Asylum Seekers And Homelessness (Mike Morency & Ejay Tupe interview)

Our guests on this episode are Ejay Tupe, director of Toronto Urban Mission Hub in downtown Toronto and Mike Morency, executive director of Matthew House – Windsor.

We will be talking about a story that began unfolding this past summer when over 200 refugee claimants from African nations found themselves sleeping on the streets. Many were outside a homeless support centre at 129 Peter St. in downtown Toronto. There seemed to initially be a funding stalemate between levels of government.

Into the crisis, three churches got involved directly by opening up their buildings to provide shelter, food, and support.

·      Revivaltime Tabernacle

·      Pilgrim Feast Tabernacle

·      Dominion Church International

This story eventually leads to some of the asylum seekers ending up served by Matthew House in Windsor.

Links:

Ejay Tupe

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/ejaytupe

Oct 30th update from Ejay

https://youtu.be/-o4LVpanGmo?si=J11xqAhrKoEd_DPb

Matthew House - Windsor

https://matthewhousewindsor.org/

Our City Scarborough Conference

https://www.ourcitytoronto.ca/

News article:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/church-temporary-emergency-shelter-asylum-seekers-toronto-1.6927489

Ejay Tupe

Mike Morency

African Christians In Canada

Our conversation today is going to focus primarily on Christians that were born in Africa and are now living in Canada. What strikes me demographically is that the African continent has a higher percentage of the population identifying as Christian than we do in Canada.

Prior to 1960, black Africans comprised a very small, scattered and almost unknown group of newcomers to Canada, although Africans of European and Asian ancestry had a clearer presence. According to the 2016 census, 1,067,925 Canadians reported being of African origin.[1]

Rev. Isaac De-Graft Takyi is the pastor of Living Word Assembly of God in Toronto. One of his recent accomplishments was authoring a book entitled, ‘The Story of Ghana Assemblies of God Church In Canada.’ This historical document gives a first-hand account of Ghanian Christians starting Ghanian churches in Canada and some of the controversies and successes they have experienced thus far.

Sammy Molloy works at Matthew House, a refugee resettlement service and residence in Windsor, Ontario. They have about 70 beds in the residence and are serving refugee claimants in the hundreds across our city. He is also a worker with African Inland Mission where he organizes summer camps across Canada for children and youth of African origins.

Kirubel Masresha (Nahum) is a student born in Ethiopia but has lived in Windsor from a young age. He lives with Pastors Wodaje Tekeste and Nardi Abraha, on staff at New Song Church and former pastors of the Emmanuel Ethiopian Church. He works at Serenity Coffee House.

Links:

The Story of Ghana Assemblies of God Church in Canada, by Isaac De-Graft Takyi, https://www.amazon.ca/Story-Ghana-Assemblies-Church-Canada/dp/1988439221/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LWNTDVPMD4KT&keywords=isaac+de-graft+takyi&qid=1678714386&sprefix=isaac+de-graft+takyi%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1

Living Word Assembly of God

https://livingwordag.org/

Matthew House Refugee Welcome Centre – Windsor

https://matthewhousewindsor.org/

Africa Inland Mission

https://aimint.org/ca/2022/05/01/appointment-of-director-strategy-and-operation-for-mac-camps/

Camp Rhino

www.camprhino.ca

[1] https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/africans

Jesus In The Diaspora - Charles Hermelink interview

Charles and I work together with Mission Canada, a Christian ‘mission agency to reach Canada with the gospel in unique ways. There are many contexts where there is a gap; campuses, people groups, regions, and communities where Jesus is inadequately represented. Mission Canada is committed to identify and equip those who will pursue their calling to fill these gaps.’[1]

I am the urban ministry consultant and Charles is the Cultural Ministries consultant. As part of that role, he gives leadership to Neighbours & Newcomers Network National.

Links:

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/priorityculturalministries

https://paoc.org/canada/workers/nnnetworknational

[1] https://paoc.org/canada/about

Out Of The Embassy - Denise Munroe

From her childhood in Guyana to a life of ministry in Canada, Denise Munroe has had a fascinating journey. Currently she serves as the Family Life Pastor at The Embassy Church in Oshawa, Ontario.

She is in regular contact with people in the community that seek assistance from the church.

We talk about being a newcomer, experiences of racism and the societal needs of Canadian born citizens.

Link:

https://theembassychurch.ca/

From Down Under To North Vancouver

Ben and Emma Narayanan moved their young family from Australia to plant churches in the Vancouver area. Avant Life Church lives by the mantra:

• Remain Helpful

• Remain Humble

• Remain Hopeful

• Remain His.

They are now located in North Vancouver, Squamish, and Surrey with a desire to see a movement of church planting in smaller BC communities.

Link:

https://www.avantlifechurch.com/