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Discipleship, mentorship and training 
which empowers African women for 
ministry in the diaspora

Naar M’fundisi-Holloway
Dr Naar M’fundisi-Holloway is an Action Researcher at the Territorial Headquarters 
of The Salvation Army in London. Before that, she worked as a qualified secondary 
school teacher of Religious Education, Philosophy and Health and Social Care in 
Birmingham UK. She completed her PhD at the University of Birmingham (UK) in 
Theology looking at Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in Zambia focusing on 
its interface with politics and HIV/AIDS. She is the author of Pentecostal and Charismatic 
Christianity and Civic Engagement in Zambia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018). Naar is a 
married mother of one and a native Zambian who lives in the United Kingdom. 
Email: naarmfundisi@gmail.com

Abstract

Various factors contribute to people migrating from the global south 
to the west. In addition to factors like war, economics and education, some 
migrate because they feel called to engage in ministry in the west. At the heart 
of mission in the diaspora are women who either start ministries on their own 
or with their spouses. This paper is informed by narratives provided by these 



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42

women collected through interviews to outline the challenges of engaging in 
ministry in the diaspora and the type of discipleship, mentorship and training 
they would require to enable their ministries to flourish. It also shows how in 
addition to reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide their ministries, these women 
adopt an entrepreneurial approach in accessing mentorship from local diaspora 
networks. This paper contributes to the broader discussion around discipleship 
and mentorship which prepares missionaries for mission in diaspora contexts, 
also referred to as Reverse Mission.

Keywords: Discipleship, Mentorship, Diaspora, Mission, Reverse Mission

Introduction

Various factors contribute to people migrating from the global south to the 
west. According to Wan and Sadiri (2010: 46), “urbanisation, international 
migration, and displacement by war and famine are some of the contributing 
factors that have increased the diaspora population around the world”. The 
global migration pattern follows people moving from “south to north, and 
from east to west” (Marsella and Ring, 2003: 16). With migration comes mis-
sion. The UK church is diverse and churches in Africa, Asia and Latin America 
continue to send missionaries to the west to preach the word of God (Cueva, 
2015). Roswith Gerloff ’s extensive work on black Pentecostalism in Britain pro-
vided great insight into how this branch of Christianity has contributed to the 
Christian faith, mission and socio-cultural issues in the UK (Gerlof, 2010). At 
the heart of mission in the diaspora are women who either start ministries on 
their own or with their spouses. In addition to running these ministries, they 
encounter challenges trying to navigate the socio-economic, socio-political and 
socio-cultural nuances of life in the diaspora. The term diaspora in this paper 
will refer to “people living outside their place of origin” (Lausanne Movement, 
2009), especially focusing on the global north.

In this paper, I use the term “discipleship” synonymously with Christian 
mentorship and training. “Discipleship” is a theological and biblical term and 
“mentorship” and “training” are sociological ones, drawn from leadership and 
educational literature. I also recognize that the term has a broader meaning and 
includes elements of catechesis, formation and pedagogy in the literature. In 
light of this, this paper contributes to the broader discussion around disciple-
ship, mentorship and training which prepares people for mission in diaspora 
contexts, also referred to as Reverse Mission, and how this contributes to the 



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43

development of Christianity in the west. It also aims to paint a picture of what 
ministry looks like for African women in the diaspora.

“Reverse Mission” is a term that has been used to describe the trend where 
missionaries from the global south engage in missions in the west. Matthews 
A. Ojo defines Reverse Mission as “the sending of missionaries to Europe and 
North America by churches and Christians from the non-Western world, 
particularly Africa, Asia, Latin America, which were at the receiving end of 
Catholic and Protestant missions as mission fields from the sixteenth century 
to the late twentieth century” (2007: 380). Reverse Mission demonstrates how 
the centre of Christianity has shifted from the global north to the south (Wam-
bua, 2009: 45). This is a “remapping of religious landscapes” (Adogame, 2013: 
viii) whereby it is now the global south sending missionaries to the north. It is 
important to note “the extent to which religious, social, cultural and economic 
realities of host contexts impact and shape their world views” and the way in 
which they operate their ministries in the diaspora (2013: x). Without a doubt, 
these churches from the global south have not only helped to reconfigure 
Christianity in the west, but they have also played a part in the diversification of 
the religious landscape of western societies.

