In this issue—
Discovering Your Samaria Ministry Through Demographic Research

Introduction

In our last issue, Rev. Dr. Gregg Detwiler introduced a challenge for Christians to respond to “the exciting mission field of Samaria.” He defined “Samaria” as that part of God’s mission field that is near us, though the people are not like us. As Gregg explained,

“In Jesus’ day, Samaria was the region just north of Jerusalem that the Jews intentionally bypassed because those who lived there were culturally, ethnically and religiously different from the Jews. Our ‘Samarias,’ if we are Caucasian suburbanites, might be the inner city or other communities that we rarely visit. Our ‘Samaritans’ might be those who live around us but who are racially or culturally different from us—perhaps they dress in foreign attire, eat unfamiliar foods, speak in thick accents, or practice Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam or another religion. Their neighborhoods may not be comfortable for us, but they are places to which we are called.” (Emmanuel Research Review, Issue No. 22.)

In this issue, we want to begin to respond to Gregg’s challenge as we explore answers to these questions: “What Samaria ministry opportunities are developing within our country and community? What information can help guide our steps straight into, rather than around, the cross-cultural mission field of Samaria? What are the emerging opportunities for evangelism, church planting or church development that could possibly engage unreached or unseen people groups already living in our neighborhoods?” Based on the data examined in this issue, the Samaria mission field appears to be wide open and growing.

We write from the context of our city, Boston. We will focus on how certain aspects of immigration trends, nationalities, language use and international student enrollment can be gathered and considered with respect to a Samaria ministry focus, and to other intercultural ministry developments. We will also consider how using a “people groups” perspective may yield a more effective strategy, especially to unreached peoples. Along the way, we may discover how an intentional walk across town can be as effective as an international mission trip. We would encourage those of you serving churches and communities outside Boston to take a critical look at those questions from your own geographical center, and use these ideas in your own context.

Throughout this issue, we will use the terms “Samaria,” “Samarias,” and “Samaritans” to mean those people who live near us, but are not culturally or ethnically like us. We are not referring to people who are ethnically or racially connected to the actual, historical Middle Eastern region of Samaria.

We have included a brief list of some of our resource links at the end of this issue. As always, your feedback is appreciated.

Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher
Brian Corcoran, Managing Editor

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Discovering Your Samaria Ministry Through Demographic Research

Immigration in the U.S.

By monitoring immigration trends we can begin to see the people and places of origin of recently arriving populations. Large numbers of immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Europe and other regions of the world continue to cross the borders of the United States. This significant and diverse stream of people from so many places in the world brings great opportunity, challenge and responsibility for Samaria and other intercultural ministries. As demonstrated by the statistics that follow, many nations are becoming our neighbors. The people of Samaria (and much of the world) are coming to the United States. With 33.5 million immigrants living in the U.S. since 2000, we shouldn’t have to go far to encounter people from other nations.

33.5 Million Immigrants Live in the U.S. since 2000

• Immigrants account for more than 1 in 10 residents (11.7%), the highest percentage in 70 years, but still lower than that of the 1910.
• Since 1990, 43% more immigrants live in the United States.
• Between 1990 and 2000, immigrants accounted for 41% of the growth of the nation’s population and 48% of the growth of the nation’s labor force.
• The nation’s largest immigrant groups in the U.S. in 2000 were Latinos and Asians:
  • 53% are from Latin America;
  • 25% are from Asia;
  • 13.7% are from Europe;
  • 8% are from other regions around the world.

Sources:

Camarota, S, A., (2001). Immigrants in the United States - 2000: A Snapshot of America’s Foreign-Born Population. Center for Immigration Studies: Washington DC.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2004). The foreign-born population in the United States: 2003. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Immigration in Massachusetts and Boston

By gathering foreign-born population data from U.S. Census records for a given city and state, we can begin to see where immigrants are locating and how many there are with respect to the total population. By gathering this information for decades past, historical trends and popular destinations emerge, such as we see in Massachusetts and Boston.

Massachusetts and Boston have received large numbers of immigrants in the past. Consistent with this history, Massachusetts and Boston are currently experiencing significant numbers of immigrants arriving to establishing their new homes. There have been times in the past when immigrants were approximately one-fourth of the states population or as much as one-third of Boston’s total population. Today, in Massachusetts we find the 7th largest immigrant population in the country. So as demonstrated by the following immigration statistics and foreign-born population records, we can see how people of the world come to Massachusetts and Boston.

