Literature Review Summary

Literature Review Summary The Role of Churches in Immigrant Settlement and Integration Alethea Stobbe September 2014

The Role of Churches in Immigrant Settlement and Integration is a national research partnership intended to better equip church groups across Canada to help immigrants and refugees settle and integrate into Canadian society. This two-year project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Led by the Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR), the project has an interdenominational focus, with founding partners representing academics, denominational leaders, and interdenominational networks. More information about the project can be found at: www.communitybasedresearch.ca/page/view/pdg A literature review of international literature was one method carried out by research partners. Other methods included a national survey, national key informant interviews, and focus groups/cases studies held within the local study sites (Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal, Moncton, Halifax). Research Partnership Rich Janzen Joanna Ochocka Mark Chapman James Watson Sam Reimer Michael Wilkinson Glenn Smith Frédéric Dejean Lorne Hunter Rick Hiemstra Peter Noteboom Steve Kabetu Centre for Community Based Research Centre for Community Based Research Tyndale University College & Seminary The Salvation Army Crandall University Trinity Western University Christian Direction Université de Montréal Outreach Canada Evangelical Fellowship of Canada Canadian Council of Churches Christian Reformed World Missions Literature Review Team Alethea Stobbe Rich Janzen Sospeter Gatobu Centre for Community Based Research Centre for Community Based Research Centre for Community Based Research Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR) 73 King Street West, Suite 300 Kitchener, Ontario N2G 1A7 Phone: (519) 741-1318 Fax: (519) 741-8262 E-mail: rich@communitybasedresearch.ca Website: www.communitybasedresearch.ca 1

Introduction 3 Vision 3 Beliefs 4 Values 4 Attitudes 5 Structure 5 Activities 6 Partnerships 7 Process 9 Leading 9 Conclusion 9 2

Introduction The following report describes the findings of an international literature review conducted in 2013-2014. The literature review was one method in a larger two-year national research project exploring the role of churches in assisting refugees and immigrants to settle and integrate into Canadian society. Throughout the process over 100 articles of academic and grey literature (e.g., blogs, news articles, magazines, etc.) were reviewed to attempt to answer the project s four main research questions: What short and mid-term changes in vision, structure and process would best enable church groups to be more effective in supporting immigrants to settle and integrate? How could the role of immigrant church leaders be maximized in order to advance these changes? What are the current research and knowledge capacities and gaps of church groups in addressing the needed changes? What promising practices, structures and partnerships currently exist? In the end, 90 pieces of literature were included in an annotated bibliography because of their relevance in the effort to identify exemplary models of vision, structure and process. The following summary articulates the positive vision found in the literature that can provide churches in Canada with direction on how best to work with immigrants. Throughout all the suggested short and mid-term changes found in the following pages, the importance of the local context must be emphasized. There were numerous articles that specifically named the local congregation as a key aspect of assisting with immigrant settlement and integration. Some articles even mentioned secular organizations who viewed the local congregation as a connection to ensure local relevance. If local congregations were connected with immigrants, they were well placed to assist in a broader national strategy to ensure immigrants could settle and integrate in Canada. Vision What short and mid-term changes in vision would best enable church groups to be more effective in supporting immigrants to settle and integrate? Vision entails beliefs, values, and attitudes that provide direction for churches in supporting immigrant settlement and integration. Essentially vision gives reasons why churches are engaging with immigrants in the settlement and integration process. Vision was a concept that was not explicitly named in any of the literature found in our annotated bibliography. Seemingly, authors were not concerned with discussing vision in an overt manner. In order to capture vision, the more specific categories of beliefs, attitudes, and values are used for this summary. Beliefs are those thoughts that are at the very core of the reason for action. Attitudes are the consistent thought patterns that typically result in corresponding actions towards others. Values are the ideals that 3

one believes to have ultimate importance. The literature provided quite a few examples of church groups beliefs, attitudes, and values that enabled positive work with immigrants. BELIEFS Beliefs were the most commonly referenced subcategory of vision. Not surprisingly, beliefs were almost always situated in the context of a Christian worldview. There were times when specific Biblical passages or concepts were referenced, most commonly in terms of helping those in need, although this was not as common in academic literature. There were four beliefs that were referenced multiple times throughout the literature. If endorsed, these beliefs provided churches with a foundation from which they could advance their Christian vision for working with immigrants. These beliefs were: God created diversity; therefore churches are called to embrace diversity. This diversity can be displayed in worship and religious practice, so churches should create an environment of openness, not assimilation The Bible can (and should) be a guide for working with immigrants. The Bible indicates a moral imperative to the marginalized among us, which in our society includes immigrants Churches have motivation, resources, and people who can work to meet immigrants needs Immigrants have something to contribute to churches and society in general; churches should be involved in the process towards integration VALUES Finding values that have the ability to be relevant across cultures and religions is important, especially when living in a multicultural society like Canada. These values can create a shared identity that is a vitally important way to make meaningful connections between churches and immigrants. There were several values within the literature that were identified as being significant for both immigrants and churches. Highlighting the presence of these values during formal and informal interactions made collaboration between churches and immigrants a more natural activity. These common values included: Community Churches are a place of intentional community building. Regardless of country of origin, most immigrants come from collectivist cultures that value family and community. Church groups have the opportunity to provide a welcoming environment that gives immigrants the space to make meaningful connections, both within the church (bonding) and within broader society (bridging). Cultural identity Churches have many intentional and unintentional cultural values and activities embedded within their programming and weekly services. Many immigrants hold very strong connections to their ethnic and cultural identity and it is important to ensure that that identity is maintained within 4

