Migration theology and Christian identity in the Middle East: Part One

This three-part series explores how migration presents an opportunity for God to shape the theology of His people through His Word, and the mission of the Church through the experiences of Christians. Drawing on Scripture, history and contemporary voices, it reveals how displacement, diaspora and belonging continue to transform the global body of Christ.

A Church on the move: Finding home in exile

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you’” (Genesis 12:1).

The story of God’s people begins with movement. Before there were formal religious structures, there were journeys, migrations and movement to places of uncertainty. Abraham left his homeland in response to God’s call (Genesis 12:1-4). Israel became a nation through the experience of slavery, wilderness and exile (Exodus 16-17; Deuteronomy 8:2-5). The early believers carried the Gospel across borders as persecution scattered them from Jerusalem (Acts 8:1–4; 11:19–21).

Migration is therefore not an unexpected interruption in the Biblical story. It is one of the ways through which God has repeatedly formed His people and advanced His Gospel purposes.

“God has always met His people in places of uncertainty.”

Across several parts of the Middle and East North Africa (MENA) region, Christian communities with roots stretching back to the earliest centuries of Christianity have experienced profound upheaval. War, political instability, economic hardship and insecurity have forced millions to leave their homes. Some have crossed borders and travelled long rugged and long terrains in search of safety; others remain internally displaced, unable to return to villages and cities where their families worshipped for generations.

These realities raise fundamental questions for the Church. What does it mean to belong when home has been lost? How does Christian identity endure when communities are scattered? Can the Church remain faithful when its members no longer gather in the places where their ancestors lived and worshipped? Scripture indicates that the answer begins with recognising that God has always met His people in places of uncertainty.

In Christ, the future is certain

One contemporary example is seen in the testimony of a young woman from North Africa who was forced to flee her home because of persecution and her commitment to following Christ.

She left behind everything she knew, her home, her work, her security and her friends. She faced an uncertain future, carrying the pain of displacement and the loneliness of starting over. Yet, in the midst of loss, she found hope. She testified: “I have the body of Christ.”

Read more: Bearing the cross: Christian women confronting persecution in the Middle East

Her words remind us that the Church is not simply a building or a place; it is a family of believers who stand together across borders and cultures. When one member suffers, the whole body suffers; when one member is in need, the whole body is called to respond.

The day she was baptised, she declared “In Christ, I am now a new creation. The old has passed away.” Her joy was unspeakable. Her smile, priceless. Her future may still hold many uncertainties, but one thing is certain: her future is secure in Christ and she knows it.

A people called to journey

As stated, the story of God’s people begins with a command to leave. In Genesis 12, Abram is called to abandon his homeland, family connections and familiar surroundings. He is not given a detailed map or a clear timeline. Instead, he is asked to trust the promise of God.

Abram’s journey reveals a foundational truth: belonging from a Biblical perspective is not ultimately rooted in geographical location but in relationship with an omnipresent God. The writer of Hebrews reflects that Abraham was “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). His hope was not ultimately secured by a physical location but by God’s faithfulness to His promise.

“Abraham’s hope was not ultimately secured by a physical location but by God’s faithfulness to His promise.”

Old Testament theologian Walter Brueggemann highlights this covenantal understanding of identity. Israel’s relationship with God was always deeper than possession of land. The land was a gift, but the defining reality was the covenant between God and His people.

This distinction became especially important during seasons of displacement. As scholar Daniel Groody explains, migration is not simply a political issue but a theological lens. He argues that the movement of peoples mirrors humanity’s deeper spiritual journey towards reconciliation with God and neighbour. Human migration, he suggests, reflects both the brokenness introduced by sin and God's ongoing work of restoration in Christ.

The wilderness: Faith formed through dependence

As the Biblical narrative continues on from Abraham’s calling, the Exodus became the defining event of Israel’s national identity.

