Editor’s Note: The following article and headlines were updated to clarify comments made by Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato. The Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF) emphasized to the Daily Caller that they are expanding their outreach efforts to the Somali community. This piece was also updated to remove a line characterizing LHF as “left-leaning.”
Some Somali Christians fear worshipping in public because of imported social pressures, forcing missionaries to adapt their outreach strategies, a Lutheran pastor said.
Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato, a leader of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF), told The Christian Post they had to essentially halt direct evangelism toward Somalis because of an anti-Christian culture that followed them to the U.S.
Bato, LHF’s regional director for Africa, told the Post that they have used Somali migration to the U.S. as an opportunity to spread the Lutheran faith among the immigrants, as efforts to spread the translated message in Somalia had only “taken place cautiously.”
“When immigrants, Somali or otherwise, arrive in our communities, we receive those opportunities with gratitude,” Bato told the outlet. “And the beauty of a book is that it travels with the reader. Even if someone must relocate, whether within the U.S. or internationally, that book continues teaching and proclaiming Christ wherever it goes.”
However, under the “When NOT to share a book” subheading of instruction from LHF, Bato recommended that evangelists avoid handing out the Bible or other church literature to the immigrants. (RELATED: Trump’s ICE Reportedly Targeting Somali Illegal Immigrants In Wake Of Minnesota Fraud Scandal)
“A book can be a problem for Somali people when they bring them into their homes,” he said.
“They may be cut off from their families and community, which would be a very scary thing for them,” Bato continued. “Instead, it would be better to first establish a friendship or relationship with the person. Then, after gaining trust and sharing your own faith, you can ask whether they would like to learn more.”
Bato also warned attendees of an LHF event not to directly start evangelizing with Somali immigrants “unless it’s an emergency and a person is dying.”
However, LHF encourages its evangelists to nurture relationships with Somali immigrants, hoping that opportunities to discuss Jesus Christ may arise, according to a statement to the Daily Caller.
“Instead, relate to them. Pour coffee, invite them to dinner. That is a good thing,” Bato continued. Certain Starbucks locations in St. Paul, Minnesota, are often filled with Somali-speaking people, according to the LHF’s website.
Bato told The Christian Post that sharing the gospel with many Somalis can shut down the conversation.
“For many Somalis, if you begin a conversation by immediately presenting the Gospel, the discussion ends before it begins. The person may shut down or walk away because of fear, cultural pressure, or past experiences,” he said.
Most Somali Christians do not worship in public, he told The Christian Post.
“Instead, they gather in small, informal home groups due to the social, economic and familial consequences they may face if their Christian faith becomes known,” he said.
This trend persists despite the vast majority of Minnesota-dwelling Somalis being naturalized U.S. citizens and self-identified Sunni Muslims, according to the outlet. Minnesota has served as recruiting grounds for young Somali men to serve in Islamic State and al-Shabaab terror networks, the outlet reported.
Bato said there may be “a few” Somali Christian fellowships in Minneapolis and the Columbus, Ohio, region, accompanied by some “individual believers” located around the U.S. He declined to give The Christian Post specifics on the number of Somali Christian fellowships in Minnesota.
“[A]ny broad numerical estimate would be speculative and potentially unsafe,” he said. (RELATED: Judge Tosses Conviction Of Somali Who Ripped Off Minnesota Taxpayers)
The Somali populations in Minnesota and Maine have been in the national spotlight after President Donald Trump called Somalia a “garbage” country. Trump also said he would end “Temporary Protected Status” for Somalis residing in Minnesota in the wake of a fraud scandal allegedly involving Somali migrants.