Mission practitioners consider challenges of evangelism on the 'dark continent'

Europe once sent missionaries to the rest of the world. Now Christians in the majority world are increasingly turning their attention to mission on this "dark continent", but it is not without its challenges.

Mission practitioners came together at the Chinese Church in London, Brook Green, on Tuesday to discuss some of these challenges.

Peter Oyugi, who is originally from Kenya and pastored a church in London for over seven years before joining the Africa Inland Mission, explained that missionaries to the UK often wrestle with the feeling of being a foreigner and experience misunderstandings in communication and in adapting to the culture.

There could also be suspicion towards the foreign missionary, he added. "Even when you get to know them [Britons] the feeling of suspicion just stays."

"One of the biggest difficulties is building meaningful relationships. You can talk and have conversations, but most of the conversations are very superficial. You can't go deep enough," he said. Read more