Something is Happening in London

By Andy Tilsley

London, UK

If you’ve ever seen the West End theatre production Guys & Dolls you will know that Christianity is portrayed as a long list of ‘Do’s’ and ‘Don’ts’, practised by a rapidly decreasing band of unhappy followers who are out of touch with the real world.

It’s quite ironic looking out from the same stage at the Piccadilly Theatre, where ChristChurch meets, to see the stereotype blown away by hundreds of people worshipping God and listening to lively Biblical teaching.

Building church is, of course, not only about what happens on Sundays. Despite the fact that you can’t get away from people in London, many are extremely lonely. Weekly life-groups in coffee shops, socials on boat trips down the Thames and sports events in Hyde Park have all helped toward building genuine community amongst the crowds that gather in the Piccadilly Theatre each week.

Churches of thousands

ChristChurch isn’t the first to meet on a West End stage. Hillsong’s growth has been nothing short of explosive. Over the past few years numbers have increased from a few hundred to nearly 6,000 people, who now pack the Dominion Theatre every Sunday, besides growing churches in both Leatherhead and Paris.

Nearby, there’s another success story. Holy Trinity Brompton has swelled to a Sunday attendance of 3,000, while resuscitating almost a dozen other churches across the capital. This is against the backdrop of Alpha, with over 31,000 courses worldwide.

Across Central London alone, 26,000 more people have started going to church in the last eight years. In Greater London there are over 200 more churches today than in 1998, with over half the people attending in their 20s.

Kensington Temple, Jesus House, Ruach Ministries and Glory House all number their congregations in the thousands, the largest being Kingsway International Christian Centre in Hackney, where around 12,000 people gather every Sunday. Beyond the capital, large churches are emerging in Peterborough, Solihull, Bradford and Sheffield.

30,000 people squeezed into London’s Excel Centre several months ago for a vast prayer meeting! Evangelists Nicky Gumbel and J John described themselves as the warm-up acts ahead of a night of impassioned prayer for the city, the UK and the nations. Something’s stirring! Korean, Chinese, Indian, Croatian, Swiss, Portuguese and Spanish ethnic minority churches are also all reporting growth.

All this in a city obsessed with money, sex and power. Round the corner from ChristChurch’s new venue lies sleazy Soho. ‘Light breaking out in the midst of darkness’ is a most appropriate picture.

Going to the theatre

The three-year journey to the theatre has certainly been an exciting one! The early faith battles for houses, jobs and a place to meet were only the opening skirmishes. God has since helped us overcome further challenges for venues, storage facilities, space for children’s work, permission to do baptisms, and the ever-increasing challenge of finance! The number of people we’ve seen saved and added through Alpha has fuelled our energies as we’ve grown to little short of 400 people. It’s a road that’s taken us from a conference venue to a wine museum to a West End theatre, under the inspiring leadership of David Stroud, Adrian and Julia Holloway, and Rhys and Sara Scott. In the last year we’ve heard amazing stories. In one, someone was travelling on a tube train when a total stranger suggested she come to ChristChurch. She went and subsequently became a Christian on Alpha. All this only whets our appetite for what lies ahead.

The wider stage

In Catford, people have responded to the gospel every week for the last year. The spacious Kings Centre isn’t looking so big anymore as 750 people cram into church every Sunday. In the east of London, Church for the City has just moved to a fantastic new auditorium with a seating capacity for 450 people. In Bermondsey, Bexleyheath and Thornton Heath venue challenges are being tackled through building projects and the use of extra local facilities. Similar challenges lie ahead for Stef Liston, who’ll shortly be planting into Camden, and Andy Floyd, who already has small groups meeting across South London.

Other movements are also starting churches across London, such as Vineyard, St Mary’s Marylebone and All Souls Langham Place. Greg Haslam’s faith for all that God has planned for Westminster Chapel is infectious and exciting!

Dare we say the tide is turning? I’d hazard a guess that most would respond with a resounding ‘YES’.

The broader scene isn’t so positive. September’s publication of the book Pulling Out Of The Nose Dive by Christian Research, shows the graph of church growth in the UK is still pointing the wrong way. Nationally, 2,500 people stop going to church each week, either as a result of an ageing church population (almost a third of churchgoers are over 65), the pressures of life crowding out church involvement, or people simply deciding they don’t want to go anymore. But the rate of church decline has decreased by a third over the last six years, as 1,000 new people come to church each week.

Is something unique happening in London that can be replicated across the UK and the cities of the world? Does the cosmopolitan and international make-up of London provide better conditions for church growth? Possibly. Is an expansive vision statement a better draw for potential newcomers? Many leaders would say so. Are people more attracted to larger churches and therefore more likely to join one of the many on offer in London? The statistics point to that.

But it’s easy to look for a formula. Actually what’s really working is what we’ve known all along. Planting more churches, praying for the sick, doing evangelism, helping the poor – the very mission Jesus gave us – is the key to sustained growth. Planting and building churches works like nothing else.

While the cynic could point to continued decline, the fact is that more new churches are growing than we’ve seen for many years. The success of initiatives like Alpha, increased faith for the miraculous, growing numbers of social action projects and the many wonderful stories that have emerged from events like Newday and Front Edge, where we’ve seen hundreds healed and many more saved, have contributed to a growing sense of momentum.

Beyond the UK

Beyond the UK there’s more good news as well. A recent article in Charisma Magazine reported church growth in China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, South Korea, Russia, Burkina Faso and Benin to name but a few. And in nations like the US and Australia, where secularism is dominant, church attendance is also on the up!

Yes, there’s plenty of work to do; many nations remain un-reached. The process may be step by step and involve some significant faith battles, but we’re carrying some tremendous promises that fill us with confidence as we press forward.

Which brings me back to Guys & Dolls. The story finishes as only a West End production can. Love wins through. Conflict is overcome. Even the most unlikely characters find hope and reformation. Clichéd as it may sound, it reminds me of our story, only the ending is more glorious and the outcome more certain. And we get a mention in the credits!