New network promotes unity between European and migrant churches

The European Evangelical Alliance has launched a new network aimed at fostering unity between European and migrant churches, as discussions around migration continue to shape the continent. This initiative, known as the One People Network, was officially launched at Hope for Europe 2026, a gathering of approximately 250 evangelical leaders in Golem, Albania, under the theme “Hope in Uncertain Times.”

The network is coordinated by Rev. Dr. Israel Oluwole Olofinjana, founding director of the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World. He explained that the idea had been in development for several years and that its timing is especially significant given the ongoing debates about migration in Europe. “It’s been a conversation in the pipeline for some time,” Olofinjana said, referencing the book of Esther. “To have a network that wants to focus on diaspora and how they work together with indigenous Europeans is critical.”

Olofinjana, who came to the United Kingdom from Nigeria as a missionary in 2004, has intentionally led multicultural congregations rather than a single diaspora church. He has served as a Baptist minister and led three Baptist churches and one independent charismatic church, including one with a white-majority congregation.

In addition to pastoral ministry, Olofinjana founded the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, which offers contextual training for missionaries arriving in Europe. He has also written extensively on African diaspora Christianity and African missions in Europe.

Over the past two decades, Olofinjana has observed multiple waves of migration reshaping churches in the UK and across Europe. He noted that in 2004, a group of missionaries from South Korea, Zimbabwe, China, and Nigeria arrived in the UK. A second wave came around 2014 and 2015, with Iranians migrating due to conflicts in the Middle East. More recently, migration from Hong Kong, driven by political tensions, has contributed to the growth of some of the largest churches in Europe.

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