Canada as well. Church groups have the opportunity to intentionally celebrate multiple cultures in significant ways. Spirituality Spirituality is integral to church life. The majority of immigrants that migrate to Canada also come with significant spiritual background, albeit from a variety of faiths. Church groups have the opportunity to assist immigrants in translating their faith to a new reality and provide meaning for significant events in their lives. As well, church groups have the opportunity to participate in interfaith dialogue and collaboration around immigrant settlement and integration. Service to others Churches prioritize service to others. Many immigrants have a strong desire to help those around them, especially those going through similar migration struggles. Church groups have the opportunity to collaborate with recent and long-time immigrants to increase the motivation, relevance, and quality of assistance to immigrants. ATTITUDES There were three main groupings of attitudes which were displayed by churches in the literature. The first two were mostly negative, likely hindering churches desire and capability to work with immigrants as they settle and integrate. The first attitude was indifference believing that churches involvement in the lives of immigrants should be indirect, primarily through prayer and that the government is ultimately responsible for the integration of immigrants as it is a political matter. The second attitude was caution behaving in a way that shows that co-ethnics may be best situated to help immigrants integrate. Cultural clashes and historical white domination made providing assistance more complex as well, so some churches tended to avoid participating in the process of helping immigrants settle and integrate. The third attitude and best practice was found in those churches that were responsive to immigrants. These churches did not assume that they had all the answers in regards to immigrant settlement and integration, but had a desire to learn and assist throughout the process. These church groups worked alongside other organizations, filling in the gaps that fit their capabilities. These churches viewed one of their missions in the community as providing for immigrants spiritual and material needs, especially when these were not being met by other community organizations. Structure What short and mid-term changes in structure would best enable church groups to be more effective in supporting immigrants to settle and integrate? Structure looks at activities and partnerships that facilitate churches in working with immigrants. Structure looks at what churches are currently doing in supporting immigrants to settle and integrate. The literature differentiated between ethno-specific church groups and mainstream church groups. One of the main differences was the activities that were provided by each type of church group. Ethno-specific church groups were typically admired for their bonding capabilities the ability to provide a safe setting where immigrants could gain new social connections and retain their cultural identity. Mainstream church 5

groups typically provided bridging opportunities as they provided a setting with ample resources and wellconnected people that assisted in the integration to the larger society. ACTIVITIES Both ethno-specific and mainstream church groups were acknowledged as playing important roles. Both types of church groups provided a combination of formal and informal programs not readily found in government funded settlement services. Church groups had the flexibility to provide for multiple needs and in some cases were prepared to adequately fulfill the majority of the needs of immigrants. Ethno-specific church groups Just under half of the articles that focused on a particular congregation focused on a specific ethnic congregation. The vast majority of those congregations were mono-ethnic, although a few were transitioning to a pan-asian congregation. Ethno-specific church groups almost exclusively assisted individuals within their own ethnic group and for the most part assisted individuals within their own congregation. The central activities performed by ethno-specific church groups involve......the celebration of cultural traditions The literature indicated the importance of having a space to celebrate cultural traditions among co-ethnics. Together co-ethnics celebrate ethnic holidays, eat ethnic food, and create ethnic music. Some immigrants described ethno-specific church groups as the main organization that would carry forward cultural traditions onto future generations, so ensuring these cultural activities were an integrated part of the ethnic church was seen as vitally important....the use of ethnic language Familiar language was of great importance for immigrants, especially in the context of worship. Several articles mentioned that immigrants preferred to worship in their native language because of nuances that are difficult to translate. Hearing worship songs and sermons in their own language provided them with familiarity and felt more authentic for many immigrants....the embracing of ethnic values Examples of how immigrants felt that their values were at odds with those of the broader society existed in the literature. Many of these values were similar for multiple ethnic groups, such as family, intergenerational commitments, and loyalty to country of origin. For the most part, ethno-specific church groups were praised in the literature for their assistance with new immigrants. Activities that affirmed the celebration of cultural traditions, used ethnic languages, and embraces ethnic values had a significant role in their success. Mainstream groups were less likely to be successful in these three areas, so to successfully help immigrants, these three areas should be priorities for improvement. 6

