We cannot evangelise in Liverpool the way we do in Lagos

The re-evangelisation of Europe will require white and minority ethnic Christians to work together, says Harvey Kwiyani. Both groups have much to learn from the other, he says. Only then will revival come to our shores

Congregations of migrant Africans, Asians and Latin Americans are on the rise across the UK and have become an important part of the country’s Christian landscape. There is not a city here that does not have several UK Minority Ethnic [UKME] congregations, many of which have been established since 2000. In London, for example, Christians from an African or Caribbean background form only a small percentage of the capital’s population, yet they make up the majority of church attendance on any Sunday.

Researchers exploring church planting and church growth in the UK (such as David Goodhew, Sheial Akomiah Conteh and Paul Ayokunle) agree that most new churches in UK cities are planted by African, Asian or Latin American migrants. Whether one considers London, Liverpool, or Glasgow, more than 60 per cent of new churches are planted by foreign-born pastors and are catering to UKME communities.