God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt and led them towards the Promised Land. Yet freedom did not immediately lead to stability. For forty years, Israel lived in the wilderness (Numbers 14:33–34; Deuteronomy 8:2). The wilderness was a place of uncertainty, testing, and dependence. It exposed their fear and doubt, but it also revealed God’s provision.

Through manna (Exodus 16:4, 35), water from the rock (Exodus 17:1–6), and His presence among them (Exodus 13:21–22; 33:14), God taught Israel that their survival depended not on circumstances but on Him. As Moses reminded them, God led them through the wilderness to humble and test them, teaching them that “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:2–3). For many displaced Christians today, the wilderness remains a powerful image and opportunity to reflect on these same truths concerning God’s faithfulness.

Migration often involves the loss of control. Families may leave behind homes, possessions, careers and familiar communities without knowing what the future holds. Yet the Biblical witness reminds believers that God’s presence is not limited by location. The wilderness was not outside God’s purposes. It was where He shaped His people and continued to reveal His glory to them.

Exile: Discovering God beyond the homeland

If the Exodus taught Israel dependence, the Babylonian exile taught them hope. When Jerusalem fell in the sixth century BC, Israel experienced a devastating loss. The Temple was destroyed, the monarchy collapsed and many people were taken away from their homeland.

Psalm 137 captures the pain of this experience: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.” Exile appeared to threaten Israel’s entire identity. If the Temple represented God’s presence, what did it mean to worship Him in a foreign land?

Yet exile became one of the most significant periods of theological reflection in Israel’s history. Through prophets such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, God revealed that His presence was not confined to Jerusalem. Jeremiah instructed the exiles, “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it” (Jeremiah 29:7).

“If the Temple represented God’s presence, what did it mean to worship Him in a foreign land?”

The exiles were not called simply to survive until they returned home. They were called to faithfully witness to God where He had placed them. This has implications for displaced Christians today.  Migration may involve grief, loss and profound uncertainty, but Scripture reminds us that exile does not mean abandonment. God continues to accompany and work through His people wherever they are scattered.

God assured the exiles in Babylon that He remained present with them and called them to seek the welfare of the place where they had been scattered (Jeremiah 29:4–7). Even in dispersion, God’s purposes continue to unfold through His people.

Christ: The refugee Messiah and His bride a displaced people

The theme of migration reaches its deepest expression in the life of Jesus Himself.

In Matthew 2, shortly after Christ’s birth, Herod’s violence forces Joseph and Mary to flee with the infant Jesus to Egypt. The Son of God enters the world not surrounded by earthly security but as a vulnerable child dependent on the protection of others.

This experience connects Christ with countless displaced people throughout history. He knows what it means to lose home, to become a stranger and to seek refuge. The incarnation reveals that God does not remain distant from human suffering. In Christ, God enters fully into the experiences of vulnerability, displacement and rejection. For displaced Christians today, this truth carries profound comfort: the refugee experience is not foreign to Christ.

The New Testament continues the Biblical pattern of God working through displacement. Following the persecution that arose after Stephen’s death, believers were scattered from Jerusalem. From a human perspective, this appeared to be a devastating setback. The young Church had lost its centre. Families were separated, homes abandoned and communities disrupted. Yet Luke records, “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” (Acts 8:4) The scattering of believers became the expansion of the Gospel as per Christ’s command in Acts 1:8.

In Acts 11, those fleeing persecution travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. There, the Gospel crossed cultural and ethnic boundaries, and a diverse community of Jewish and Gentile believers emerged. Antioch became one of the most important missionary centres of the early Church. It was there that followers of Jesus were first called Christians (Acts 11:26).

Read more: Witness and transformation: The good that God accomplishes through persecution

The message is clear: the Church does not depend solely on a particular location. God’s mission continues wherever His people are found. Missiologist Andrew Walls has argued that Christianity has always demonstrated a remarkable ability to move across cultures while remaining centred on Christ. The Gospel takes root in new languages and societies, creating communities that are both locally meaningful and globally connected. This is a fulfilment of the Master’s grand design.

