I Was a Stranger and You Took Me In

""St. Luke tells us of the Midianites who received the stranger Moses (Acts 7:29), of a ragtag bunch of disciples who received strangers from Rome at Pentecost (Acts 2:10), and of Judeans who perceived a stranger visiting Jerusalem in their midst (Luke 24:18), but who was otherwise rejected and crucified by the Jerusalemites in power! If the current global refugee crisis has been weaponized by authoritarian nationalist regimes to manufacture immigration crises around the world in ways that remind us of the latter, Lois Olena and her Pentecostal colleagues reintroduce us to a God of and for refugees--and immigrants--and invite us to respond not just with prayers and platitudes but with changes of hearts and hospitable actions that the Holy Spirit's outpouring enabled."" --Amos Yong, Professor of Theology and Mission, Fuller Seminary ""Millions are on the move across the globe. Violence, poverty, and yearning for a better life are driving unprecedented numbers to seek a new life elsewhere. How should the church respond? These papers presented at a conference in 2024 establish biblical and theological foundations and present examples of concrete engagement with the stranger. This offering from global Pentecostalism should inspire other Christian traditions to similarly get involved at such a time as this!"" --M. Daniel Carroll R., Scripture Press Ministries Professor of Biblical Studies and Pedagogy, Wheaton College ""I Was a Stranger . . . is a ground-breaking and compelling treatment of a burning social issue. It should both arouse the social conscience of spiritually sensitive Pentecostals and enlighten us to the exciting opportunities for incarnational mission which this new frontier throws open. This is Pentecostal scholarship at its best, blending impressive breadth of scholarship, depth of passion, and reflective praxis--essential reading for any contemporary mission student or practitioner!"" --Ivan Satyavrata, Board Chair, World Vision International ""Theologian Harvey Cox has described Pentecostalism as 'a religion made to travel.' Olena curates a broad spate of topics to highlight the reality of Pentecostals caught up in the current migratory patterns globally as well as the clear biblical command 'to welcome the stranger among you.' The global nature of Pentecostal life, as central to its identity as a spiritual community, is highlighted with both clear focus and prophetic challenge in I was a Stranger and You Took Me In."" --Byron D. Klaus, Former President, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, Missouri