The Changing Demographics of Global Christianity: The Case of West African Immigrants within the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference in the Mennonite Church, United States

  • Olufemi A. Fatunmbi
Chapter
Part of the Black Religion / Womanist Thought / Social Justice book series (BRWT)

Abstract

Over the last 70 years, the Mennonite Church (an historic migratory movement itself) has been transformed from a North American and Western European ethnic clan (of Russian, Dutch, Swiss, and German ethnicities), to a truly global family.1 Today, close to 1,500,000 believers belong to this faith family; at least 60 percent are African, Asian, or Latin American. Mennonite fellowships can be found in 53 countries and its members speak as many languages.2 These realities have triggered what well-known missiologist Wilbert R. Shenk calls an “extraordinary permutation of Mennonite identity.”3 Broadly speaking, the purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the impact of immigrant churches on the Mennonite Church and its mission, particularly in the United States (MCUSA). Specifically, it will look at African immigrant churches that self-identify with MCUSA and the implications of their relationship with individuals, congregations, and the Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference.

Keywords

Road Sign African Immigrant Hispanic Immigrant Worship Service German Ethnicity 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

  1. 2.
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Copyright information

© R. Drew Smith, William Ackah, and Anthony G. Reddie 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Olufemi A. Fatunmbi

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