3B: migration and Christianity in the UK

Question 1

Why does migration occur?

Answer 1

• United Nations has declared that the number of people currently displaced by conflict is higher than ever recorded.
• many move to flee conflict/war - e.g. from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Kosovo.
• some move to join family
• some move to study/work seeking better economic opportunities
• others arrive from countries due to facing religious discrimination or a lack of educational opportunity.

Question 2

Christian migration to the UK?

Answer 2

• Christianity is the religion with the largest representation among immigrants to the UK who have a religious affiliation.
• some attend churches that have been long in Britain and their country of origin (e.g. Anglican, Catholic or Methodist churches) whilst others will join new denominations or independent churches with a significant immigrant population.
• large influx of of Christians has caused traditional churches to reflect on how effectively they welcome and integrate newcomers.

Question 3

What are the challenges to Christian migration to the UK?

Answer 3

• large influx of worshippers who may just be learning English can make pastoral care a challenge - how can a vicar or priest respond to a personal crisis if there is a language barrier. In some places, ‘episcopal vicar’ who can take responsibility for a migrant community within a church
• language barriers can also hinder the teaching of the catechism, confirmation classes and preparation for the sacraments. However, this has since been made easier as many individuals use phones or other devices in their own language to understand the services
• there can be significant differences in worship styles - even when an immigrant is attending the same denomination in Britain as in their country of origin. Churches attempt to respect diversity and are encouraged to incorporate different forms of worship
• overall the amin challenge is to maintain both a sense of community cohesion but also an openness to the traditions and preferences of those who are new to worshipping community.

Question 4

What has been the Roman Catholic Church’s response to migrant Christians?

Answer 4

• The World Day of Migrants and Refugees has been celebrated annually since 1914, with the aim of reflecting upon the role of migration in the Christian tradition. It is a chance to express concern for those who are travelling, and to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities that migration presents.
• The CC in England and Wales runs a community sponsorship scheme with local co-ordinators to help migrants who are fleeing violence to integrate safely into local communities. Refugee families are screened, sponsored and supported with housing, raising funds, and learning English.

Question 5

What is Pentecostalism?

Answer 5

• a movement in Christianity that emphasises the experience of the worshipper.
• makes constant reference to the powerful experiences to Acts chapter 2, enabling them to speak in other languages and perform acts of healing.
• Pentecostal worship services do not follow a written liturgy and can have many of these components: exuberant singing, dancing, clapping, spontaneous prayer, speaking in tongues

Question 6

Pentecostalism in the UK:

Answer 6

• largest influx of Christians in Britain has come from the Caribbean and West African countries where Pentecostalism is pervasive.
• this has led to thousands of new churches in Britain, and the reversal of overall church decline in regions.

Question 7

How has the geographical centre of Christianity shifted?

Answer 7

• Pentecostal forms of Christianity have experienced dramatic growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America in recent years.
• there are just under 3000 million Pentecostal Christians in the world, although it could be as high as half a billion. Most of these are in the southern hemisphere. This means for the first time in history, there are more Christians in the southern hemisphere than there are in the northern hemisphere. Thus the geographical centre of Christianity has shifted.
• now in the UK there are 500,000 Christians who attend black majority churches - whereas 60 years ago there were hardly any

Question 8

Why aren’t congregations integrated?

Answer 8

• worship differences: there are clear differences between between experiential style of Pentecostal worship and the more literary ad liturgical approaches of traditional churches. However this doesn’t necessarily result in a lack of assimilation as some churches have embraced a Pentecostalism style of worship.
• social support: migrant groups have their own needs, related to pressures of establishing a new home, a source of income and a social network. May lead to conflict/tensions. However many churches offer counselling on legal aspects of the immigration process and classes on career development, educational issues and financial management.
• uneven spread of immigration: the ONS reports nearly 75% of all migrants go to London and an additional 10% to the South West. This means that there are large regions across the UK that do not have a significant number of immigrants, thus there are no opportunities for some churches to assimilate those from different cultures.

Question 9

Reverse mission in the UK?

Answer 9

• UK has a long history of seniding missionaires to soread Chrsitina message throughout the world. E.g. Methodist churches can be most in almost every place yhst was once a part of the British Empire.
• howveer in recent years missionaries have been coming to the UK from these countries.

Question 10

Why does reverse mission occur?

Answer 10

• global shift of Christianity to the southern hemisphere. This shift has bound up with the growing rise of Pentecostalism in Brazil, Korea, and Nigeria lead in sending the most Protestant missionaries across the world
• another factor is the dramatic church decline in the UK and perception that Britain is increasingly atheistic and secular.

Question 11

What are reverse mission activities?

Answer 11

• short-term visits of a group of non-British Christians, perhaps sponsored by a host church in the UK. For example, a church group from an African country comes to share music, drama and dance in churches and public spaces with the intention of spreading their faith
• church workers come to the UK with the intention to ‘evangelise’ and bring about conversions to Christianity.

Question 12

Does Christianity in the UK need missionary?

Answer 12

• those citing ‘no religion’ saw a huge increase in response to a question on religious belonging in 2011 census (15% in 2001 to 25% in 2011 and 37% in 2021).
• also been a corresponding decrease in those associating with Christianity from 72% to 59% to 46% in 2021. Christianity has the oldest age profile of all religious groups.
• however whilst only 47$ of 18-24 year olds identify as having a religious affiliation, 67% say that pray occasionally or regular. Therefore this challenges the secularisation thesis. The number of evangelicals in CoE has also risen from 26% to 34% from 1989 to 2005.
• between 1980 and 2015 125 churches opened in the UK, however only one is Church of England and none are Catholic. Furthermore during the same period there were 148 church closures.