Harvey Kwiyani (2013) on the other hand finds the term problematic. 
While he acknowledges that migration trends have reversed, “mission con-
tinues to move forward”. He argues that the non-western Christian presence 
in the west will have some missionary impact on western culture, but “this is 
not reversal of mission. It is mission just being itself, no matter where it origi-
nates.” Despite the different terminology used to describe this missional trend, 
a common theme running through these definitions is that migration is key in 
mission.

This paper is a reflection on the experiences of eight African female pas-
tors who are engaged in ministry in the UK. It intends to outline the challenges 
of engaging in ministry in the diaspora and the type of discipleship, mentorship 
and training they require to enable their ministries to flourish. It also incor-
porates voices of those who started independent ministries (with no links to 
churches in Africa) whilst living in the UK and describes what type of dis-
cipleship and mentorship those who started their ministries whilst living in 
the UK received. This paper will answer questions surrounding: what type of 
discipleship they received in preparation for ministry in the UK, how adequate 
this was, how long they were discipled for and what challenges they faced and 
continue to experience while engaging in ministry in the UK. The responses 
will allow for generalizations to be made in order to begin understanding the 
role of discipleship, mentorship and training for mission in the diaspora.



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Research methodology

The main methodological tradition used for this paper was qualitative research. 
It adopts an inductive approach, starting with the voices of those whose stories 
the author sought to listen to in order to draw conclusions. Creswell states that 
it is from inductive observations that a researcher can convey “emerging themes 
and patterns and formulate tentative hypotheses which can be explored to pro-
vide for general conclusions or theories” (Creswell, 1994: 58). According to van 
der Laan, this approach “takes ordinary people’s views and oral forms of his-
tory more seriously” (2010: 203). The author’s approach to finding participants 
was mainly snowball sampling, a process that ‘yields a study sample through 
referrals made among people who share or know of others who share the same 
characteristics that are of research interest,’(Biernacki and Waldorf, 1981: 141) 
or simply “contacting one participant via another”(Browne, 2007: 48). Creswell 
argues that the researcher’s task revolves around “looking at the larger struc-
ture to explain the interviewee’s meanings of social interactions, cultural issues, 
ideologies, historical contexts and interpretation of life experiences” (Creswell, 
1994: 50). Therefore, categories were created from the findings which were then 
compared to themes within the qualitative literature written on Reverse Mis-
sion and Diaspora Mission to find correlations.

The primary source of data was collected through semi-structured phone 
interviews held with eight women from the Southern African region who are 
currently in ministry in the UK. Participants were recruited into the research by 
invitation from me via “informed consent”.1 The interviews were conducted in 
May 2021. None of the participants was a vulnerable person and they received 
no monetary compensation for participating in the research. The names of their 
ministries have been anonymized and pseudonyms have been used to disguise 
their names.2 The original sample was narrowed down to eight as some can-
celled the scheduled interviews due to other commitments they had. The coun-
tries of origin represented were Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. The women 
were all born and raised in their home countries and came to the UK in their 
adult years. Six of the women are ordained ministers and two are not but are 
actively engaged in ministry and are referred to as Pastors. Six are in ministry 

1.  A copy of the survey form with both the questions and the informed consent statement 
is available on request from the author.

2.  Names of the institutions where these women received training in the UK have not been 
anonymized.



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45

with their spouses and two are single women in ministry. One is a minister in a 
mainline church while the rest are ministers in Pentecostal churches. Two were 
in full-time ministry with their spouses before they moved to the UK and the 
rest served in various lay ministry roles in their home countries as well as in 
churches they attended while in the UK before starting their own ministries. 
These women have been in ministry in the UK for between 3 and 19 years. 
While there were a few claims of engaging with white British Christians, these 
ministries are monoethnic, serving especially black African and Caribbean 
immigrants. In response to this, Olofinjana argues that “despite the limita-
tions that the term Reverse Mission conjures and the fact that we still have 
many African congregations, which are very mono-ethnic, Reverse Mission is 
still taking place in certain church contexts. This is in places such as historic 
churches that now have many African Christians and ministers” (2020: 65). 
Such is the case for one of the women interviewed, as she is a minister in the 
Church of England.

