Cultural Challenges about Migration in the Apostolic Faith Mission International Ministries United Kingdom: An Ethnographic Approach

Abstract

Apostolic Faith Mission International (AFMI) is a classical Pentecostal denomination with branches all over the world. In Africa, it has more than one million members spread in countries like South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and others. The AFMI in Africa has managed to grow due to its ability to minister relevantly to the people of Africa and their cultures. However, through an observation participation method, the study found that there is a different trend in the growth of Apostolic Faith Mission International Ministries United Kingdom (AFMIMUK). AFMIMUK has grown in the past three decades, but the church is not able to penetrate the local context due to local cultural challenges. As a result, their growth is based on gathering African immigrants in the UK. The article discusses these cultural challenges identified as individualism, reserved liturgy, monoculturalism, and unilingualism within the theoretical framework of ethnography to find a possible solution.