Let me introduce you to a really interesting person. I met Sam today at a seminar that was held at his church (with author & philosopher Carl Raschke). Samuel Lee (pictured standing up) is an Iranian post-pentecostal pastor who leads a church of 70% Africans and 30% Asians in Amsterdam. He and I are the same age and grew up in the same part of Amsterdam, De Bijlmer (less than a kilometer from where we lived), but we did not know each other.
In April Sam will receive his doctorate in Sociology from a university in Switzerland. The subject is: ‘the history of the church in Japan.’ His main thesis: Christianity did not come to Japan through Catholic missionaries in the 16th century but through Persian missionaries in the 5th and 6th century. Just thought that was interesting...
Sam used to lead a church of 500-600 people in The Bijlmer. But when he became a post-pentecostal many people left. Th church is now about 200, 70% African and 30 Asian and 1% Dutch. Then he became not only post-pentecostal, but also emergent and missional.
The community Sam leads exists for the sake of mission. Their mission: to help migrants and undocumented aliens as a center for political activism on their behalf.
That's something that is increasingly important to me: I don't think Jesus intended for the church to have a mission (supported and carried out by a few), but rather that the mission has a church: community that exists for the sake of mission. Terrific to find that in my old 'neck of the woods' today!
PS. Sam blogs here. Have a look at this post. The issue of refugees and 'undocumented aliens' is really starting to make me think.
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