CIU Today Winter 2016

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CIU Partner School Reaching Middle
Eastern Refugees
Refugees “very open to hear the message of the gospel”
By Karin Moser in Korntal, Germany and
Bob Holmes in Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia International University officials learned how an
institute housed at CIU’s partner school in Korntal, Germany is
helping German churches assist in the immigration crisis facing
that country.
CIU Provost Dr. James Lanpher and CIU Board of Trustee
members Pastor James Dixon and Dr. Jerry Rankin visited
the Academy for Word Missions (AWM) to attend graduation
ceremonies and celebrate AWM’s 25 years of partnership with
CIU. While in Germany, they also learned more about the
European Institute for Migration, Integration and Islam Studies
(EIMI) based at AWM. EIMI is flooded by invitations and requests
for information on how Christians can help the overwhelming
number of Middle Eastern refugees pouring into Germany.
EIMI is directed by Yassir
Eric, a former migrant
who has pastored
migrant churches. He
says about 1.2 million
refugees have entered
Germany.
“This turned out to
be a huge challenge
to the church, politics
and society,” Eric told
CIU Today. “With our
EIMI program and team
we are standing alongside the church and the believers in
Germany to encourage, equip and facilitate them to reach out
to the refugees with the Good News and to build bridges to
integrate them into the society.”
Eric noted that most of the refugees have a Muslim background,
but “are very open to hear the message of the gospel.”
“That is because of either disappointment from Islam or they
have seen the real ugly face and reality of Islam,” Eric said.
“Not only that, but most importantly, they have seen the love
of Christ and the changing grace in the lives of those who try to
help them.”
Eric says an EIMI team operates a help center for the refugees
where they learn the German language and are offered advice
on German laws and culture.
“We share the gospel with them and pray with them,” Eric said.
“I´m touched by the fact that nowadays we don’t have to reach
people overseas, but that they come to us. I see a great chance
in ministering to people we would never be able to reach in
their original country. Again and again I´m overwhelmed by all
the people who give their lives to Christ.”
Meanwhile, at AWM’s graduation ceremony, 45 graduates
were awarded master’s or doctoral degrees with some already
committed to serving in Thailand, Kenya, Mali, Peru, India and
the Siberian region of Russia. Graduates of AWM’s continuing
education programs received certificates for Intercultural
Coach, HR Resources & Development, or Integration Assistant.
Four CIU professors travelled to Korntal in 2015 to teach at
AWM. At the graduation ceremony, Lanpher called AWM a “soul
mate” to CIU. He said that because CIU professors teach at
Korntal, they “gather experience in teaching in another culture.”
“The mission of CIU is to impact the world with the message of
Christ, and we are able to do that even more extensively with
and through our partnership with AWM,” Lanpher said.
EIMI assists refugees with paperwork. (EIMI photo)
As refugees learn German the gospel
is shared with them by EIMI staff.
(Photo provided by EIMI)
EIMI director Yassir Eric (center) with CIU Provost Dr. James
Lanpher (left) and CIU Board member Jerry Rankin.
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