In this episode Al Roxburgh and Jenny Sinclair talk with Samuel Luak about what it means to be human. Born in Sudan, as a teenager he was confronted with the horror of civil war and experienced the loss of family and the longing for revenge. It was in the midst of hate and death that he came to know the reconciling love of Jesus. Forced to leave his own country, as a refugee he made a new life in Finland and then in the UK. An African Christian living in the West, Samuel is infused with the wisdom of the “we”, bringing a grace-filled countercultural challenge to the individualism that captures the Western imagination. We see its impact: from “having coffee” and the loss of the shared meal to the complete abandonment of our fellow citizens. This is a man whose life exudes the grace of God, whose own journey into love for human beings shapes the ministry he is now leading: the rehumanizing, life-giving exchange between refugees and UK congregations.

Samuel is the Leader for Refugee Integration and Discipleship programmes at Welcome Churches in the UK. Raised in the Presbyterian Church in Sudan, Samuel is now a Finnish citizen. A trained lawyer and theologian having studied in Sudan, Egypt, Lebanon, Finland and the UK, he is an ordained minister, and has served as a lecturer and a schoolteacher, as well as fulfilling roles at the Finnish Bible Society, and for the Church Commission for Migrants in Europe. Since moving to the UK in 2017, he has worked with refugees and attends Woodside Church in Bedford, where he is actively involved in intercultural ministry, promoting engagement between diverse communities.

Our work is only possible with your support. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to enable us to continue with the podcast.

Links

For Samuel Luak:

https://welcomechurches.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-luak-413476133?originalSubdomain=uk

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=869351222066791&id=100069757641603&set=a.284573637211222

For Alan J Roxburgh:

http://alanroxburgh.com/about

https://www.themissionalnetwork.com/author/alan-roxburgh/

https://journalofmissionalpractice.com/alan-roxburgh

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alanjroxburgh?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alan.roxburgh.127/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecommonsnetwork

Books

Joining God in the Great Unraveling

Leadership, God’s Agency and Disruptions

Joining God, Remaking Church, Changing the World: The New Shape of the Church in Our Time

For Jenny Sinclair:

Website: https://togetherforthecommongood.co.uk/from-jenny-sinclair

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-sinclair-0589783b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/T4CG

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TogetherForTheCommonGoodUK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t4cg_insta/

Get full access to Leaving Egypt at leavingegyptpodcast.substack.com/subscribe