Foreign Born Population, 1850-2000

Date	Boston	%	Massachusetts	%
1850	46,677	34.1	164,024	16.5
1860	63,791	35.9	260,106	21.1
1870	87,987	35.1	353,319	24.2
1880	114,796	31.6	443,491	24.9
1890	158,172	35.3	657,137	24.9
1900	197,129	35.1	846,324	30.2
1910	243,365	36.3	1,059,245	31.5
1920	242,619	32.4	1,088,548	28.3
1930	233,687	29.9	1,065,620	25.1
1940	184,080	23.9	857,658	19.9
1950	144,092	18.0	721,230	15.4
1960	109,964	15.8	576,452	11.2
1970	83,988	13.1	494,660	8.7
1980	87,056	15.5	500,982	8.7
1990	114,597	19.9	573,733	9.5
2000	151,836	25.8	772,983	12.2

Source: U.S. Census, Boston Redevelopment Authority, Research Division Analysis

Massachusetts has the 7th Largest Immigrant Population

• As of 2004, Massachusetts (MA) immigrant population totaled 906,866, which is 14.3% of the state’s population.
• Between 2000 and 2004, 172,054 new immigrants came to MA. If not for this influx, the MA population would have decreased.
• Between 2000 and 2004, 47.3% of MA immigrants were from Latin America and the Caribbean and 23.1% from Asia.
• Brazil has become the largest source of immigrants in MA. From 2000 to 2003 nearly 1 out of 5 immigrants entering MA was Brazilian.

Source: Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth. (2005). The changing face of Massachusetts. Boston.

Boston’s Immigrant Population is Growing

• Over the last couple of decades the share of Boston’s foreign-born population has increased at a faster pace than Massachusetts and the U.S.
• In 1990, 114,597 immigrants accounted for 20% of the city’s total population.
• In 2000, the foreign-born population in Boston was 151,836 accounting for 26% of the city’s total population.
• Boston’s foreign-born population come predominantly from the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Africa and represented more than 100 different countries.
  • Caribbean immigrants make up 59% of all immigrants from the Americas
  • Haitian immigrants make up the largest share of Boston’s immigrants

  Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, BRA Research Division Analysis

New Bostonians and the New Majority in Boston

Recent immigration has contributed to the growth of a new majority. Boston is now a “minority majority” city. The 2000 U.S. Census results show that Boston’s Latinos, Asians and African Americans are 50.5% of the city’s total population as depicted by the following changes in race and ethnicity from 1980 to 2000.

Source: New Bostonians 2005, published by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Research Division, October 2005, for the Office of New Bostonians, Mayor's Office, City of Boston. To open a pdf file of the report in another window, click here.

Foreign-born populations can be further examined regarding countries of origin using U.S. Census data. This will indicate what world regions and nations are represented in a given location and how many people there are reported from each nation.

In the case of Boston, recent U.S. Census data on the foreign-born population identifies more than 100 different countries represented in the community. The top three nations being: Haiti, the Dominican Republic and China. The following charts show regional groupings in which the leading countries are identified by name. By further comparing what nations are represented in the community and what nations are represented in the community’s churches, we can begin to identify potential ministry needs.

source: New Bostonians

source: New Bostonians

U.S. Census ancestry reports provide yet another way to see a city’s diversity. For example, Boston’s ancestry reflects past and present immigration trends. Irish and Italian ancestries have declined in the last decade, yet are still the topping the report. People with Puerto Rican ancestry are increasing and currently rank third. However, the greatest increase from 1990-2000 was in Vietnamese ancestry. The following table shows the number of people reported in the top 20 ancestries for 1990 and 2000.

	Ancestry	1990	2000
1	Irish/Celtic	128,682	93,360
2	Italian	60,178	49,017
3	Puerto Rican	25,183	27,442
4	English	38,385	26,384
5	German	34,054	24,426
6	Unspecified Latino	7,852	19,783
7	Chinese	16,263	19,638
8	"American"	10,624	19,387
9	Haitian	12,438	18,979
10	Polish	17,009	13,704
11	Dominican	7,938	12,981
12	Cape Verdean	6,140	11,060
13	French (except Basque)	16,045	10,960
14	Vietnamese	4,812	10,818
15	Russian	13,756	10,267
16	Jamaican	5,869	8,226
17	Scottish	9,775	7,340
18	French Canadian/ Acadian/Cajun	9,037	7,186
19	African	2,194	5,962
20	Salvadoran	3,178	5,333

Sources:

U.S. Bureau of the Census , BRA Research Division Analysis

Liming L., Perkins, G., Goetze, R., Vrabel, J., Lewis G., & Consalvo, R., (2001) Boston’s Population – 2000, Changes in Population, Race, Ethnicity in Boston and Boston’s Neighborhoods – 1980 to 2000. Boston: Boston Redevelopment Authority.

