Word Made Global: Stories of African Christianity in New York City

Mark R. Gornik is director of City Seminary of New York. He served previously as the founding pastor of New Song Community Church in Baltimore and is also the author of To Live in Peace: Biblical Faith and the Changing Inner City.

Andrew F. Walls (1928–2021) was an influential and beloved historian of Christian missions ending with the new era of the globalized church. He was a devoted participant-observer and learner in the work of world evangelization, and he was teacher and mentor to many current missiologists. Before his death he invited trusted students and colleagues to edit his renowned lectures into this book.

Timothy Keller
— Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City
"Mark Gornik's fascinating, in-depth look at African Christianity in New York City should be read by anyone concerned to understand the future of the new, global Christianity, and especially by those doing urban ministry. . . This is the kind of analysis sorely needed today."

Afe Adogame
— University of Edinburgh 
"This unique and illuminating study, based on extensive religious ethnography, is indeed a vital contribution to our understanding of the dynamics, mission, and vitality of new African Christianity in New York City. It will be a significant reference point for future research in a relatively nascent field. . . A must-read!"

Manuel A. Vasquez
— University of Florida
"An ethnographically rich and theoretically astute account of the diversity, creativity, and vibrancy of African Christianities in New York. Beyond the vivid and compelling exploration of local congregations and practices, Gornik paints an insightful and prescient portrait of the emerging face of Christianity as it enters its third millennium. This Christianity operates simultaneously at the grass roots, addressing the embodied needs and desires of those at the margins of society, and at a global level, traveling with and through transnational immigrants and hypermodern electronic media."

Dana L. Robert
— Boston University School of Theology
"By focusing on African immigrant churches in New York City, Gornik illumines the distinctive features of Christianity today: transnational, urban, embodied, and missionary. This exciting study both builds upon the most recent scholarship and moves our knowledge of world Christianity forward."

Missiology
"I highly recommend this well-researched and interesting book! It has encouraged me to more deeply explore the stories of and nurture relationships with the emerging immigrant churches in my own community."

Reviews in Religion & Theology
"Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of an elder who is telling marvelous stories. As you listen, you absorb more than factual information and theological insights. You absorb a perspective; a sense; a feel. You learn by osmosis as you read this book."

Anglican and Episcopal History
"An engaging read; the descriptive passages are lively and evocative, and the theoretical analysis is solid. . . . Accessibly written and thought-provoking."