Refugees: Crisis or Opportunity?
Monday 17 October 2016 13:35 The refugee crisis in Europe continues ... and tearing at the hearts of those around the world are images of young children, mothers and the elderly who in their attempts to find their way to places of peace and prosperity in Europe, end their lifeless journeys washed up on the beaches of some foreign soil.
CNN estimates 4.1 million registered Syrian refugees live in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Many of those have more recently been flooding the entry points of Europe through Turkey and Greece. But the story of the refugee is not a new one. Throughout its 111 year history, ECM International has been assisting and ministering to refugees who have been displaced by war and economic crisis.
ECMI missionary Vimal Vimalasekaran has been working among refugees in Germany for several decades now. As Vimal likes to say, "Jesus was a refugee!" Vimal himself came to Christ in a refugee camp. He and his wife Louise have a real heart for those displaced by war, pestilence, and poverty. While the rest of Europe struggles with this new wave of refugees, Germany is prepared to receive nearly 500,000 this year alone (The Guardian). Vimal and Louise are strategically positioned to minister to these refugees whose initial entry point is the refugee center in Karlsruhe.
ECMI is uniquely positioned to help and assist the churches of Eastern and Western Europe minister to this new influx of refugees. ECMI missionaires are on the ground assessing the situation and exploring ways to meet the physical and spiritual needs of these refugees as ECMI has done so many times in the past.
You can help through your prayers and gifts. Would you ask the Lord how He wants you to be involved? If you wish to make a financial gift toward refugee ministry, you can respond by clicking on the link Donate Now. Thank you for partnering with us in the sharing the love of Jesus in Europe. You are making a difference!
To see how ECM-Britain is responding to the refugee crisis, please select this link to their website.
OUR IMPACT IN UKRAINE
Discover our impact in the Ukraine crisis and how you can be part of it.
USA MISSIONARIES: DOING OUR PART
BE PART OF GOD'S MISSION IN EUROPE
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
From Relief Centre to Church
August - 19 - 2026 13:59 When war in Ukraine devastated the communities around Irpin, relief centres became places of refuge for those in need. But something even greater happened. As people encountered the love of Christ through practical care, new communities of faith began to grow. Today, Illia and Iryna lead one of those church plants. full storyTaking the Word Home
August - 12 - 2026 14:19 After three years of teaching German to elderly Ukrainian refugees in Germany, Louise was encouraged by a simple but significant moment: two of her students decided to take a Bible home. full storyMore Than a Bed for the Night
August - 05 - 2026 13:36 Every pilgrim who arrives at Casa Camino Antiguo brings a new opportunity to share the love of Christ. Through simple acts of hospitality, lives are being touched by the gospel on the Camino de Santiago. full story 