The experience of Middle Eastern Christian communities today reflects this same reality. The Middle East remains one of the most significant regions for understanding migration theology because Christianity has been present there from the beginning. However, decades of conflict and instability have dramatically reshaped Christian communities. Syrians, Iraqis, Egyptians and others from the region have established churches and Christian fellowships across Europe, North America and Australia.

As many as 117.8 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced by the end of 2025, including refugees and internally displaced people.

The Middle East continues to represent one of the world’s largest displacement contexts, with millions affected by ongoing conflicts and instability. Behind these statistics are personal stories of loss and perseverance.

One displaced Iraqi Christian described the experience of fleeing violence with these words: “They took everything from us except our faith.” This testimony reflects a central truth of Christian theology: possessions, buildings and locations matter, but they do not ultimately define the Church or her identity. The Church’s deepest foundation is Christ Himself, who is with us always, even to the end of the age (Math 28:20).

Strangers who belong

The Apostle Peter writes to believers scattered throughout Asia Minor, “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles…” (1 Peter 2:11).

Peter does not deny the reality of displacement, instead, he places it within a larger theological vision. Christians belong fully to God while living as people who recognise that no earthly place can provide their ultimate security.

“Buildings can be destroyed. Borders can change. Communities can be scattered. Yet God’s household remains.”

Paul expresses this beautifully in Ephesians: “You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household” (Ephesians 2:19). The language of household is significant. A home is not merely a building; it is a community of belonging.

Buildings can be destroyed. Borders can change. Communities can be scattered. Yet God’s household remains. This does not mean migration is easy or that loss should be minimised. The grief experienced by displaced Christians is real. Leaving native homelands, historic churches and familiar communities brings deep sorrow. Biblical faith makes room for lament. But lament is not the end of the church’s story.

A Church with hope

Migration theology does not romanticise displacement. Forced migration caused by war, persecution and injustice is a tragedy to be lamented. Christians are called to seek justice, protect the vulnerable and welcome the stranger.

Yet Scripture also reveals that God is present on the journey.

From Abraham’s departure to Israel’s exile, from the flight into Egypt to the scattered Church of Acts, God has repeatedly transformed places of uncertainty into places of mission. The movement of His people has never meant the absence of His presence. For Middle Eastern Christians facing uncertain futures, this conviction remains central. Their identity is not ultimately secured by geography, nationality or political stability, but by belonging to Christ. Migration may change where the Church lives, but it cannot change who the Church belong to.

This hope is at the heart of the ministry of Barnabas Aid, which stands alongside persecuted and suffering Christians around the world, including communities across the Middle East and North Africa.

Read more: Soriah’s story: Displaced but not forgotten

Through practical support, emergency relief, strengthening local churches and helping believers remain faithful amid hardship, Barnabas Aid seeks to ensure that no Christian facing suffering is forgotten. Its work reflects the biblical calling to “carry each other’s burdens” (Galatians 6:2) and to stand with the global Church in times of need and serves as a reminded to displaced Christians that God has not forgotten them, He is still with them

The story of migration is a story of God’s sustaining grace. Across borders and generations, displaced believers continue to worship, serve and witness, reminding the wider Church that God’s people are not defined by where they live, but by the One who walks with them. As Jesus declared, His daughters and sons will come “from east and west” to take their place in God’s kingdom (Matthew 8:11), and through their journeys, witness and faith, Christ’s Church continues to be built across nations and generations.

In Part Two, we will explore how migration reshapes the Church itself, examining ecclesiology, community and mission in the experience of Christians living across borders and within the global diaspora.

References

Brueggemann, Walter, The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith, 2nd ed. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2002).

Groody, Daniel G., “Crossing the Divide: Foundations of a Theology of Migration and Refugees,” in Theological Studies 70, 3 (2009), pp. 638–667. 

Walls, Andrew F., The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1996).