A Research Project

The ACGB is Inviting Leaders, Catalysts, and Practitioners to research on the following subject

How African Churches position themselves in a changing Britain/Europe, with regards to their mission and agenda

This is an exploration into a history, a picture, and a potential - for planners, investors, and associations. It is also an exploration into the minds of spiritual leaders and hearts of their followers. This research aims to examine the authenticity of African Churches as new institutions and transformation carriers. It also aims to explore the historic or contemporary Christian foundations that relate to their mission, as well as the references that relate to their agenda. It will hopefully open up or/and bring forward both the embedded notions and yearning aspirations, and how these inform the various practices of evangelical, pentecostal, charismatic, biblicist, indigenous, contextual, universalistic, imperial, or orthodox Churches.

It may challenge negative assumptions and motivate higher pursuits/aspirations in experiencing God - in an environment that is becoming increasingly skeptical of the claims or the life-transformational qualities/power of the Christian Faith. This project is providing opportunity to observe how the Christian Faith is re-presenting itself through a particular people, in a changing British/European religious environment.

The African community is largely theistic. The Christian theism of Africans refers to the Jewish faith for a background or for an inspiration - perhaps even for an agenda.

The diaspora African Churches in the UK vary in congregational size and spread. As separate congregations, they number around two thousand. As individuals, African Christians will number around 250,000, which is about 50% of the African black community in the UK and 5.4% of the ethic minority population of the UK (analysed from the 2001 UK census).

It may be noted that the Western colonisation of Africa impeded the expansion of missions and congregations from the Orthodox Churches, particularly those formed in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, into Sub-Sahara Africa. The colonisation project replaced their advancement with the territorial/cultural extension of Western Protestant missions and Latin (Western) Orthodox Churches.

Since the 1970s there has been a large influx of African Instituted Churches as well as African Evangelical-Pentecostal Churches into Britain and Europe, the latter being the more vibrant . As almost all of them become more and more institutionalised, they seek to justify their presence as they continue to spread throughout the UK and Europe. They aspire to establish themselves beyond being seen as African Community Churches. The criteria they are looking for is authenticity. They seek measures of authenticity for who they are (for themselves and for the world) and for what they are doing in UK/Europe.

They are not content to stay as African community Churches i.e. Churches for Africans in Britain/Europe. They seek to go beyond that. In the UK, for example, some congregations have linked themselves to existing networks of evangelical-pentecostal Churches e.g. Evangelical Alliance, Elim Churches Association, Assembly of God Churches, and The Baptist Union. Some of the leaders of other diaspora African congregations have joined the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church and other Protestant/Baptist Churches as priests.

There is now a quest for a broader and a richer authenticity among these diaspora Churches. The quest involves a determination to arrive at deeper levels of the historic Christian Faith. These Churches seek to play at the centre/heart of the Christian Faith in the UK and in Europe. In this sphere, they are looking for self-understanding, enrichment, knowledge, and a practice beyond what they are getting from the organisational link or priestly employment they have secured (or may secure).

This pursuit for a broader and a richer authenticity is vital (and possibly serves as the core) to the spiritual regeneration social awakening, and economic establishment of the African community in the UK.

In this light, it is logical that a section of these diaspora Churches are "travelling out" to interact more and more with historic European Christianity. Perhaps a prospect in this “travelling out” lies with how they define their Evangelical-Pentecostal parameters, and also move towards historic European and Mediterranean Orthodoxies which are outside of the Latin Orthodox Church.

Historically, the aspirations of black Christian religious movements in the UK have centred around the traditional Judeo-Christian cause/beliefs, and they remain very buoyant. One must examine whether or not this is problematic or a crucial foundation.

We must begin to ask questions including the following: What is the place of African Churches in a changing Britain/Europe? What purposes are they serving? What/where is the agenda if any? What/where is the future? Can it transform? Where is the African socio-cultural, economic, or political capital? Is there a revolutionary picture or a major edge for a collective movement? What are the measurements? Is there a cry? Is there a potential for investment? Are they somehow discovering or making their “New World” of the 21st century? Which British/European dreams/aspirations are they connecting to or intervening in?

The enquiry may require insights into the socio-economic transformation missions/agenda of other biblical Faiths, to offer relevant comparison plus a theological/intellectual rigour.

The project will no doubt assist other diaspora black congregations (including diaspora professional or vocational associations) to access, decide, or position their future in modern/competitive Britain/Europe.

To sign up, please complete the following form: