London in Focus

Written by Trevor Archer on Friday 4th January 2019

Over the past 500 years, since the Reformation first came to Britain, London has acted as a hub for the spread of the gospel, not only in Britain but around the world. Yet today London represents one of the neediest mission cities in the western world. FIEC’s London Director, Trevor Archer, elaborates.

As author Bill Bryson put it in his travel book Notes from a Small Island(published by HarperCollins, 1995), “I can never understand why Londoners fail to see that they live in the most wonderful city in the world.”

As a 2000-year-old city dating back to the Roman invasion of Britain around the time of Christ, London is now regarded as a leading global centre for trade and technology, the arts and academia, learning and leisure. It welcomes a staggering 14 million foreign visitors every year.

With around 8.5 million residents, it represents about 12.5% of the total UK population – larger than the combined population of Scotland and Wales.

Every year, the population grows as people from around the world are drawn to this metropolis of diversity and opportunity, and it is expected to reach over 9 million inhabitants by 2030.

Stark contrasts

London is a multicultural, multi-ethnic smorgasbord of 300 languages, with almost half of the population being non-white, Asian or African. When surveyed about their religion for the 2011 National Census, 20% said they had no religion, 12% said they were Muslim, 5% Hindu, 2% Jewish and 1% Buddhist.

The capital is also a ‘young’ city, with around 60% of the population aged under 40, and 32% under 24. It is also a city of stark contrasts between rich and poor, educated and uneducated, indulgence and indifference, beauty and ugliness, suburban comfort and urban deprivation.

It is estimated that no more than 3% of Great Britain’s population is composed of Bible-believing Christians. In London, the presence of many large Black and Asian-majority churches swells that percentage to around 5%. This means that even the most significant evangelical groups in London are small in comparison to the size of the population.

Historical divide

Those evangelical groups can be broadly categorised as Black and Asian, Anglican Evangelical, and Independents (including Eastern European and South American churches). Whichever way the cake is sliced, it remains that millions are yet unreached for Christ!

In addition, despite some fine efforts in recent years, there remains a historical divide between White and Black/Asian Churches in London. Looking ahead, perhaps the best hope of bridging that divide lies in the ‘second / third generation’ factor – the children and grandchildren of immigrant churchgoers. These people find themselves with something of an identity crisis between loyalty to their parents’ cultures and the traditions and the draw of their multi-cultural British upbringing and education.

Challenges

The challenges facing evangelicals are numerous and often interwoven. Some are distinct to particular ethnic groups. They include disengagement with locality because of a failure to understand or engage with a rapidly changing culture. This can often result in a ‘ghetto’ mentality in churches.

Many congregations are made up of elderly people and lack leadership and gospel vision, and there may be a failure to engage with, and invest in, the next generation of young adults in the church.

There’s often a loss of confidence in the gospel and of teaching the Bible as the means of growing the church, and the high crime rates of vast urban estates, along with antipathy towards the gospel, provide huge barriers. White British people of all social groups are often the hardest people to reach.

Optimism

The sheer immensity of the task before the church can be numbing of gospel expectation, but – despite all of these challenges (and more) – there is good gospel reason to be optimistic about the future!

Even the most cursory historical knowledge reminds us that the church has been here before. The First Century church faced a very similar challenge. The Lord was pleased to move then and subsequently through the Reformation in 16th Century Europe and in 18th Century revivals. The Lord’s heart in the Bible for great cities such as Nineveh and Jerusalem give every confidence that the gospel can yet ring into, and from, London in the coming years.

Pray

But, for this to happen, we must commit to pray about the situation in this great city. So, please would you join in with praying for:

• A growing awareness among evangelical leaders, born of gospel heartedness and urgency, to develop generous partnerships across historical and ethnic divides.
• New churches to be planted in the most populous and unreached urban areas of London.
• Failing churches to be willing to embrace change for the gospel’s sake, and for thriving churches to come alongside to love and serve them.
• The Lord to raise up young leaders from the White and Ethnic evangelical groups who will understand the specific cross-cultural challenges London presents, and be given great wisdom and vision to work together for the glory of God and the good of London.
• The Christian leaders whom the Lord already has in place in churches, government, industry and care agencies. Pray that they will display grace, wisdom and boldness.

