Christianity and migration Component 1 Theme 3b

Central ideas Christianity is the most common religious affiliation amongst migrants coming to the UK. This means that tens of thousands of migrants join new and existing churches each year. This puts pressure on pastoral care and teaching if there is a language barrier. New denominations and independent churches are growing. Often Pentecostal.

Redeemed Christian Church of God Started in Nigeria in the 1950s 800 congregations in the UK Holds massive meetings at Excel convention centre in London

Shifts in balance Within the UK: the increase in numbers of Christians where they occur are usually from growing Caribbean or African communities. Within the world: while northern Europe becomes increasingly secular there are now half a billion Christians in the southern hemisphere.

Christianity is in decline in the UK 2001 census said 15% of people had no faith, by 2011 this had gone up to 25%. Similarly in 2001 72% of the population identified themselves as Christian but by 2011 this had declined to 59%. There is an argument that we as a country require what has been called “Reverse Missionaries”.

Reverse Missionaries

Final thought… …elite culture in Britain may well be secularising, whilst other parts of British life are seeing church growth. A survey of the religious views of, for instance, BBC executives and those who clean BBC Television Centre in London might well indicate both secularisation and resacralisation. David Goodhew