global Diaspora Consultation, Taylor University College,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, October 15-16, 2006), 16.
N.B. John Wesley terms the operation of grace before and during the ‘gospel call’ as prevenient grace (John Wesley, The Works of John Wesley, 3rd ed.
[Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1978], VI, 512). Alister E. McGrath ,laments how contemporary theology of mission often overlooks the doctrine of prevenient
grace in world evangelization (Evangelicalism and the Future of Christianity [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995], 179).

25. Constants in Diaspora Missiology
4. Christians who are dedicated to making disciples of all nations
will find migration as crucial to the fulfillment of world
evangelization and discipleship.
 In their movements, they discover how God opens doors to relate to
fellow diaspora who need hope in their lives.
 Movements may be forced or unforced, voluntary or involuntary, but all
these could be openings for ministry and discipleship.
 God does not facilitate cruel, oppressive and tyrant movements of
people in the world; yet, he remains sovereign over migration
experiences that may have been caused by factors that contradict
divine will.
 Thus, God is in total control over the entire global diaspora
phenomenon. There is no amount of evil or wickedness that could
prevent God from executing his missionary plan for humanity, including
those in diasporic environments and conditions.
See Houston et al., The New People Next Door, 16.

26. Constants in Diaspora Missiology
5. Whenever people move, the gospel moves. God opens up
opportunities for the advancement of the good news.
 Missions history shows how the scattering of people or individuals plays a
crucial role in discipling the nations.
 Even in events like wars, persecutions, or natural calamities, the gospel has
its own way of impacting people’s lives.
 History is full of instances wherein dispersion, even during adverse or
extreme circumstances, facilitates the advancement of the gospel. Thus, the
mobility of people transcends numbers, ethnicity, or demographics.
 People’s movements may be perceived as divine appointments where
people encounter the living God in their journeys and acquaintance with
believers from different cultures of the world.

27. Whenever people move,
the gospel moves!

28. Dr. Pothana
bhaktapothana@gmail.com
+91-8309511427