The Great War caused the loss of 42,000 London lads in a fight between empires intent on holding sway over the trade of commodities from cocoa to opium.

For each soldier killed many more were injured or traumatised, and families were impacted not for weeks but for years, and sometimes generations.

My family have our own story to tell. In 1917 John Montague Miller died reconnoitring enemy lines at the Somme. He had a wife, Annie, and 5 kids. Annie was devestated and was eventually sent to an asylum. Two daughters were sent to Banardos and promptly exported to Australia where they were used as fruit pickers. Annie’s youngest son Bert, stayed with her, as did her oldest daughter who became a young carer. Her oldest son, Jimmy lied about his age so he could join the army. By his 15th birthday he was being shot at defending Jewish villages in the British Protectorate of Palestine.

When WWII started Jimmy joined Churchill’s special service commandos, Bert became one of Montie’s “desert rats”. Bert died in a tank trying to relieve the siege of the Libyan town of Tobruk. Jimmy was shot at the battle of Monte Casino where his unit were wiped out. He survived to return to his wife, Peggy, in Scotland where he went on to be father to two kids, including my Dad.

Although Jimmy had been a Company Seargent Major with responsibility for dozens of men in the country’s elite forces he found it almost impossible to find work after the war. He ended his career as a caretaker for the local power station living in a council house in Southern Galloway.

Jimmy’s siblings had been failed by society. His sister’s had been packed off to Australia and his brother died in a desert but there was a feeling that things would change after WWII. Returnees from the war voted for a system that attempted to ensure there would no forgotten groups in society.

Today our “fairness” systems are breaking again. Wealthy men can expect to live 10 years longer than poor men, and have 19 more years of “healthy life”. In 1918 the most common cause of death for young men in the UK was gun shot wounds from the battle fields. In 2018 the most common cause of death for a young man in the UK is suicide. In London suicide has been overtaken as a cause of death for teenage lads by homicide by stabbing. We have another generation of young men who are dying in struggles and turf wars – will we remember them too?

Jimmy Miller would have been heartbroken to discover his great grandson died by suicide whilst on a waiting list to see an NHS psychiatrist. He would have been horrified to see the spike in crime across his beloved London following cuts to the capital’s hard pressed police force. He’d have been disheartened to see that the Officer/NCO class divide in society is still there even in our churches.

Lads of London have been dying and not followed up on for too long. This rememberance day I suggest we make a decision to remember all of the London lads who have died. We remember those who have given their lives in the wars of the twentieth century, we remember those who have died fighting the demons of mental health, we remember those who have died in the needless territory wars and initiation ceremonies of London’s gangs. I pray that we can work together to strive for peace and reconciliation and provide a peaceful home for Londoners young and old.

Christians have a particular role to play in being peacemakers in our cities. Before 1945 it was very clear that Christians had a responsibility for the poor and marginalised. If there had been a knife crime problem in the past it would have been a problem shared by the church. Most of London’s hospitals were started by churches. By 1870 when the schools were nationalised there were 36,000 attending the ragged schools for London kids founded by London City Mission. Since 1945 churches have often left “love for our neighborhood” to the council. This has changed since the introduction of austerity in 2010. As benefits have been cut and children’s centres have closed, churches have moved into the gap. 95% of Foodbanks are provided by local church groups. Church toddler groups and community centres with CAP courses are often filling the gaps left as Sure Start centres close.

The Church offers more than just the practical love of a handout, and the helping hand of a CAP finance course. The Church brings a message of good news, hope, forgiveness, love, and justice, much needed in our broken society. When we talk about the gracious example of Jesus, we talk of someone who knew hardship, who knew how to cross cultural barriers and bring people together. When we talk about the sacrifice of Jesus we come to understand that it is not our empires that will save us but Jesus’ death and resurrection. Last week a 15 year old lad, Jay Hughes, was stabbed to death outside a fried chicken shop in Lewisham. He’d been attending a local school and was well known to the LCM centre in Lewisham. He wasn’t a gangster. He was a good kid who was enjoying friendships with people at Ecclēsia church. His death is a tragedy, keenly felt. The loss of Jay and others must drive us to work and pray for a society where the are no marginalised or forgotten groups, where everyone has a chance of hope and good news.

