U.S. Becoming Immigrant Pastors’ Mission Field

For centuries American-born pastors have gone outside the United States to spread the gospel through missions. The Assemblies of God (AG) news service reports that immigrant pastors now are moving to the U.S. to serve as missionaries. “Just as the Assemblies of God has sent missionaries to every part of the world, the Spirit is calling people from every part of the world to come to this great mission field,” said Scott Temple, AG director of Intercultural Ministries. The news service reported that many immigrant pastors are coming to America to minister to other immigrants who have moved to the U.S. to escape persecution or to seek economic opportunity. The pastors also hope to bring unity in the American church. “In the U.S. I noticed that churches were either black, white, Hispanic or Asian,” said Steven Siaji, who moved from Kenya and is currently a pastor in San Antonio. “America has taken the gospel to other nations for many years, but here the races have stayed separate. It’s about time we change.” The AG news service said most of the missionary pastors are coming from unexpected nations such as Tonga, Germany, Brazil and South Korea. “We need each other,” Siaji said. “Our differences are gifts God has made available to us.”