While most Sikhs are found in Punjab and other northern states of India, large numbers are in diaspora: It is estimated that there are 27 million followers of Sikhism in India and around the world. Today, Sikhism is the world’s fifth-largest religion. Sikhs are adherents of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion founded in Punjab, India, in 1469, by Guru Nanak Dev. I did not know at the time that God had been providentially orchestrating for me to live and work among the Sikhs, one of the largest unreached and unengaged people groups in diaspora. We discovered that the original owners had plans for the property to serve as a Gurdwara, and that they had intended those pictures to be a source of teaching and protection for their community. After two years of using the building, when the congregation decided to renovate it, deacons found, embedded between the dividing walls, the images of the ten ‘spiritual masters’ who contributed to the establishment of Sikhism. In 1988, when the Filipino congregation I first pastored in Edmonton looked to purchase its first property, it chose the property of the Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha Society in west Edmonton. On reflection, I can see how God, throughout my life, has been shaping my heart for the Sikh people. Payne writes about ‘the strangers next door’, including my Punjabi Sikh neighbours, who he lists as a large unreached people group in North America. When my young family arrived in Canada in 1981, the first people we met at the airport were Punjabi Sikhs.ĭr J.D. In 1970s Manila, I met many Sikhs in my university engineering courses. Even in a young and remote town, I had Sikh classmates whose parents worked in the finance business. I first encountered Sikh people as a child in the southern Philippines. I was moved to pray intentionally and reach out to the Sikhs in my community, who had been globally dispersed. Consequently, he was discipled and trained for evangelism and ministry. He decided to follow Jesus, got baptized, and enrolled in Bible college. He shared how he came to faith in Jesus by reading the Bible from cover to cover. In October 2018, a couple of Punjabi friends invited me for lunch and introduced me to a Christian pastor from a Punjabi Sikh background (Sikh Background Believer – SBB). This article reflects on the fact that Christians have been slow to reach out to Sikhs and suggests some ways to demonstrate gospel concern for the community. These massive events underline the size and significance of the Sikh community in Metro Vancouver. The annual Vaisakhi parade, scheduled for April 13 in Vancouver and Surrey, was cancelled due to COVID-19. Top ten Metropolitan areas with Sikh Populations in Canada: ( Listed from Largest to Smallest ): Toronto ON, Montreal QC, Vancouver BC, Calgary AB, Ottawa ON, Edmonton AB, Quebec City, QC, Winnipeg MBĪs for total Population in Canada of Sikhs: Surrey (120,000 Sikhs), Brampton, Ontario (98,000) and Calgary, Alta (29,000) has a higher population than Abbotsford.Ībbotsford has 26,000 Sikhs while Vancouver has 17,000 and Toronto has 20,000.Gurdwara Sahib Khalsa Darbar, formerly St. London has the highest overall Sikh Population in England with 126,000 Sikhs comprising 1.5% of London’s total population. Sikhs as a Percentage of Total Population: 4% Sikhs as a Percentage of Population: 8.5% Sikhs as a Percentage of Total Population: 10% Sikhs as a Percentage of Total Population: 10.2% Sikhs as a Percentage of Total Population: 11% Sikhs as a Percentage of Total Population: 12% Sikhs as a Percentage of total Population: 24% Sikhs as a Percentage of Total Population: 36% Sikhs as Percentage of Total Population: 38% Sikhs as a Percentage of total Population: 42% Most densely populated Cities With a significant Sikh Population as percentage of Total Populationġ) City: Surrey, Canada (Largest Sikh Settlement Outside of Punjab)(120,000 Sikhs)
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