100 years ago the families of the fallen were often forgotten about or mistreated. Let us resolve to do a better job today. When we hear of young Londoners dying in tragedy, let us take it upon ourselves to reach out with love. Let us remember and make a difference.

A call to think of of the box about “urban mission”

Practical ideas to support urban mission from @BearwoodChapel

A call to long term urban mission

How important is ethnic diversity to a church? Bearwood Chapel places a great emphasis on this.

Source: Like for Like – Notes on HUP

Thanksgiving Service 2014
Recently London City Mission held its annual Thanksgiving Service at All Souls, Langham Place.

It was a wonderful evening. We heard testimonies from missionaries. We heard of lives changed, sins forgiven, hope provided around our great city of London. We sang and gave thanks for God’s gracious provision.
The heart of the evening was Guest speaker Andy Paterson’s sermon from God’s word. Andy is Mission Director with FIEC, and he inspired  staff and supporters alike as he opened up Colossians 1. He challenged us to not to lose our nerve and imagine that somehow we should give up on verbally sharing the gospel just because it is unpopular. He also challenged London City Mission to “help plant and support indigenous churches, go on resourcing gospel-hearted churches with some of the brilliant evangelists that you have and work with those churches so that they might effectively welcome and grow and develop people who are coming to faith in Christ and please use your expertise to grow a generation of working class church leaders.” Thirdly, he impressed upon the Mission the role it has to play in training, facilitating and equipping truly multi-racial, multi-ethnic churches in London.
Our own census shows that 48% of Inner City London’s Christians are “Black Majority Ethnicity”, 38% are White Ethnicity, and 14% are Asian and Other Ethnicities. We are a global church with an opportunity to reach the rich mix of London, but our congregations are less diverse than our workplaces and schools.

The full 30 minute talk is available below.
Andy’s Sermon
 

Andy Paterson, Mission Director with FIEC, speaking at London City Mission’s Thanksgiving Service

The service was a great time of blessing and fellowship as we thanked God for all he has done in and through the Mission over the past year and lifted up the coming one to him. There is still much to be done in London and much to be prayed for.
Pray for London

After a year of prayer and reflection, London City Mission looks to the future and refocuses its ministry to make a greater gospel impact.

‘…. and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ (Acts 1:8)

Mission in London

London has many needs. People disagree on what it needs most: more schools and hospitals; less traffic, and improved air quality; more police, and less crime; more affordable housing, and less of a gap between rich and poor. There’s wisdom in all of this, but at London City Mission we believe that, most importantly, London needs Jesus. That’s why we got started in the beginning, and it remains our firm conviction today

London City Mission has an opportunity to serve God by seeking to extend the kingdom into the least reached parts of this city

London City Mission’s first missionaries showed incredible courage in their commitment to those in need, caring for them as they suffered and died of cholera, and sharing an eternal hope in their darkest hour. With courage, compassion and commitment, generations of missionaries have followed in their footsteps, reaching out to the least reached in the name of Jesus in communities across this city.

Over the past decades London has changed dramatically. Many of the districts we work in have changed beyond recognition. But the gospel need remains – and our vision, to take the gospel to London’s least reached and hardest to reach people, remains the same. Because of its diversity, London is a unique mission field, and one of the world’s most strategic cities for world mission. A city of great need, yet a city of enormous gospel opportunity.

London changes, and it is important that we do not stand still. Over the past year we have been engaged in a review of our mission work and ministries. We have prayed, and talked to church leaders and other wise and godly friends. As we have prayed and talked, we have tackled a number of questions about mission:

• What is London City Mission’s unique calling, and what can we contribute to mission in London that others can’t?
• How can London City Mission have the biggest possible impact for the gospel in London?
• How can London City Mission make the very best use of the resources, skills and experience God has given us for mission in London?