Research results

Ministry in the UK

The respondents stated that they started their ministries in the UK because they 
felt called by God to do so. While some initially came for economic reasons or 
to study, their calling was so strong that they could not ignore it. This is sup-
ported by their responses which stated:

I felt the call of God on my life while here in the UK and started 
a prayer ministry with women and married a pastor. (BN, 2021)

I left my country to serve in the diaspora under a prophetic 
word. When I arrived, I started going to a certain church. I tried 
to hide my calling, but God used me to perform miracles within 
that church; for example, I prayed for someone, and they were 
healed of arthritis which they had had since childhood. I prayed 
for someone’s child who was dying in ICU they got healed. The 
pastors at that church released me, and I started my ministry and 
got ordained. I started the church in my basement, and as more 
people were experiencing miracles, we outgrew it and moved to 
a building that was packed to capacity. The Trans-Atlantic and 



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46

Pacific Alliance of Churches (TAPAC) helped me legalize my 
ministry in the UK. (GM, 2021)

I came for economic reasons and was planted in a church. God 
made me stay in that church, and he told me to wait for His in-
struction. A bishop from my home country passed through the 
UK and stayed with us. We had clarity during his and his wife’s 
time with us, and started a branch here under his blessing. (JM, 
2021)

I came through a youth programme and was chosen among the 
many youths to stay and consider ordination. Then I went to Bible 
School. (CN, 2021)

I married a pastor who already had his ministry and joined him. 
(TM, 2021)

The calling started back home when I was widowed. When I came 
here I went to Bible School to learn more about the Bible but got 
ordained and I am now involved in widows’ ministry within my 
church. (PH, 2021)

I felt the calling of God on my life and started an independent 
church which I run for six years. (PE, 2021)

I was running a cell group which turned into a church for six 
years. I then moved to another part of London and I now lead a 
prayer ministry. (PE, 2021)

Me and my husband were sent over by our main church back 
home to train and support pastors in ministry here in the UK. 
(LM, 2021)

Discipleship, mentorship and training for ministry

In the limited way I am discussing it in this paper, discipleship is a process by 
which a follower of Jesus learns from the one they chose to follow. The person 
they chose to follow assumes the role of a mentor to an extent. According to 



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47

Hull, “mentoring is a personal one-to-one way of being and making disciples” 
(Hull, 2006: 209). The Bible is also clear on the role that Jesus played as a mentor 
to his disciples (Freeks and Lotter, 2014; Roldan, 2018: 162). The respondents 
experienced several challenges living and starting ministries in the UK. These 
legitimized the need for guides or mentors to disciple and train these missionar-
ies in a foreign context. When asked about the type of discipleship they received 
in preparation for ministry in the UK, the two that started branches linked to 
founding churches in Africa stated they hadn’t. Those that started independent 
ministries also stated they sought discipleship within their diasporic communi-
ties. Their responses were;

When we got here from Africa we were one of the senior leaders 
in our denomination and everyone was under us so everyone was 
looking to us for discipleship. We had no spiritual parents, so we 
had to fully depend on God for direction. (LM, 2021)

None, my husband who is also a pastor disciples me and I watch 
YouTube videos from other ministers. Other African female pas-
tors also mentored me in the process and involved me in their 
ministries. Being part of women’s networks who have experience 
helped me know where to reach out for grants especially during 
Covid-19. When I eventually went to Bible School here in the UK, 
I received training. TAPAC helped us come up to speed with rules 
and regulations for ministry in this country.3 (BN, 2021)

“None except through TAPAC who helped us and gave us cer-
tification, training and information on Gift Aid and the Charity 
Commission. We were also trained on people skills.” (GM, 2021)

I received training as part of Bible school here in the UK. I was 
given placements to gain exposure to various ministry contexts 
in the UK and what discipleship looks like in other churches. 
Through training I have had opportunities to preach, visit 

3.  “Founded in 1993 the charity is an umbrella organisation of independent Pentecostal 
and Charismatic Churches aiming to foster unity and co-operation in the Body of Christ, giving 
proper recognition, authenticity and power to member churches and ministries in North and 
south America, the Caribbean, Europe (including UK) Africa and the Pacific regions.” https://
register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search/-/charity-details/4004637



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48

hospitals, work in drug recovery homes and how to do mission in 
deprived areas. (CN, 2021)

I met other women who taught me a lot about ministry in the UK. 
(TM, 2021)

