Recently, we were delighted to welcome back one of our alumna Usha Reifsnider, who graduated in 2023, to speak at our weekly Chapel service. She offered an inspiring and personal reflection, drawing together her academic journey and her lived experience.
Now serving as Co-Regional Director for Lausanne Europe, Usha’s work takes her frequently across Europe and beyond, supporting mission leaders and fostering collaboration across cultures. Her visit provided a valuable opportunity for current students to hear from someone who has recently navigated the same academic and spiritual journey at OCMS.
Her story began in childhood, growing up in a Gujarati Hindu family in the UK, where she was first introduced to Christianity through Sunday School. Her decision to follow Jesus brought significant tension at home—at times leading to deep estrangement. While some within her Christian community encouraged her to distance herself from her parents’ faith and culture, her parents feared she would lose her Indian identity altogether. It was a conflict that took many years to resolve and heal.
These personal experiences later shaped her doctoral research, Reclaiming British Gujarati Hindu Culture after Conversion to Evangelical Christianity. Drawing on both cultural anthropology and practical theology, her thesis explores how converts navigate complex questions of belonging, family, and identity without being forced into rigid or imposed categories. Her work “unmutes” voices that are often overlooked, particularly in relation to family roles and decision-making within the British Gujarati diaspora. The missiological implications are significant: with an estimated 800,000 Gujarati Hindus in the UK and only around 300 identifying as Christian, her research continues to ask why this community remains largely unreached—and how the Church might respond more thoughtfully.
During her talk, Usha also reflected candidly on her time as a research scholar, acknowledging both the challenges and the strong academic and pastoral support she received from faculty and supervisors. In a particularly moving moment, she spoke of caring for her dying father during her studies and the profound experience of him acknowledging Christ shortly before his death—something she describes as a lasting source of comfort. Recognising that every PhD journey carries its own challenges, she encouraged students to make use of the support available to them and to persevere, reminding them that God walks with them through the journey.
Usha’s ministry has long combined research and practice. She served as a missionary with Go To Nations from 1988 to 2023, including cross-cultural work among migrants and refugees. Today, alongside her Lausanne role, she continues to serve in leadership and teaching, contributing to initiatives such as the Centre for Missionaries from the Majority World, and engaging in outreach and discipleship among people from Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh backgrounds.
She also briefly referenced her recent book, Unmuted (2024), which reflects many of the themes explored in her research. Drawing on “muted group theory,” the book brings together voices from across the global Church—particularly those often unheard—and offers theological reflection on identity, intersectionality, and the diverse realities of Christian discipleship. With contributions from a range of perspectives, including members of the OCMS community, Unmuted is both a challenge and an invitation: calling the Church, especially in the West, to listen more attentively to the voices of the global body of Christ. Usha’s most recent publishing success is co-editor to Polyphonic God: Exploring Intercultural Theology, Churches and Justice, a collection of essays that reflects the growing conversation around what it means to be a truly intercultural Church today.