It is common in Britain to view some of these churches with dismay; American fundamentalism has had a worldwide impact through proselytising not only conservative theology but also conservative values and politics. Whilst there may be some truth in this belief, it is in fact partial and does not do justice to what is happening amongst about one quarter (half a billion) of the world's Christians.
The first meeting of the Global Christian Forum in November 2007 was organised between the World Council of Churches, these new churches and the Roman Catholic Church. It was the first time such a range of representatives of the Christian traditions had met together. The Forum 'is about bringing into conversation with one another Christians and churches from very different traditions who have (rarely) or never talked to each other'.
The Forum was based not upon theological reflection so much as upon the testimonies of those who attended. This reflects the journey of many of these churches, who trace their lineage to the holiness movements of the early twentieth century. At that time they were millenarial movements and so simply adopted the theologies closest to them, which tended to be conservative. By now, about 100 years later, they are finding their theological frameworks inadequate to meet the demands of their growing communities.
This is relevant to Britain today because members of these small churches are coming to Britain, as immigrant groups. They are a new and vibrant presence amongst the mainstream churches, and have become recognised as significant only over the last 10 - 20 years. A good account of their development can be found in Whose Religion is Christianity? by Lamin Sanneh (see the booklist in the side bar).
Two major factors have, according to Sanneh, favoured the spread of these congregations, particularly in the poorer parts of the world.
- Where there is already a local God. Where belief in any God has declined it seems Islam is more successful.
- Where the Bible has been translated into the vernacular.
These factors strongly imply that Christianity as it spreads is adjusting to local cultures, in a process known as inculturation. The old colonial method of establishing a branch of a European Church has given way to a variety of diverse churches, many actively exploring what it means to be Christian in the twenty first century.
One obstacle to their ecumenical involvement is their size. Many of these churches do not see themselves as anything other than local congregations, without any larger structure. This strongly implies, the traditional western European model of negotiated structural unity is not appropriate to these new groups. Part of the explanation for their absence from formal ecumenism is surely their structural inability to participate in national ecumenism as many independent local churches.
Disclaimer: My aim in these accounts of ecclesiology is to paint a positive overall picture, although I may from time to time touch upon problems and issues. I am not an expert in this field and may make some mistakes. I welcome any comments that will help me present a clearer and more accurate picture. Please note I am not aiming for an in-depth analysis at this stage.
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