Boston Redevelopment Authority. (2005). DRAFT Gateway city: Immigrants in Boston

In addition to Boston’s top 20, ancestry can and should be considered in the fuller context of Metro Boston (including the larger metropolitan area around the City of Boston), Massachusetts and New England. This information can be a great benefit in considering how numerically less significant groups may connect on a regional scale, or ministries may be designed or developed to target specific groups for evangelism within a metro area composed of numerous cities.

Sample census data tables on ancestry:

• To open an Excel file showing sample data on Ancestry in New England as found in the U.S. Census 2000, click here.
• To open an Excel file showing sample data on Ancestry in Boston CMSA as found in the U.S. Census 2000, click here.

The Nations in the Neighborhoods of Boston

Foreign-born populations can be identified by neighborhood using U.S. Census data. This information may reveal an unlikely combination of nations in a given neighborhood and the favorite neighborhoods of certain nationalities.

As we continue to use Boston as an example, we can see how almost all of its neighborhoods experienced an increase in their foreign-born population between 1990 and 2000. And some neighborhoods: Allston/Brighton, East Boston, Dorchester, Mattapan, Roslindale and Hyde Park, reported higher than city averages of foreign-born individuals. These six hot spot neighborhoods are seen in the following table along with the other Boston neighborhoods.

Foreign-born Population by Neighborhood and the Change Between 1990 and 2000
	Foreign Born in 1990		Foreign Born in 2000		Changes
Neighborhood	Foreign Born	Percent of Foreign Born in Neighborhood	Foreign Born	Percent of Foreign-born in Neighborhood	Absolute Change	Percentage Change
Boston Total	114,597	20.0%	151,836	27.0%	37,239	32.5%
Allston/Brighton	20,396	29.0%	22,016	32.6%	1,620	7.9%
Fenway/Kenmore	5,674	17.2%	7,974	22.6%	2,300	40.5%
Back Bay/ Beacon Hill	3,342	12.1%	3,155	12.1%	-187	-5.6%
Central	6,101	28.1%	6,480	26.4%	379	6.2%
Charlestown	733	5.0%	2,111	14.7%	1,378	188.0%
East Boston	7,695	23.4%	16,051	45.0%	8,356	108.6%
South Boston	2,133	7.2%	3,717	13.1%	1,584	74.3%
South End	5,196	18.1%	6,201	22.9%	1,005	19.3%
Roxbury	9,323	15.9%	12,501	24.0%	3,178	34.1%
North Dorchester	6,623	26.3%	9,936	36.8%	3,313	50.0%
South Dorchester	13,749	22.7%	19,556	33.2%	5,807	42.2%
Mattapan	9,568	26.5%	10,706	31.0%	1,138	11.9%
Roslindale	6,050	18.3%	9,048	27.9%	2,998	49.6%
Jamaica Plain	9,123	22.2%	9,157	25.3%	34	0.4%
West Roxbury	3,714	12.5%	4,929	18.4%	1,215	32.7%
Hyde Park	5,097	17.0%	8,246	28.0%	3,149	61.8%
Harbor Islands	80	—	52	8.2%	-28	-35.0%

Source: New Bostonians

By focusing on these six hot spots neighborhoods and breaking them down by nation, we get a street level view of the international diversity in Boston. In Allston/Brighton, people from China, Brazil, Russia, Ireland and Ukraine, who normally are thousands of miles apart, are brought together within miles of each other. Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti are huddled together in Hyde Park. Similarly, East Boston, Dorchester, Mattapan and Roslindale have a surprising and unlikely combination of nations. As can be seen from the tables for each of these neighborhoods, there are many opportunities for Samaria- and other neighborhood-based international ministries.