Because the church was growing so fast I didn’t get a chance to be 
mentored or disciple. (PE, 2021)

The three who went to Bible School in the UK received classroom training 
and discipleship through placements. It is evident that although some of these 
women had some form of mentorship, it was inadequate as it did not equip 
them for ministry in the diaspora. Others have registered with organizations 
like TAPAC which have helped them come up to speed with regulations regard-
ing ministry in the UK. At the same time, others have made use of YouTube to 
learn from others in ministry. Even though organizations like TAPAC play an 
important role in preparing people from other countries for ministry in the 
UK, these women have had to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to access-
ing discipleship and mentorship for themselves. They have mainly sought out 
mentors from networks with other women in ministry from Africa and Asia. 
Above all else, these women cite divine intervention which continues to enable 
them to navigate areas in ministry where they feel inadequate. The role of the 
Holy Spirit cannot be minimized in empowering people for ministry. However, 
just like Jesus’ relationship with his disciples, being discipled and guided by 
someone who has more experience is vital in any ministerial context be it in a 
local context or the diaspora.

When respondents were asked to comment on the adequacy of some of 
the discipleship and ministerial training they received, they mostly said they 
could have done with more personalized training.

It wasn’t very adequate because there were gaps in the training. 
For example, I was never taught how to do baby dedications. (JM, 
2021)

It was not very adequate because where I was a co-pastor there 
was no training. I just had to fulfil the tasks I was assigned to do 
by the senior pastor. (PH, 2021)



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Analysis and interpretation

The place of African women in places of power and church ministry has been 
contested for many years. Several feminists and womanists have reflected on 
this. The works of African feminists like Mercy A. Oduyoye, Isabel A. Phiri, 
Nyengenye R. M. Ajambo, Bolaji Bateye, to mention but a few, have critiqued 
how the location of African women has been problematized because African 
women are mostly silenced (e.g. Oluwatomisin, 2016: 160; Ajambo, 2012). In 
some African contexts, women are not complete unless attached to a man. For 
example, “a woman who manages her affairs successfully without a man is an 
affront to patriarchy and a direct challenge to the so-called masculinity of men 
who want to possess her” (Oduyoye, 1995: 4-5). The fact that some women are 
now able to engage in full-time ministry as ordained ministers in their own 
right on the African continent is revolutionary as some churches still disallow 
it. Even more ground-breaking is how some of these women have successfully 
started their own ministries in the west thereby contributing to Reverse Mis-
sion. Oduyoye refers to Jesus who saw women as human beings in a society 
where they were dehumanized. This is why he took the time to “teach, heal and 
save them from victimization” (Oduyoye, 2008: 83). Therefore, just like men, 
they too “should enjoy the privilege of being members of the family of God” 
(Ajambo, 2012: xii) as they are participants in God’s mission wherever they are 
(Phiri, 2004: 422) despite the hurdles and challenges they experience by virtue 
of being women in ministry.

When asked about their experiences in engaging in ministry in their 
home countries, they stated the difference between there and in the UK. They 
mentioned how easy it was to proselytize within the African context. On the 
flip side, in some cases, they found that some men within the African context 
failed to acknowledge the leadership of women in ministry (BN, 2021). GM’s 
experience within the UK context was that “people are more sceptical about the 
gospel and very dependent on the State. Even when they are healed, they worry 
that they might not continue to receive benefits from the State which means 
losing their income” (GM, 2021). Two of the women suggested that the spiri-
tuality of Africans can be both cultural and religious which makes it difficult to 
disciple them effectively as they seem to know the religious vocabulary and can 
articulate their faith in ways that are convincing when in actual fact their faith 
is shallow (CN and JM, 2021). Furthermore, another stated, “because people 
mainly come to the diaspora for economic reasons, they struggle to commit to 
church and discipleship because their priority is working and are more likely to 
pick up extra shifts at work than come to church” (JM, 2021). These differences 



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50

are linked to some of the challenges which the respondents have faced while 
engaging in ministry in the diaspora.

