Specialists

Refugee Church Consulting

Refugee churches can often be found in refugee camps, urban centers, and in countries of resettlement. They play a critical role in keeping hope alive as they provide safe and supportive community, a life-giving worldview, and practical help to their fellow refugees and asylum seekers. Many of them are also actively serving vulnerable people in their host community as well. Refugee church leaders face many challenges as they strive to develop sustainable communities of faith and navigate the legal system in their host country. They often need help understanding laws related to their church registration and services such as weddings and funerals. They also face many challenges related to shepherding people living in a foreign culture. Churches and organisations in refugee hosting countries often need help understanding refugees and refugee churches in their communities.

Our Mission

We are consulting with refugee churches in the US and internationally, helping them navigate life and ministry in their new context. We are also consulting with churches and agencies in the US and other refugee hosting countries, helping them effectively serve and partner with refugee churches.

Our Consultant

Pastor Jean Pierre Gatera was born to refugee parents in Rwanda. He was forced to flee Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. He lived in Kakuma refugee camp (Kenya) for over 20 years. He served as a pastor of a church in the camp for much of that time. He was also Chair of an association of churches in the camp and surrounding host community. He is respected as a pastor's pastor and often sought out today by refugee pastors in the US and other countries.

IAFR leadership consults regularly with Pastor Gatera as we develop our ministries. He serves on the board of a US refugee resettlement agency and regularly consults with leaders of a US denomination.

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