Issue Network
Diasporas
The mission of God among people on the move
"People are on the move as never before. Migration is one of the great global realities of our era." - Lausanne Cape Town Commitment (2010), Part II, IIC-5
What We Mean by “Diaspora”
Selected excerpts from Lausanne Occasional Paper 70: People on the Move
“A Greek word (διασπορά) meaning dispersed or scattered found in the Old Testament translation of the Bible into Greek (Septuagint) and a few times in the New Testament.”
“Diaspora is a collective term employed along the lines of an ethnic, national, or linguistic group of people that are marked by displacement of some kind while migrants primarily are those who have crossed a border or experienced an uprooting of their native land under varying conditions.”
“Diaspora refers to migrants and their descendants whose identity and sense of belonging, either real or symbolic, have been shaped by their experience of dislocation, mixing, or perceptions.”
“Migration is a linear and one-directional term that fails to capture the contemporary reality and complexity associated with the multi-directional, multi-modal, and multilateral ebb and flow of people from everywhere to everywhere.”
Read more: Lausanne Occasional Paper 70: People on the Move (Terminologies section)
Canadian Diaspora Network (CDN)
Relaunch in progress
Background
2008: Lausanne Canada, with the Tyndale Intercultural Ministry (TIM) Centre, launched the UREACH Diaspora Initiative to support ministry among new Canadian people groups.
2020: Following consultation across Canada, Lausanne Canada launched the Canadian Diaspora Network (CDN).
Canadian context
Canada is one of the world’s most significant diaspora contexts.
Nearly one in four Canadians is foreign-born, the highest proportion among G7 nations.
In major urban centres such as Toronto and Vancouver, close to half the population was born outside the country.
More than 80% of Canada’s population growth now comes through immigration.
These realities shape everyday church life, leadership formation, and mission in Canada, alongside Indigenous histories and responsibilities, a pluralistic public framework, and an increasingly secular cultural landscape.
Current status (2025–26)
CDN is being refreshed as a ministry collaboration issue network within the Lausanne Movement in Canada. Update conversations during 2025-26 are being facilitated with Canadian leaders, in collaboration with the Global Diaspora Network, including TV Thomas, who serves as Chair of the Global Diaspora Network and is part of the Canadian diaspora leadership community.
More to come.
Contact: diaspora@lausanne.ca
START HERE
Lausanne Occasional Paper 70: People on the Move
Scattered to Gather: Embracing the Global Trend of Diaspora
An accessible introduction to diaspora as a biblical and global missional reality.
Understanding Diasporas
From the Lausanne Global Classroom.
RESOURCES
Go deeper
Guide to Action: Finding Our Way
A practical guide inviting churches to engage diverse communities with humility and collaboration.
GUIDE TO ACTION
Polycentric Missiology - Allen Yeh
A theological roadmap for mission “from everyone to everywhere” in a polycentric world.
Lausanne Occasional Paper 78: Forcibly Displaced People
Focused guidance on refugees, asylum seekers, and forced displacement in mission.
APPLY
Practice and connection in Canada
Join the Welcome Church Network
Training and support for churches welcoming newcomers and refugees.
Canadian Diaspora Network (CDN)
A ministry collaboration network within the Lausanne Movement in Canada.
Relaunch in progress.
Contact: diaspora@lausanne.ca
Global Diaspora Network
The Lausanne Issue Network serving diaspora engagement globally, including access to resources and the GMove app.
