This statement is “presented by Edward Stourton, a practising Catholic. He’s not your average Mass-goer, however. He comes from a well-connected family and is close to two of the supreme networkers in the English church, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, former Archbishop of Westminster, and Lord Patten of Barnes, former chairman of the BBC Trust and chancellor of Oxford University.” “As a Catholic, I believe that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church founded by Peter. There will always be someone to take the place of ‘the last Christian’. But not necessarily in Britain, where the death rattle has begun.”
It is clear that religious multiculturism is growing in the land and that has helped fill the declining British churches. It is reckoned that by 2067 Christianity will have died in Britain, apart from isolated small units of faithful saints. In fact the British Social Attitudes Survey reckon “that Anglicanism is declining more than any other denomination. With the current rate of decline, it would be set to disappear from Britain by 2033.” It has 15 years left. If I lived till then, I would be 99, and could witness its end.
Interestingly, Pentecostalism is growing, probably picking up ex-Anglican adherents, but especially from European residents. HICC, the church I founded, is comprised of about 80% immigrants, largely descendants from Colonial churches founded in other countries about 100 years ago by faithful missionaries.
However, some were born in Britain from immigrant parents, who came to Britain in expectation of finding a live, evangelistic, outward looking, vital church, but were disappointed in the extreme at the luke-warm, compromised and lack lustre churches they discovered. They found groups of aging people bravely holding the fort, complying with traditions that were often dated, and unable to accept and concede to differing cultures and their particular mode of worship and lifestyle. Thus, many of the immigrants formed their own churches to continue their lifestyle and teachings, fearing for their children who were being brought up in a morally compromised society. Thus, if Anglicanism did die there would other churches carrying on the public witness. What had been sowed abroad in many countries is now being reaped with a harvest of eager, passionate and committed Christians who have settled here and have revitalised many churches of differing denominations. For instance, the Polish immigrants are rejuvenating the Roman Catholic Church, which is also decreasing.
In 1985 I was appointed to the position of Superintendent or bishop of the Metropolitan Region which was approximately that area which was contained within the boundary of the M25 around London with 55 churches. I setup five prayer breakfasts for the ministers and elders which we held every six weeks excluding July and December. This allowed me to travel around the region meeting different groups of ministers and leaders. At one of those breakfasts one of our Elim Ministers brought an independent African pastor pioneering his own church. He enjoyed and benefitted from the mutual interchange and teach-ins. He is now the head of the largest church in Europe numbering approximately 12,000 people. It is in Hackney, London and is called KICC. Kingsway International Christian Centre.
David Voas, of Manchester University’s school of social sciences, said: “Black churchgoers in inner London are an important source of growth in the context of the national decline in church attendance … the Pentecostals have appeared out of nowhere in the last couple of decades, but it remains to be seen whether they can make significant inroads into the white population.” If they can’t they will automatically start their own, but start it they must to keep alive the Christian message. Their vibrant services and largely Afro-Caribbean and African congregations are growing almost exponentially. Without them British Christianity would be in a sorry state.
I can speak from experiences for about 90% of all leaders in my church – Harrow International Christian Centre – are amongst those immigrants I have mentioned. Without exaggeration, the finest group of people I have ever met. Committedly fundamental and unapologetically Pentecostal, carrying the unadulterated gospel to all they meet with a high moral tone. Hard working, diligent, faithful and loyal. A microcosm of heaven. “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” [Rev. 7:9]. They bring joy into the services, where mostly the respectable, sound and solid British worshipper is almost funeral in their response to grace and mercy – one must not get too excited about forgiveness. When the Holy Spirt came on the Day of Pentecost the populace thought the disciples were drunk, no fear of that today. How sad that is!
Michael
