Paradigm Shifts in a Global Context
During one of our recent Monday Meetings, we enjoyed a rich and fruitful discussion led by Visiting Campolo Fellow, Rev. Dr. Victor Aloyo, the Associate Dean of Institutional Diversity and Community Engagement at Princeton Theological Seminary and head pastor of La Iglesia Presbiteriana Nuevas Fronteras, in Plainfield, NJ.
Dr. Aloyo reminded us that God’s Church is universal – a global and diverse people of God.
Though we live in an ever-changing world, we must hold fast to the never-changing Gospel.
This is a timely discussion as we wrestle with the realities of migration, which has taken place since the dawn of history, and how the Church can faithfully respond and minister to all of God’s children. Our changing communities require us to re-access and modify our models for ministry.
Today, there are three primary forces driving migration, which most often amounts to an intense and dislocating experience for the migrant, the majority of whom are women: 1) economic opportunity, 2) fleeing political and/or religious persecution as refugees and 3) trafficking of woman and children for prostitution and sex slavery.
How then do we exemplify Christ-like love and welcome the stranger in our communities?
Dr. Aloyo offered two historical and world-altering events that ought to inform our paradigm for missions in an increasingly connected, globalized world:
1) Incarnation: God revealed in Jesus makes God’s heart, mind, love, and mercy present in the world and we are called to imitate Jesus as we encounter our neighbors.
2) Pentecost: the Church of Jesus Christ was founded in the midst of diverse people, languages, and nations. These differences did not lead to division. Empowered and guided by the Spirit of God, the Church was birthed as a multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic movement of the people of God. This history dismantles any notion of “Christian nationalism.”
Click the video above to see all of Dr. Aloyo’s presentation and the thought-provoking conversation that ensued. This is a wonderful example of why the weekly Campolo Scholar Fellowships are such an integral part of preparing the Campolo Scholars to be effective, faithful, and thoughtful leaders in the Church.
Thank you for partnering with Tony and the Campolo Center at Eastern University as we seek to educate, challenge, and mentor these future leaders of the Church.
