Professional Development Day

March 7, 2025 
 

Norway is a multicultural society, and each congregation is in a multi-ethnic local community. In Revelation 7:9 the vision is that one day people of all nations will stand before the throne. But already now the Christian witness is represented by many nations, cultures and ethnicities in this country.

How can we make disciples of all people in our local communities?

To succeed in this mission, we are sent together. This seminary is about exploring what it means when disciples and congregations of all nations are to carry out their common mission in our multicultural society.

Program 

09.30: Main Seminar 1: Reverse Mission: Migrant and Missionary

Lecture by: Israel Olofinjana
Response panel: Gabriel Stephen and Stian Eriksen

11.00: Break

11.20: Main Seminar 2: From Mono- to Multiethnic  

Lecture by: David Wise
Respons panel: Bente Sandtorp og Paul Orlenius

12:30: Lunch

13.15 – 14.30:  Parallel seminar 

1: From Mono- to Multiethnic churches
David Wise 

2: Challenges of Majority World Christians leading intercultural Churches in Europe: TheMission of Migrant Churches
Israel Olofinjana

3: Children and Youth: a multiethnic future
Ung Baptist

4: Multiethnic church planting
Oslo International Family Church, Home Church m. fl.

5: Converts, discipleship and church building
Per Kristian Rønning

14.30 – 14.45:    Break

14.45– 15.30: Main seminar 3: Of all nations: Making disciples in a multicultural Society 

Introduction by: Israel Olofinjana og David Wise
Response: Temesgen Kahsay and Jarleif Gaustad

The professional development day is held in

Høyskolen for Ledelse og Teologi

St. Olavs gate 24, 0166 Oslo

The development day costs 300 kroner (150 kroner for students) incl lunch

Main seminar 1: Reverse mission: Migrant and Missionary  

Lecture by Israel Olofinjana  

Both refugees, labor migrants, and other immigrants may see themselves as missionaries. What does this mean for living as a disciple in a new country? Christians from ethnic minorities live in the tension of preserving their own culture while witnessing about Jesus to other population groups. What does this mean for church life and collaboration with Christians from the majority population? 

Main seminar 2: From Mono- to Multiethnic churches 

Lecture by David Wise  

David Wise led Greenford Baptist Church through its transformation from a traditional, white, isolated British church to a deliberate and authentic multiethnic congregation reflecting and engaging with its local community. Many Norwegian churches are, consciously or unconsciously, becoming increasingly ethnically diverse. What can we learn about managing practical challenges and theological reflection in leading such changes? Response panel: Researchers and practitioners from Norway.

Main seminar 3: Of all nations: Making disciples in a multicultural society.  

Introduction by Israel Olofinjana and David Wise  

To make disciples in our multicultural communities, Christians of all nations in Norway need one another. How can we together provide a credible testimony of Jesus Christ? 

1. From monoethnic to multiethnic church 

David Wise 
This seminar follows up on Main seminar 2. In addition to further insights from Greenford Baptist Church’s transformation process, there will be time for discussion and questions.

2. Challenges of majority world Christians leading intercultural churches in Europe: The Mission of Migrant Churches  

Israel Olofinjana 
This seminar follows up on main seminar 1. Many Christian immigrants plant new churches. Some are based on a single ethnic group, others are more international. Commonly, they are less influenced by the majority culture. What resources and challenges do these churches bring to the mission in Western countries? 

3. Children and Youth: A Multiethnic Future  

Ung Baptist 
How can children and youth be equipped to make disciples and build churches in a multicultural society? Ung Baptist has been a multiethnic children’s and youth organization for over 20 years and has valuable experiences to share. This seminar will primarily look ahead: if we believe that the future of church building is best done in partnership among disciples of all nations in local communities, what does that mean for today’s work with children and youth? 

4. Multiethnic church planting  

How do we reach out to the community and build fellowship across cultures? Oslo International Family Church, Home Church, and OKS Groruddalen share experiences and reflections on church planting in a multicultural society. 

5. Converts, Discipleship, and Church Building  

Per Kristian Rønning 
Converts need discipleship, but they can also disciple others. How can Christians from the majority population and Christians from ethnic minorities build churches together with converts? Per Kristian Rønning is an immigrant consultant in the Free Church and completed his master’s thesis, Convert and Disciple-Maker, in 2024. 

Israel Olofinjana

Rev. Dr. Israel Oluwole Olofinjana came to the UK as a missionary over 20 years ago. He is the Director of the One People Commission of the Evangelical Alliance. An ordained and accredited Baptist minister, he has led two multiethnic Baptist churches and an independent charismatic church. He is the founding director of the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, a mission network providing cross-cultural training for reverse missionaries in Britain. A Yoruba Nigerian with a Pentecostal background, he holds a BA (Hons) in Religious Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and an MTh from Carolina University of Theology. His PhD focuses on developing African British Theology, exploring African identity through Intercultural Missiology and Public Theology. 

David Wise

Rev. Dr. David Wise was the pastor of Greenford Baptist Church from 1987 to 2019. During his leadership, the church transitioned from being a white British congregation to a multiethnic church with attendees from around 45 nationalities. The congregation also became outward-focused and engaged in the local community, doubling in size. This transformation is documented in his PhD thesis, Developing a Genuinely Multi-Ethnic Local Church Congregation: An Auto-Ethnographic Investigation into Greenford Baptist Church 1987-2014. David Wise has served as a mentor and coach for 30 years and currently focuses on supporting Christian leaders working in interethnic and cross-cultural contexts. 

Responses and Parallel Seminars:  

Gabriel Stephen
Assistant professor and Phd. candidate Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology 

Stian Eriksen
Associate Professor Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology and VID Specialized University (VID)

Bente Sandtorp
Pastor Home Church 

Paul Orlenius
Pastor Centrumkyrkan Vallentuna and coordinator for Pingst Integration, Sverige

Temesgen Kahsay
Assistant professor Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology

Paul Omayio
Pastor Oslo International Family Church

Irene Ødegaard Lunde
Pastor OKS Groruddalen 

Sveinung Vaagen
Project manager Ung Baptist

Per Kristian Rønning
Immigrant consultant in The Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway 

Jarleif Gaustad
Leader, Church Development Norwegian Lutheran Mission and leader SENDT Norway.