Source: New Bostonians

International Students in Boston and Massachusetts

In many regions and cities, outreach to international students is an important aspect of Samaria cross-cultural ministry. Often international students represent a greater variety of nations than the general population. They are also potential future leaders in their home countries. In some areas the international student population is quite large. By using information from organizations like the International Educational Exchange and local college and university enrollment records, we can monitor international student populations. For example, there are 12,927 international students in just four of the Boston area schools: Boston University (4,542), Harvard (3,669), MIT (2,736), and Northeastern University (1,980).* “Boston University enrolls the eighth largest international population of any major U. S. university.”** During the 2005-2006 year it enrolled students from 143 countries. Massachusetts ranks fourth in the United States in the number of foreign students enrolled in its colleges with 28,007.*** The leading countries of origin for foreign students in Massachusetts were China (PRC) (2,719), India (2,684), South Korea (2,156), Canada (1,645), and Japan (1,616). Because there are enough students from each culture, specialized groups like the Boston University Hindu Student Council have also formed.

* Institute of International Education, “Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange, State Background: Massachusetts,” 13 Nov. 2006. http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/ (12 Dec. 2006).

** B.U. Today, 29 Nov. 2006, 1.

*** Institute of International Education, “Open Doors: 2006 Fast Facts”. http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/ (12 Dec. 2006).

Additionally, to view a Table of Total International Student Enrollment Trends in the U.S. from the Open Doors website, click here. This opens as a pdf file in a separate window.

Language groups, needs and abilities in the Greater Boston area

Even a brief investigation of language needs and abilities can identify strategic points that can multiply ministry. To a certain extent, U.S. Census data on “language spoken at home” and “ability to speak English” will yield results as to what languages are key to reaching non-English speakers in a given community.

As we apply this method to the Greater Boston area, the numbers in table P19 of the Census Summary File 3 are most likely undercounted particularly for this topic. However, they do give some indication of the language abilities of the population. Table P19 can be searched for very specific geographic areas including census tracts. In Greater Boston, 71,544 Spanish speakers do not speak English well or do not speak it all (over 5 yrs.). Of those who speak Asian languages, 40,016 lack English proficiency (over 5 yrs.). In Greater Boston, 187,492 residents lack the ability to speak English well. There are 16, 387 young people (5-17 yrs); 135,828 adults aged 18–64 years and 35, 277 older residents lacking English proficiency. Within the city limits of Boston, 46,000, or 8% of the city’s population, do not speak English well and 26,000 of the city’s households are linguistically isolated (no one in the household over 14 is proficient in English).

• To open an Excel file showing sample data on Languages Spoken in Home and Language Ability for Boston households as found in the U.S. Census 2002, click here.

Although further research is required to gain a more detailed understanding of languages in the Greater Boston Area, we have already identified, in a rough sense, how many people can be effectively communicated with using English, how many need English skills taught or improved, and how Spanish and Asian languages are needed to reach many non-English speakers. This information can help guide decisions regarding the need for churches that worship in languages other than English, bilingual churches and ministries, and ESOL classes to teach English.

The following table provides an example of a more detailed language analysis using U.S. Census Data. As you can see from this table, when the Asian languages are separated, Haitian Creole takes the second position for languages.

Source: New Bostonians

The Unreached of the World in Boston

Missing Nations

As indicated already, identifying populations by nationality can be a helpful starting point for Samaria ministry and other intercultural ministry development. However, it can also become complicated by differing definitions of what is a “nation,” and by nations changing names, shifting borders, conflicts and political agendas. The United Nations currently lists 192 nations as members. The U.S. State Department counts 193 “independent nations.” These numbers are actually in agreement after adjusting for the fact that the Vatican City is considered an independent nation that is not member of the United Nations. And we can compare the list of 193 nations with a list of nations represented in our state or community to identify missing nations. However, The U.S. CIA Fact Book determines there are an additional “73 dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, and other miscellaneous entities” also in the world. We need to consider other ways to monitor these populations to identify unreached groups.

The following three tables of nations are located on another webpage. Click here to open in a new window.

