I’m not surprised Evangelical Christianity is on the rise
I really enjoyed these comments from the mighty Ed West over at the Telegraph Blog and are based on a a fascinating IPPR report on UK immigration and faith trends, which I blogged about here:-
If you have stumbled onto this blog and are not a Christian, get yourself a hot drink, pull up a comfy chair and then tuck into the following article written by one of the best in the business:- All Of Grace by Charles SpurgeonLife is full of ironies. Europe’s immigration revolution was caused by two major developments, and both had hugely ironic results. Europe’s Holocaust complex and sense of self-hatred following the Nazi horror led to a reactive obsession with racism as the ultimate evil, which led, ironically, to large-scale immigration from among the most anti-Semitic countries on earth, widespread “anti-Zionism” in Europe, and an increase in hate crimes against Jews across the continent.
The second factor was the sexual revolution, the decline of church attendance, the invention of the Pill, the 1967 Abortion Act and the increase in female employment, which caused the European birth rates to plummet in the early 1970s, leading to a need for foreign labour. Thirty years later burqas and hijabs were common on Britain’s streets.
But the spiritual vacuum caused by the decline of the Anglican, Catholic and Methodist churches in England is being filled by other forces. According to the Mail Evangelical Christianity is on the rise.
Some 4.5million of the UK’s foreign-born population claim to have a religious affiliation. Of these, around a quarter are Muslim while more than half are Christian – with Polish Catholics and African Pentecostals among the fastest-growing groups.
While traditional churchgoing is on the decline in the UK over the past decade, the latest immigrants mean Christianity is becoming more charismatic and fundamentalist.
‘Perhaps the most significant change has been the growth of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity within migrant populations, particularly those from Africa and Latin America,’ the report found.
‘In Lewisham, there are 65 Pentecostal churches serving the Nigerian community, and others serving the Congolese, Ghanaian and Ivorian communities.’
Professor Mike Kenny of IPPR said: ‘The research shows that recent waves of inward migration have given a boost to some of the UK’s established faith communities at a time when Britain’s society and culture are generally more secular, and smaller numbers of the indigenous population are regularly attending churches.
‘Recent migration trends are altering the faith map of the UK. Their biggest impact is being felt in some of our largest cities: London above all, where a rich mosaic of different faith communities has come into being.’
Evangelical Christianity might be heavily African-influenced but it’s also spreading among the natives as well. Yesterday I attended an Evangelical service for a friend’s baby’s naming ceremony (not a baptism, as we papists call it – this group don’t believe in infant baptisms).
The happy clappy thing is not my scene – I’d need at least four Stellas before I could get up and dance in a church without dying of a cringe-related stroke – but it’s easy to see why Evangelical Christianity is rapidly spreading in the UK. The median age of this church was about 20; in most Catholic parishes in London you’re considered an energetic young go-getter if you’re under 75; the Evangelicals have many working-class members, while very, very few
The Evangelicals also aggressively court people of other faiths, including Muslims – while the Catholics would rather meet other religious leaders at (preferably tax-payer funded) interfaith meetings where they can spout platitudes about faith communities, as if religious identity is fixed, not a choice.
And in three decades of living in London I have also never seen so many people of different racial backgrounds united in a feeling of brotherhood – Londoners generally tolerate each other, and muddle on, but whether it’s the NHS surgery or the Notting Hill Carnival, the theme is begrudging tolerance, not affection. A small church can do far more for race relations than all the state-subsidised quangos and anti-racism campaigners in Christendom.
Many Catholic and Anglican churches are packed on Sunday mornings with young parents trying to get their kids into the best schools, and it shows – the air is thick with hypocrisy. In contrast the Evangelicals, whether anyone likes it or not, believe, and it shows. Doubt and scepticism are fine things but a religious community that does not believe in its own message will wither and die, and be replaced by others. I’m not remotely surprised Evangelical Christianity is on the march in England.
Tags: Christianity
December 15th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
I like the above article. Although I’ve savoured all branches of Christianity, I still come back to Conservative evangelicalism with it’s emphasis on one needing to have a ‘born again’ experience. However, unless this is followed up by what I would term a more sacramental and devotional aspect, then there is a real danger of spiritual arrogance taking hold. Actions speak far louder than words and, consequently, tremendous damage can be caused in evangelism, should we accost people with a ‘do you know The Lord?’ attitude of upmanship. And, indeed, I sense this is even more off putting still, when any of a Calvinist leaning affirm: ‘I know the Lord and could never be lost!’ kind of attitude.
I’ve also come across the most off putting of characters in the other school of thought. I’ve met those who have proudly boasted: ‘I’ve been baptized of The Spirit brother. Isn’t it time you got your filling?’ Well, equally, not the best of adverts for The Faith once delivered to the saints!
As for that newer custom of holding up hands, swaying, and turning to look at others; well it savours too much to my mind of exhibitionism. But then, ‘who am I to judge?’ I only hope I’m expressing an opinion! Temperaments differ considerably. Salvationists like noise; Quakers like silence; Catholics and The Orthodox like candles, if not incense too. I think all such things have their place. BUT what really counts is that Christ’s gospel of saving grace is not only preached but also made obvious through the Fruits of the Spirit manifest in the worshippers.
Such Fruits are more important than many of those Gifts which can have their place. Let the true beauty of Jesus be seen in us and then, what we preach will find a fertile, willing soil. Otherwise far too much of many types of Praise meetings – springing up as mushrooms! – can become little more than a substitute for getting high with drugs and gigs.
‘Praise God!’ I say for evangelical centres so splendidly spreading; but as with other factors, so with the church of Christ, quality and depth will count for far, far more than quantity and dimension