Mainstream church groups The activities of mainstream church groups in the literature were focused on the support that they provided to immigrants, both within their congregation and within the broader community. There were four categories of activities and programs that were identified in the literature. These activities were found in ethno-specific churches as well, but by-in-large the literature emphasized the other bonding aspects of ethno-specific churches, rather than the types of supports provided. Churches should embrace the provision of......social support Social support was found to be a high priority of the ethno-specific church groups, as well as the most commonly referenced type of support provided by mainstream church groups to immigrants. Social support was provided in informal ways. Church groups provided a place where immigrants could find new friendships and begin to network with individuals embedded within the broader society....practical support Both informal and formal activities were mentioned throughout the literature. The majority were informal and involved assistance with food, employment, housing, education, legal documents, transportation, finances, and healthcare. The formal activities included English language lessons, refugee sponsorship, and services for the elderly....spiritual support Spiritual support was most often provided by church groups and identified as very important in immigrants lives. The literature indicated that many immigrants interpreted their migration experience through the lens of their religious beliefs. Whereas other types of organizations may have shied away from religion and spirituality, wanting to remain neutral, the church viewed this as a primary role. While churches found it easier to embrace those of the same religious beliefs, the literature indicated that there was some common ground that was found by having strong spiritual and religious convictions, regardless of type....emotional support For many new immigrants, church groups provided emotional safety. Regardless of the reasons for migration, it was often a very stressful experience, and churches provided a place of refuge for immigrants. The openness and willingness to listen to immigrants provided a space where immigrants felt comfortable. One aspect that was mentioned for mainstream church groups, but never for ethno-specific church groups, was the open criticism of immigration policies and activism around immigrant rights. This activism was discussed in the context of a mainstream (usually Catholic) church, although was not a strong theme throughout the literature. PARTNERSHIPS Partnerships were found throughout the literature. All successful examples of assisting immigrants in the settlement and integration process involved some type of partnership. 7

Ethno-specific church groups Ethno-specific church groups typically partnered with other ethnic and/or mainstream congregations or with ethnic organizations. This was a peripheral focus though, as much of the literature focused on ethnospecific church groups had very little to say about partnerships. In rural settings, the literature indicated that ethno-specific church groups took on a large portion of responsibility because of their similarities to immigrants, even if they were not of the same ethnicity. In this case, ethno-specific church groups worked alongside a wide variety of other organizations and were looked to as the go-to organization. Mainstream church groups Local Context As shown above with ethno-specific church groups, the type of location influenced partnerships. Church groups functioned quite differently in cities than they did in rural areas. In rural areas, the literature indicated that it was impossible for immigrants to be successfully settled and integrated without full cooperation of multiple organizations. Organizations did not have the option to operate as silos, so this resulted in multiple partnerships. Partnerships within the same city were common, but it was more likely a partnership with fewer organizations whose service goals lined-up particularly well with the churches. National Context A second context that was noted as impacting mainstream church groups was the national context. The literature described a broad range of realities across the globe from formal partnerships between church and government to policies prohibiting the church from public involvement. The literature indicated that Canada falls somewhere in-between these two extremes. Que bec was the most common province for case studies that reflected recent policy discussions regarding the place of religion in a secular society (laïcite ). Denominations and churches throughout the rest of Canada also did not have formal partnerships with the government. In most of those situations, the establishment of partnership was a result of acting on opportunities in the local context. Overall, the literature suggested that when churches partnered with other organizations, they felt more equipped and were capable of doing more than when they tried to work in isolation. The vast majority of churches portrayed in the literature partnered with at least one organization. 8

Process What short and mid-term changes in process would best enable church groups to be more effective in supporting immigrants to settle and integrate? Process was a large gap in the literature. The processes of planning, training and reflecting were almost entirely absent. The only mention of planning came in one policy article that suggested that church groups should plan ways that they could use their prophetic voice to influence the government. Still, this article was more focused on attaining long-term partnerships than on planning processes. LEADING Processes related to leadership were mentioned in a handful of articles. In almost all of these articles, pastors had great influence over their congregations. Pastors were identified as a catalyst for change and as such need to work on increasing awareness and changing perspectives in congregations. Immigrant pastors were rarely mentioned, but when they were they were affirmed as being vitally important to immigrant integration. Immigrant pastors were portrayed as having a unique vantage point and could interpret the scriptures in ways that were relevant to immigrants. A handful of articles spoke to the importance of having immigrants in leadership positions within churches. These articles mainly focused on informal leading, such as in Sunday evening sharing times and in brief moments in the worship services. Conclusion The literature has shown that church groups would benefit from being more intentional in their work with immigrants in all three areas of vision, structure, and process. The largest gap was in process, where the literature did not give any examples of planning, training, or reflecting. Increasing these processes would make it easier for church groups to develop a vision unique to their local and national context. As well, increasing these processes would allow for increased clarity on the formal and informal structures that church groups currently employ in assisting immigrants. 9