Logo

 

Banner Image:   Baptist-Times-banner-2000x370-
Template Mode:   Baptist Times
Icon
    Post     Tweet

Our church’s work with refugees and asylum seekers

Olton Baptist Church in Solihull, has been intentionally helping asylum seekers and refugees (AS&Rs) for six years. Much of what it offers is quite simple, which leads it to believe that it may be replicable in other Baptist churches. Minister Tim Fergusson shares the story

Olton700
 

How it began - the allotment project

Our intentional support of AS&Rs began with two church members who had a passion for welcoming the stranger. They took on a double plot with a small shed at the local allotments and invited a few AS&Rs to join them – to work the ground, grow some veg and enjoy a place of safety and friendship. Some came to drink tea and chat, others came to dig because it reminded them of working their own land. The shared activity also allowed those who had suffered trauma to enjoy company without having to talk in any depth.
 
As the allotment project continued, other church members started to be involved in AS&R related groups. A few began to help at a Solihull Churches Together drop-in for asylum seekers obliged to report at the UK Border Agency’s Midlands centre. Another church member landed a job at nearby AS&R support organisation. A handful of church members were trained as befrienders by Restore, the Birmingham Churches Together AS&R support charity. This last connection has been especially important as we have sought advice from Restore on numerous occasions.
 

Growing, low level support

Gradually, we encountered an increasing number of AS&Rs. Some we knew for a brief season, while others developed strong friendships with people in the church.
Apart from providing the bus fare to get to the allotment project, we have never guaranteed any form of financial or practical support. Instead, a number of people in the church give low-level support to those they have built a relationship with, such as the provision of a bus pass or a phone top-up (without the ability to be in contact or to travel, relationship-building is extremely hard), or giving lifts, or helping with access to local services, or helping fill in forms. On a couple of occasions, we have written to local MPs to ask for their assistance in progressing a claim or in challenging government processes.
 
Many AS&Rs have contact with us only through the allotment project. But some have asked to attend church, and a sizeable handful has become part of our worshipping congregation. Two have been baptised, three are now church members. They have variously joined our worship band and our children’s team and our outreach to a residential home. Six came along to our church weekend away – perhaps the first holiday they have had in years. You can read what this has meant to one asylum seeker below.

Alongside this natural development, the church’s teaching has frequently focussed on the theme of welcoming the stranger. We eventually signed up at a church meeting to a charter of support for AS&Rs, formally placing welcome of the stranger on the church’s list of priorities.  
 
In one case only so far, an asylum seeker has been accommodated by a couple in the church. The asylum seeker already had a strong friendship with the couple involved and expectations were openly discussed before this began. It proved both costly and enriching to the couple who acted as hosts for six months.
 

Our mistakes

Behind this story lie many setbacks and mistakes.

  • We have sometimes been taken for granted or not told the truth.
  • We have realised that some church volunteers are vulnerable themselves and need guarding.
  • We have felt powerless in the face of mental health difficulties.
  • We have had to deal with anger within ourselves at the injustice of what we have seen and heard.
  • We have found ourselves drawn in alarmingly to the needs of others as it becomes apparent we are the only ones offering support.
  • We have been guilty of leaving the integration of AS&Rs to a few overburdened volunteers.
  • We have had to deal with suspicion and conflict among the different ethnic groups we are reaching.
  • And of course, we have had to challenge our own prejudices, assumptions and sense of entitlement.

 

The vowels of grace

Finally, there is a phrase, the ‘vowels of grace’, that has become useful to us. Welcoming the stranger, integrating those of other cultures, and supporting the marginalised can often be hard work.

We have learnt to embrace the reality that ‘grace’ is spelt not only with an A and an E, but also an I, O and a U. Those who exhibit grace become familiar with Awkwardness, Embarrassment, Inconvenience, Offence and Uncertainty.

When we are tempted to complain or walk away, reminding each other of this group of words has helped us to count the cost but still persevere. It is worth it, for when all is said and done, we have discovered that we have been enriched as we have demonstrated grace.

As the marginalised among us, the AS&Rs have caused us to sharpen our faith, learn generosity and develop an openness of spirit. Our otherwise homogeneous middle class church culture needs their participation as much as they need our welcome.


A story from an African asylum seeker:


What I have found helpful about Olton Baptist Church is the way people treated me like a human being, contrary to what I experienced in all the three detention centres

 
“Since being befriended, my life has completely changed. I have become a part of Olton Baptist church and found a new family – people that love me and trust me. In my personal opinion, I believe that churches have to stand together and speak into politics just to make sure people are treated fairly. What I have found helpful about OBC is the way people treated me like a human being, contrary to what I experienced in all the three detention centres I have been through since claiming asylum.

I now feel confident because I have a new family who believe in me and are all helping me integrate into church life. I am saying this because many people will not realise how important little things they do can be – like saying hello, or just talking to you and treating you as a person. I would like the church to see how powerful their ministry of welcome is to those who have known only hostility since they arrived in Britain.”



Picture: Tim Fergusson (yellow bucket) helps to baptise an asylum seeker at Olton Baptist Church. The candidate wanted to be baptised outside


Download Olton’s guidelines on befriending refugees and asylum seekers.

 

Download Olton's story as a briefing document in a grid format, with points for further reflection after each section.


 
Baptist Times, 19/04/2017
    Post     Tweet
HEBA Home Mission Stories
Examples of how Home Mission funds are being used in the Heart of England Baptist Association
SubArticleD2019
'We have a message of hope about God’s love for us'
A Baptist church in Birmingham has celebrated 100 years of witness – and is looking at how it can continue to share the love of Jesus with its community
smchstory
'A sensitive mix of teaching, reflecting and challenge'
Disciple-making and the character of the young David were explored at two recent small church hub gatherings
‘I went home feeling refreshed and hopeful for our church’s future’
The latest Small Church Connexion hub was planted at an event wonderfully hosted by Perry Beeches Baptist Church, North Birmingham
'Making the word of God and the Christian message available to its local community'
A Birmingham Baptist church is bringing people together in its busy high street coffee shop, thanks to a grant from Baptist Insurance
Spreading the message of peace in Rugby 
Since 2004 the garden at Rugby Baptist Church has been a haven of peace in Rugby town centre. Now it is home to the first ‘Peace Pole’ in the town – a pole inscribed with the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth'' in several languages
From silver to gold
How Fernhill Heath Baptist Church continued its Eco Church journey and became the second Baptist church to achieve the gold award
smchstory
     Regional News 
    Posted: 01/03/2023
    Posted: 12/11/2021
    Posted: 06/10/2021
    Posted: 27/08/2021
    Posted: 12/01/2021
    Posted: 02/12/2020
    Posted: 12/07/2019
    Posted: 15/01/2019
    Posted: 22/10/2018
    Posted: 19/09/2018