One of the questions asked in the interviews was around some of the 
challenges that these women have faced while engaging in ministry in the UK. 
Many challenges presented were socio-economic, issues of prejudice, cultural 
and language barriers, and challenges in balancing running a ministry as well as 
working in order to not only support families in their home countries, but their 
ministries as well in the UK. Their experiences are far from those which Euro-
pean missionaries to Africa experienced. This challenges the assertions made 
by Paul Freston (2010: 155), who suggests that Reverse Mission can be deemed 
reverse colonialism. The term “colonialism” itself is entrenched in power and 
privilege, which none of the women interviewed have. Their influence resides 
within the parameters of their ministries and other diaspora ministries. These 
pastors who are mostly economic migrants from majority world countries have 
to navigate issues of immigration and other challenges that come with being 
an immigrant which grant them no privileges whatsoever in comparison to 
historical missionaries who had finances, power, and influence. The immigrant 
pastors I interviewed fall under what Samuel Escobar calls “missionaries from 
below” (2003: 18). In addition, the mission that happened in Africa, unfortu-
nately, had close affinities with land dispossession of African people, due to the 
privilege that white missionaries had. This is what makes it different to Reverse 
Mission in the west (Kumalo, 2020: 2; Lephakga, 2015: 145).

The respondents stated that they navigated these challenges mainly through 
prayer and with the help of the Holy Spirit. It appeared that having connections 
with friends and other women in ministry helped them deal with the challenges 
of ministry in the diaspora. Those that had links with TAPAC mentioned how 
invaluable the knowledge they gained through that organization was. Some 
of the women who suffered burnout and issues of self-identity benefited from 
mentors who guided them through these challenges. For example, JN stated:

I experienced burnout in 2017 and stopped our ministry. My hus-
band and I joined another church because we needed to rest. We 
eventually started to participate in the ministry there in order to 
make up where we were deficient and see how things are done. 
We got the exposure we needed. We needed the experience of 
ministering in a diverse church with young people which is what 
we were lacking. (JN, 2021)



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51

The respondents outlined several things that would have been helpful to know 
prior to starting ministry in the UK. These included training about the cul-
ture, information about the spiritual strongholds in the country, how to present 
yourself as a missionary and some guidance on how to run a ministry in the 
diaspora. All the women believed that mentorship is important prior to start-
ing ministry in the UK as it prepares people for things they might not expect. 
They also believed that an aspect of discipleship or mentorship which would 
be helpful to African women starting ministry in the UK would be that which 
helps them understand their purpose and who they are (LM, BN, GM and JM). 
This is because it is easy to lose one’s purpose and identity because of various 
experiences of UK culture and the challenges that come about as a result of 
being an immigrant in the UK.

They also emphasized the importance of discipleship provided by mentors 
who have been in ministry in the UK for many years and from diverse church 
leaders who would provide opportunities to learn from observation and prac-
tice. Other examples of the type of discipleship they would require included the 
following:

Discipleship which helps people understand what their purpose 
and call is. This discipleship should be done by leaders and prayer 
partners. Also discipleship which helps black women with their 
identity in the UK. (LM, 2021)

Discipleship from women’s support networks and courses for self-
improvement. (BN, 2021)

Discipleship from people who are ministering to the people you 
want to attract. (JM, 2021)

Discipleship from both male and female mentors. You need some-
one who speaks into aspects of the culture and has networks that 
are diverse. Also mentoring which helps you with your identity. 
(CN, 2021)

Being discipled by people who provide spiritual covering and help 
you know who you are and your purpose. (PE, 2021)

From their experiences, these women have been able to articulate what type 
and level of discipleship and training they believe would be helpful for African 



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52

women who have the calling to engage in ministry in the UK. Despite the 
respondents being African women, their challenges and needs have a universal 
feel as other women in different ministerial contexts, whether in the diaspora or 
not can relate to this. The respondents also referred to the need to receive dis-
cipleship which helps them with their identity. This has implications for their 
African identity within Western contexts.