As we have done this, we have been struck by three recurring themes:

1. London City Mission is primarily a gospel organisation. We have been and always should be focused on sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with people in London.
2. Our calling has always been to the least reached of London, and we need to make sure that our work is focused on those who are in the hardest to reach communities of this city.
3. Our ministry must serve God’s church in London, and our activities need to aim for partnership and collaboration in evangelism and discipleship. Our prayer is that we will see an increasing number of Christians in London engaging in gospel work!

The Great Commission and the challenge of Samaria

Our vision,to take the gospel to London’s least reached and hard to reach people, remains the same

Jesus told the disciples they would be his witnesses in ‘Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ To apply this to the church in London today: Jerusalem is where we are based, and implies friendship with and evangelism to people like ourselves; Judea is church planting just down the road to people quite similar to us; and the ends of the earth is world mission. As Christians we are good at reaching those who are like us, at planting churches and at sending people overseas, but what about Samaria? Reaching Samaria is about sharing the gospel with people who are chalk to our cheese, those who may be geographically close but are a million miles away in culture, tradition or lifestyle. I sometimes fear that this part of the Great Commission has fallen on deaf ears.

As we look to the future and think about our ministries, London City Mission will increasingly focus on London’s ‘Samaria’ – those people who are more often than not the least reached of this city. This ministry focus will mean change for us as an organisation, change both to where we do mission andhow we do mission.

 Who are the least reached?

We are encouraged by the gospel work that is going on in London. Churches are growing, and there is much emphasis on new church plants. But in the midst of this great gospel effort, many are still not coming into contact with the gospel. London City Mission has an opportunity to serve God by seeking to extend the kingdom into the least reached parts of this city. By least reached we mean those who are least likely to be reached by local church evangelism.

Examples of London’s least reached are those living in the neediest districts with little contact with the church, new immigrant communities and isolated elderly people. We are talking about those who are often beyond the reach of the local church. We give thanks that we have always been able to faithfully take the good news of Jesus to London’s least reached in a wide range of places appropriate for the times; in the past those places have included post offices, railways and taxi ranks, and in the future we will continue to reach men and women in communities of need across London, including prisons, schools and old people’s homes.

A strategy to reach London’s least reached and support the church of London in evangelism

Of course, focusing on London’s least reached is not a new idea. Our founders were burdened by the great gospel need of the day; mission to those the established church was not reaching. We are encouraged by the knowledge that our mission for the future is in continuity with the original calling of London City Mission.

What does change mean for London City Mission?

In light of the work we have done over the past year, the Board of London City Mission has approved a plan to help us fulfil this vision for mission. In the months and years ahead we will take a number of steps to ensure that everything we do is in line with a strategy to reach London’s least reached and support the church of London in evangelism.

To begin with, this means:

• Recruiting new staff and providing support and training for existing staff
• Taking decisions to refocus our resources on London’s least reached
• Carefully exiting from certain areas of ministry; for example, redeploying some of our workplace chaplains to some of the neediest districts in London
• Transitioning some of our ministries to other partner agencies
• Partnering with churches to share resources in mission
• Developing new ministries to the least reached.

Over 180 years the Mission has experienced many changes, and known God’s grace throughout them all. Change can be difficult, and we pray that God will bless and guide us in the months ahead. In the midst of difficult decisions and changes, we will continue our patient, sensitive and individual evangelism to London’s least reached, we will continue our kingdom-focused work, and we will continue to seek to increase our gospel impact in this city. We pray that because of these changes we will see more people engaged in fruitful gospel ministry.

Some of our ministries may look different in future, but with a renewed focus and vision for mission in London we hope we will be able to:

• Increase the number of staff engaged in mission to London’s least reached
• Serve the church in London through training and partnership
• Grow the number of volunteers and ministry trainees, and mobilise many Christians in London to get involved in evangelism and gospel work.

Please pray

Thank you for your partnership in the gospel. Please pray with us as we implement these changes and adjust to new ways of working. For some, change is like a breath of fresh air; for others it’s difficult and upsetting to step away from one ministry to focus on another. Pray for grace and wisdom as we move ahead, and, above all, that God will use this renewed focus to bring more people into his kingdom.
Graham Miller – Chief Executive of London City Mission