Understanding the Global Migration Crisis
Global Migration is a world reality that is being felt by almost every country. In mid-2024, there were 304 million migrants globally, making up 3.7% of the world’s population.[1] This is the highest rate of global migration, in raw numbers and in percentage of the world’s population, since this statistic started being recorded in 1960.
Global migration is influenced by “push” and “pull” factors. Australia possesses many of the pull factors in migration that make it such a desirable destination for migrants. These include economic opportunities, outstanding social services, political and religious freedoms, and of course, amazing natural beauty.
Push factors in migration are issues that make remaining in their home country difficult for migrants. These include issues such as war, political instability, persecution, lack of jobs paying an adequate salary, danger related to gang and/or drug violence, natural disasters, or overall poor living conditions.
Since 2015, the refugee crisis has contributed to the overall increase of migration in the world. Wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine, and Ukraine have fuelled it. So have civil wars in Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Ethiopia, plus racial persecution in Myanmar (Rohyinga) and religious persecution of Christians in Muslim dominated countries.
At the end of 2024, there were 123.2 million forcibly displaced people in the world. This included 73.5 million Internally Displaced people (refugees that have remained within the borders of their own country), 36.8 million refugees, 8.4 million asylum seekers, and 5.9 million people not fitting any of these categories but in need of international protection.[2]
Biblical Foundations and God’s Sovereignty in Migration
The concept of migration is well attested to in the Bible. Many authors of the Bible were themselves migrants at some point in their lives. These include Moses, Joshua, Daniel, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Luke, Mark, Paul, Peter, and John. Jesus is our ultimate example, having left (or migrated from) his glory in heaven to come and live amongst us and even living as a refugee in Egypt in his early childhood.
The book of Deuteronomy shows us that God’s heart for the vulnerable extends to foreigners (10:18; 24:17, 19–21; 27:19). As followers of Jesus, our journey on this earth is a temporary one in which we are to live as foreigners and strangers (Eph 2:19–20; Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 2:11–12).
“God is sovereignly in control of global migration. He is using it to give people, who might not otherwise have access to the gospel in their home countries, the opportunity to seek Him.”
Furthermore, the Bible gives us confidence that migration is not solely the result of push and pull factors. God is sovereignly in control of global migration. He is using it to give people, who might not otherwise have access to the gospel in their home countries, the opportunity to seek Him (Acts 17:26–27).
The church is uniquely positioned to minister to the millions of people facing the upheaval of migration. As followers of Jesus, we should be able to relate to what it feels like to live in a place that is not our real home. We should leverage the unique spiritual openness that often exists among people who are on the move.
Research Insights from Diaspora Ministries
There has arisen a whole new discipline called Diaspora Missiology to help equip the church to understand and minister effectively to the global diaspora. The focus of my research leave in the second half of 2025 has been to interview current practitioners in diaspora ministry in Australia, Greece, Germany, and the U.S.
I have learned from believers who have been involved in ministry to migrants for over 10 years. They shared the unique stresses that large-scale migration has brought to the social systems, housing markets, and economic systems in Greece and Germany. Consequently, this has given me new insights into the current fears being felt by Australians that have led to the nationwide March for Australia held in August 2025.
“There has arisen a whole new discipline called Diaspora Missiology to help equip the church to understand and minister effectively to the global diaspora.”
Interestingly, I was in Germany during this march against perceived mass migration into Australia, discussing this very issue as it pertains to Germany. Germany has taken in two to three million refugees since 2015. I also heard numerous encouraging stories about how God has been at work in migration to grow His Kingdom.
Unreached people groups from Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria, to name just a few, have been hearing the gospel during their migration journey. Wonderfully, many are responding with faith. Not only have they come to faith, but many have actively been involved in sharing the gospel to others. Additionally, they have served in local churches that have brought new vitality to these Western churches that were often stagnant or decreasing in size. Moreover, some are even preparing to serve as cross-cultural missionaries.
A Testimony of Transformation
A female missionary shared this story during my research. After twelve years serving in Afghanistan, she has spent the past ten years working with Iranian and Afghan refugees in Greece:
One of the Afghan ladies, living in Finland, had hardly any exposure to academics. Being an Afghan lady, she had not been allowed to go to school much. And so, this disciple-making training was the first time she had ever done homework outside of language learning. She was petrified, absolutely petrified, for the final project, which was an oral presentation of what she had learned. She said she was ready to quit because this project was too intimidating for her, but she pushed through it and successfully completed it.
Then in the Spring semester, she’s said, “I’m ready to reach my people. I want to do whatever the Lord wants me to do.” So, she came to Greece for an outreach camp to Afghan women. She was just this little witnessing fireball. She was leading, by example, all these women to be engaged in evangelism. Anytime they were out there doing cold contact witnessing, she’d be like, “There’s somebody that looks like they’re Afghan. We’re going, let’s go, let’s go talk to them!”
She was always the first one on Zoom meetings, giving testimony of what God did and was always praying for people to come to faith. I said to myself, “Who is this lady? She was totally petrified just a little bit ago in the course.” The Holy Spirit was unleashed in her heart and set all her fear aside.
The Reciprocal Blessings of Diaspora Ministry
Diaspora Ministry is always a two-way street. Individual Christians and local churches have the joy and privilege of sharing the gospel with displaced people, as well as discipling them. But those individuals and churches involved in diaspora ministry often discover that they receive more than they give in ministry.
They gain new spiritual insights as they interact with people from different cultural backgrounds. They hear penetrating questions people ask about God and the Bible, and see new spiritual vitality injected into their local churches.
“But those individuals and churches involved in diaspora ministry often discover that they receive more than they give in ministry.”
This May 2026, SMBC is offering a one-week intensive unit called Global Migration, Diaspora Ministry, and the Mission of God. I’ll be sharing the insights, stories, and ministry best practices I’ve learned from my research.
If you would like to be encouraged by seeing how God is at work among diaspora communities, be equipped to better minister to diaspora peoples, or mobilise your church to capitalise on the missional opportunity afforded by global migration, consider enrolling in this intensive unit (in-person or online).