I struggled with issues of identity as a young person being trained 
in a predominantly white college. I was struggling with self-ac-
ceptance. I kept asking myself why I’m I here? What is my voice 
since I am taught by white people? When I write my assignments, 
who am I. I felt like I was losing myself. (CN, 2021)

After much personal reflection on her identity, CN said she is on a journey of 
self-acceptance and endeavours to have her authentic African voice to be heard 
despite being a minister in a predominantly white denomination. She was able 
to make links with another African minister who has served in the same main-
line denomination in which she is serving. He has been her mentor and has 
helped her work through her identity issues based on her experience and she 
is on a journey to use her African voice in her ministry. On articulating one’s 
identity, Joe Aldred professed to being a “male Caribbean British Christian, 
a bishop in a Black-led Pentecostal church who currently works in the field 
of intercultural ecumenism and as a local pastor” (2005: 28). Israel Olofinjana 
responds to this: “Aldred understands that we cannot divorce theology and the 
practice of ministry from our cultural background and experiences” (Olofin-
jana, 2020: 53). While Olofinjana’s assertion holds some truth, it appears some 
of the respondents would like to create ministries that do not represent the 
countries they are from. This is to attract people from other cultures and back-
grounds. While trying to maintain their identity, it is interesting that some of 
the challenges these female pastors have faced in their ministries are based on 
the expectations of congregants from their home country. Some of the congre-
gants joined their churches because they wanted to have a sense of belonging. 
Therefore, they expected church services to operate in indigenous languages.

Some congregants wanted us to do ministry like back home. They 
wanted us to speak the local languages and sing songs from back 
home. Some left the church because they were frustrated as they 
wanted a Zambian church. (GM, 2021)



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53

A challenge we faced when we started out own ministry was peo-
ple wanting our church to be a typical Zambian church speaking 
local languages. There was an expectation for us to be there for 
people all hours of the day but we were working too and people 
took offence. Now I am afraid to ask people from my country to 
come to our church. (JM, 2021)

What is evident is a sense of nostalgia when people join these churches and the 
need to feel a sense of belonging from a church that is led by an African from 
their country of origin.

It was apparent from the interviews that there are attempts for the pas-
tors to reach indigenous white British people with the gospel, however their 
ministries are generally monocultural except for the pastor in ministry within 
a white British church.

These women have experienced some level of success in their ministries 
and use social media platforms to showcase their ministries, advertise their 
ministries, and to interact with a wide range of Christians within and outside 
the UK. For example, Pastor BN through her ministry has been invited to other 
countries in Asia and Africa to preach the gospel. This is an interesting dynamic 
because while their ministry in the UK falls under the term Reverse Mission, 
these pastors have created other networks that enable them to travel to other 
parts of the global south in order to preach the gospel and are considered as 
coming from the UK.

One thing that was not evident in the interviews was focus on integral 
mission or mission which “focuses on contextualization and integrating evan-
gelism with social concern” (Wan and Sadiri, 2010: 48). Except for one pastor 
who spoke about getting a grant in order to supply foodstuffs to people in their 
neighbourhood during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the rest did not refer to 
that at all. This could be due to limited financial resources, as one stated “doing 
ministry in this country is a struggle because people don’t give finances easily 
as compared to back home” (LM). There are some wealthier West African-led 
newer Pentecostal Churches in the UK like Kingsway International Christian 
Centre (KICC) in Kent, New Wine Church in Woolwich and Jesus House in 
Brentwood with substantial human and financial capital who engage in social 
action and evangelistic initiatives that benefit the wider society (Bremner, 
2013: 2). However, the ministries run by the women interviewed have not gone 
beyond providing spiritual nourishment and a place to call home for their con-
gregants. They are also yet to begin to address and speak into structures that are 
responsible for change.



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Conclusion

In this paper, I have provided some insights into the discipleship, mentorship 
and training needed for African women in ministry in the diaspora. I have 
also outlined what type of discipleship or mentorship would empower African 
women for ministry in the UK by investigating the type of discipleship attained 
as they prepared to start ministry in the UK. The findings suggest that out of 
the eight women, only one received some form of intentional discipleship and 
training. Two sought it out from Bible Colleges they attended in the UK and the 
rest sought mentors from the women’s networks they belong to in the UK. It is 
evident that it takes a calling and courage to navigate ministry within the dias-
pora. Many of the women came for economic reasons and it was therefore a big 
challenge having to juggle working, going to Bible College and then running 
a ministry. In addition, “many pastors and missionaries from Africa, Asia and 
Latin America lack intercultural training and are therefore not well prepared 
to deal with the complexities of the context of mission in postmodern Britain” 
(Olofinjana, 2020: 56). Despite these challenges, these women have remained 
resilient in pursuing their ministerial calling. These ministries whether large 
or small have also demonstrated how important local networks are with other 
diaspora churches. Their quest driven by a vision of winning converts offers a 
unique opportunity to analyse its impact on local levels (Adogame, 2013: xi).

