African Expressions of Christianity in Australia

Abstract

African Expressions of Christianity in Australia was commissioned by the African Australian Advocacy Centre (AAAC), a grassroots organisation that represents African communities in Australia in the areas of advocacy, research and policy. The purpose of the report is to highlight the complex relationship between African expressions of Christianity and settlement in Australia, and to proffer evidence-based recommendations aimed at government, not-for profit organisations and other settlement support services. These recommendations support productive engagements and partnerships with churches given that they are important social centres for the vast majority of people of African heritage who identify as Christian living in Australia. This report is based on research that was conducted between March 2020 and June 2023 as part of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project DP190102911 entitled ‘The African Diaspora and Pentecostalism in Australia.’ This project aims to understand African migrant settlement in Australia through the lens of Christianity. The project has conducted research in the form of participant observation, interviews, and focus groups with Christians of African heritage in Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. We also interviewed members of grassroot settlement and advocacy organisations that serve people of African heritage