• Table 1: 193 Nations of the World with Capital Cities
• Table 2: Nations Changing Names, Some Recent Examples
• Table 3: Nations with Conflict: The Biggest Conflicts of the 20th Century by greatest number of casualties, and Places of Conflict in the World Today

Identify People Groups

In analyzing the opportunities for Samaria ministry, it may be more precise and helpful to identify “people groups” which may be relatively unchurched or unreached with the message of Christianity. “By a ‘people group’ we mean a ‘significantly large sociological grouping of people who perceive themselves to have a common affinity for one another.’ This affinity may be the result of a shared language, religion, ethnicity, residence, occupation, class or caste, or situation, or a combination of these factors and others.”* Thus a people group can be defined by more than just language, ethnicity and nationality. It is “a part of a society that has some basic characteristics in common that cause it to feel a sense of oneness, and set it apart from other groups.”** While the data we have presented on nationality, ethnicity and language provides a general starting point, it is helpful in planning outreach to identify even more specific people groups, whose needs and characteristics may suggest more specialized approaches to effective ministry.

* C. Peter Wagner and Edward R. Dayton, editors. Unreached Peoples ’80 (Elgin, Ill.: David C. Cook Publishing, 1980), 25.

** Ibid., 368.

There are many more people groups than nations. The total number of people groups in the world ranges from 7,000 to 27,000 depending on what type of people groups you are defining (see table below). According to the data compiled by People Groups at http://www.peoplegroups.org/ and The Joshua Project at http://www.joshuaproject.net/, there are approximately 430 people groups in the United States alone.

Table of People Groups Definitions
Peoples Defined By	Resulting List	Examples	Totals
Language	Linguistic peoples	· Ethnologue	7,000
Language / Dialect	Linguistic peoples (Particularly supports language based ministry)	· ROPAL (Registry of Peoples and Languages)	11,000
Language / Dialect Ethnicity	Ethno-linguistic peoples (Particularly supports language based evangelistic / discipleship outreaches)	· Integrated Strategic Planning Database · World Christian Encyclopedia · Operation World peoples lists · Original Joshua Project list · PeopleGroups.org	13,000
Language / Dialect Ethnicity Religion Caste Culture	Ethnic peoples (Particularly supports church planting outreaches)	· Joshua Project · Registry of Peoples (ROP)	16,000
Language / Dialect Ethnicity Religion Caste Culture Education Politics Ideology Historical enmity Customs Behavior	Unimax peoples (Particularly supports church planting and all types of evangelistic / discipleship outreaches)	· World Christian Encyclopedia estimates · US Center for World Mission estimates	27,000

Source: Joshua Project

The 10/40 Window Perspective

The 10/40 window is another helpful way to consider the under-churched and unreached populations of the world. The 10/40 window is frequently described as a rectangular area between 10 degrees north latitude and 40 degrees north across North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The 10/40 area is considered to be strategic in world missions because of the fact that it contains the world’s least evangelized and poorer populations. According to The Joshua Project, which compiles information from numerous sources, the 10/40 window contains 61 countries as depicted in the following table. Some of the people of the 10/40 window countries listed are living in our neighborhoods and can be strategic links to some of the most needy and unreached places in the world.

A table listing the names of nations in the 10/40 window, their population, number of people groups, persecution ranking, primary religion, percent evangelized is available on another webpage. Click here to open the Emmanuel Research Review table in a new window. To see the original data from The Joshua Project, go to http://www.joshuaproject.net/.

Source: The Joshua Project http://www.joshuaproject.net/

Conclusion

A brief examination of immigration trends, nationalities, language use, and even international student enrollment can yield practical data for consideration in Samaria other intercultural ministry development. Immigration trends and nations of origin verify a significant, multinational inflow of people coming our way. In the case of Massachusetts and Boston, language use analysis has identified the need for non-English churches and English language skills development like ESOL. In addition, we can see how international student enrollment is bringing future world leaders to our local universities.

By comparing who is in our community with who is in our churches, we can begin to identify the unreached and unchurched along with more appropriate strategies for ministry development. In the process, we discover how “people groups” may provide a more strategic perspective than national identities and that some of the most unreached people of the 10/40 window currently share our latitude. We are living in a unique time when a purposeful walk across the street could be as effective as journey across the world.

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Resources and Links

CIA World Fact Book: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

City of Boston: http://www.cityofboston.gov/

Institute of International Education: http://www.iie.org/

Office of New Bostonians: http://www.cityofboston.gov/newbostonians

People Groups: http://www.peoplegroups.org/

The Joshua Project: http://www.joshuaproject.net/

The Pluralism Project: http://pluralism.org/ navigate to "our research" and "profiles"

United Nations: http://www.un.org/english/

US Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/

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