It is also clear that those that start independent ministries while already 
in the diaspora need to find experienced guides to mentor them adequately 
as they embark on ministry in the diaspora context. These ministries are rel-
evant especially “within the locus of changing, more complex migration trends 
and policies, these collective religious representations will continue to assume 
immense meaning and relevance particularly for African immigrants as well 
as the avenues for adapting into the host social, cultural and religious milieu” 
(Adogame, 2013: x-xi). There is no doubt that many ministries started and led 
by missionaries from the majority world are thriving and contributing massively 
to Christianity in the UK. In addition to organizations like TAPAC, I believe 
these women and others who fall within this category would benefit from orga-
nizations like Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World (CMMW)4, an 
organization that trains pastors and missionaries from the Majority World in 
Britain, in order that they are able to contextualize their mission.

4.  https://cmmw.org.uk/.



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55

References

Adogame, A. 2013. The African Christian Diaspora: New Currents and Emerging Trends in 
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Ajambo, N. R. M. 2012, A Study of Discipleship in Mark 10:35-52: A Model for Leadership 
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Aldred, J. D. 2005. Respect: Understanding Caribbean British Christianity. Peterborough: 
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Bremner, S. 2013. “Black Majority Megachurches in London: aspiring to engender change,” 
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Browne, K. 2007. “Snowball Sampling: Using Social Networks to Research Non-
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between 1987 and 2006. Cumbria, UK: Langham Monographs.

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Freeks, F. E., and G. A. Lotter. 2014. “Possible ‘Mentoring’ and Discipleship in the New 
Testament – a Proposition,” Journal for Christian Scholarship = Tydskrif vir Christelike 
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Freston, P. 2010. “Reverse Missions: A Discourse in Search of Reality,” PentecoStudies 9 (2), 
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Gerloff, R. 2010. A Plea for British Black Theology: The Black Church Movement in Britain 
in its Transatlantic Cultural and Theological Interaction with Oneness (Apostolic) and 
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Hull, B. 2006. The Complete Book of Discipleship. Colorado Springs, CO: NAVPRESS.
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Kwiyani, H. 2013. “Three Reasons You Should Never Say ‘Reverse Mission.’” http://
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Lausanne Movement. 2009. “Seoul Declaration on Diaspora Missiology”. The Lausanne 
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Wan, E. and J. T. Wan Sadiri. 2010. “Filipino Diaspora Missiology and Missions in the 
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Interviews

LM. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 15 May, Virtual.
BN. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 18 May, Virtual.
GM. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 18 May, Virtual.
JM. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 19 May, Virtual.
CN. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 20 May, Virtual.
TM. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 21 May, Virtual.
PH. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 22 May, Virtual.
PE. 2021. Interview with Naar M’fundisi-Holloway. 23 May, Virtual.




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	Sample
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	Editorial
	Nigel Rooms

	Problems with “pioneering” mission: Reflections on the term “pioneer” from Germany, South Africa and the UK
	Setting God’s pioneers free? The need to release lay pioneers from the Church of England’s narrative of resourcing and equipping
	James Butler

	Discipleship, mentorship and training which empowers African women for ministry in the diaspora
	Naar M’fundisi-Holloway

	Communal maturation and missional discipleship: A congregational study
	Nick Ladd

	Joyful disciples: A study of a missing link in considering spiritual disciplines and corporate missional habits
	Mike Harrison

	We want the good life now: Insights from lived religion for a whole person and communal approach to salvation in the twenty-first century
	Dejan Aždajić
	BOOK REVIEWS
	Kwiyani, Harvey. 2020.
	Multicultural Kingdom: Ethnic Diversity, Mission and the Church.
	London: SCM Press.


	Reviewed by Sabrina Müller
	Roxburgh, Alan J. 2021.
	Joining God in the Great Unraveling: Where We Are & What I’ve Learned.
	Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books.


	Reviewed by Steen Olson
	Susan Lucas (ed.). 2020.
	God’s Church in The World: The Gift of Catholic Mission.
	Norwich: Canterbury Press.

	Reviewed by Luke Larner
	Olsen, Steen, 2020.
	Jacob’s Ladder: Missional Church in the 1970s.
	St. Marys, Australia: SA & RL Olsen.

	Reviewed by Patrick R. Keifert





