Speakers: Brian Doten & Thomas Albinson
With a staggering 120 million people displaced from their homes—the largest humanitarian crisis in history—our world faces an unprecedented challenge. Refugees are have been forced to flee due to wars, conflicts, religious persecution and severe human rights violations. Misunderstandings about what it means to be a refugee can often arise, and political debates sometimes obscure the compassion we’re called to show.
Join us for a compelling Lunch & Learn where you’ll gain a deeper understanding of this critical issue and discover how to make a meaningful impact. Learn the crucial differences between refugees and migrants, and explore how you can respond with empathy and action.
Don’t miss this opportunity to educate yourself, broaden your perspective, and become a more compassionate advocate for those in desperate need of support.
About the presenters: Brian Doten has been the Senior Pastor at Northwood Church in Maple Grove, Minnesota, since 2005. Prior to serving at Northwood, Brian served Wooddale Church for nearly 24 years, first as the Senior High Pastor and then as the Discipleship Pastor. While on staff at Wooddale in the 1990s, he helped launch Wooddale’s ministry with Arrive Ministries. For years, Wooddale has partnered with Arrive to resettle refugees. As Northwood’s pastor, Brian visited the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya (world’s largest refugee camp) two times with International Association For Refugees (IAFR) Founder and President Tom Albinson. Brian is married to Kris, who is a licensed professional clinical counselor. They have three adult children who live in the Twin Cities and Dallas, Texas. They also have two grandsons.
Thomas (Tom) Albinson has served refugees full-time since 1981. He founded the International Association for Refugees (IAFR) in 2009, where he serves as President. Prior to his work with IAFR, Albinson served with Slavic Gospel Association (1981 – 1992) and with International Teams (1992 – 2009). He has pioneered several refugee ministry initiatives and has supervised refugee ministries in Africa, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. In 2001, Albinson helped establish the Refugee Highway Partnership, a WEA Global Partner and growing international network of Christians serving forcibly displaced people. Albinson received a B.A. in Social Work from Taylor University and has since studied some theology at Wheaton College Graduate School and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Albinson met his wife, Donna, while serving in Austria (1981 – 2003). They married in 1985 and live in Minneapolis.