T. ALBANS, U.K.
After many years I have come back to Britain. “This sceptr’d isle, this . . . demi-paradise,” Shakespeare called it in a burst of feeling, and my heart resonates with his. No point in trying to hide it: I am a confirmed Anglophile.

I have come to report on the work of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, my church, here. There’ll be no sight-seeing or sitting around nibbling cucumber sandwiches: just five days crowded with travel, interviews, and preaching appointments. The good people from the British Union Conference and the Trans-European Division, which is headquartered right here in St. Albans, have put together a packed itinerary.

Why choose Britain for another report? Not because the work of the church is big here. It isn’t, never has been. After 120 years Adventists have just passed the 20,000 mark for the whole union—England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.

But we have reached that point, and that is significant. Sad to say, in several countries of Western Europe Adventists are declining in numbers under the impact of rampant materialism and secularism. But not here.

I want to find out why. I want to see how Adventists in Great Britain are maintaining their identity, how they are endeavoring to reach the society around them with the three angels’ messages.

There’s another area I intend to probe. The racial makeup of the Adventist Church here has changed dramatically, and I want to try to catch the dynamic—how people get along with each other, how they have handled and are handling the changing times.

In the church as in society, the race card is explosive. The media usually play it for confrontational energy or else don’t touch it. But at the Adventist Review we seek to deal with it openly, honestly, and accurately, always with a redemptive purpose. The Adventist world church is an incredible family—one people under God drawn from Red and Yellow, Black and White, and all precious in His sight. We are a people on the move, not only toward the New Jerusalem but to the restoration of the image of God corporately, learning how to affirm the dignity and respect that every child of God—regardless of race—deserves.

This visit will focus on England, where Adventists are growing and the racial dynamic is primarily at work. I will have to skip the “missions”—Wales, where we have some 400 Adventists, Ireland with about 300, and Scotland, where membership has dropped below 300. Scotland saddens me most of all: 11 years ago Dr. Wayne McFarland and I teamed up in public meetings in Aberdeen. We gave it our best shot, met wonderful people, but the results were meager.

So here I am, walking the streets of St. Albans, trying to stretch muscles after the all-night flight across the Atlantic in a sardine can, and to cope with jet lag. Half closed as my eyes are, I cannot help noticing the beauty of English gardens, even in this cold season. This is still a civilized country, even if they now drive ferociously on the M-1 motorway.

I come upon an electric-powered vehicle marked “The White Stuff.” A man trundles cartons and bottles of milk to and fro, leaving them on doorsteps. How long since milk came to my door with the morning paper?

There are banners announcing the Guy Fawkes fireworks at the park. Guy Fawkes? Shades of yesteryear. As a boy in Australia I looked forward to the bonfire, fireworks, and burning the “guy” each year on Guy Fawkes Day, part of a tradition carried over the seas with the settlers who came from the old country. The late Mr. Fawkes was a character who plotted to dynamite the British Parliament in 1605. His scheme was uncovered, but he started something that endured.

And so I reflect as I walk the streets, hands in pockets and wondering how people keep warm: What does Guy Fawkes say to the English character? This society of tea and crumpets, of polite conversation and genteel behavior, this country that gave us the mother of parliaments—how come it celebrates a chap who tried to blow the whole thing up? I will leave that to the psychoanalysts.

But the times they are a-changing—at least in some respects. England has been notorious for bad weather and bad food. Soon both stereotypes may have to be set aside.

It’s still cold and it still rains a lot (which means that the English countryside is still wonderfully green), but it is slowly getting warmer. Instead of the light, misty showers you associate with England, you may get really hard rain with floods over large areas of the country. They say it’s all part of global warming—an idea with popular appeal here.

Once the Brits conquered India; now India has conquered them. Roast beef and cabbage have yielded to rice and curry. Indian restaurants are everywhere, and even McDonald’s and Burger King have been forced to introduce curry selections in order to stay alive. And everywhere you see “balti houses”—balti being a new combination of rice, curry, and roti developed in recent years in Britain.

The saddest change in Britain relates to religion. Across the land the Anglican churches are empty, except for a few old people who still try to keep faith alive. In this land that witnessed the revival of John Wesley, only 7 percent of the population attend any church. Christian values of conduct and marriage have been replaced by amoral living flaunted by the media. A leading figure of the BBC unashamedly tells of the 250 men with whom he has had sex. Leading scholars at Oxford and Cambridge argue for a universe without God and cast scorn on faith.

Although the churches look old, decaying, empty, pubs are everywhere. They have become the heart of social activity. Friday nights the populace goes pubbing, sleeps late Sabbath morning, and reserves Saturday night for clubbing—dancing, drinking, and socializing.

How is Adventism doing in this environment?

ondon:
The Holloway church, located in the heart of London, is full to the gills this Sabbath morning. I look out over a congregation of women, men, young people, and children. A wonderful male choir in the loft behind me lifts the spirits of the people to the throne of God.

I felt tired when I arrived here from St. Albans. It was a long day yesterday, starting with a visit to the union headquarters in Watford and ending with a service in the Balham church in London. Even though it was Friday night, some 500 or more worshipers came out, packing the church and with some standing along the sides. It was midnight before I got back to my lodging at St. Albans.

But the mood in Holloway energizes me. The enthusiasm, the spirited singing, the eagerness, and the joy seep over me, and the weariness rolls away. It’s 12:00 before I stand up to preach, but by then I have been revived and speak without hindrance. The people follow attentively and respond with amens; I keep catching the eye of a boy of about 12 toward the front on the right side, and every time I notice him his face is shining. I sit down and glance at my watch—1:00! I have preached for an hour!

This is Adventism in London. We have some 55 churches and companies in this metropolis, and about 10,000 members. This evening I will be at the Brixton church, like Holloway a congregation of 700-800. That church, they tell me, was once an Anglican church with a dying congregation. Meanwhile the Adventist congregation nearly was overflowing its meeting place. So the two congregations swapped churches!

Yesterday I visited the Advent Centre in the heart of London. Strategically located close to the Underground (and, incidentally, just a block from Cato Street, where Guy Fawkes hatched the gunpowder plot), the center was formerly a synagogue. Senior pastor Jonathan Barrett gave a tour of the four-level facility and described the various programs that take place in it: worship, concerts, seminars, youth meetings, and so on. The English service takes place in the former synagogue meeting area; the congregation of about 200 is made up of 40 nationalities and welcomes many visitors every week. Downstairs a Portuguese service has some 130 worshipers, and elsewhere in the building you can also find on Sabbath a Spanish meeting with 80, and even an Ethiopian group in the afternoon.

The Lemington Spa church.

Bought with funds made available from the sale of the New Gallery, the center cost £3.5 million ($5 million)—a heavy price, but perhaps a bargain in light of its marvelous location and facilities.

I was very pleased to see this Adventist presence in the heart of the big city. And especially happy to learn that because of demand for its use, the conference employs staff just to coordinate events. My sense is that a variety of new endeavors can be attempted here in reaching out to the people of this metropolis.

For this is the challenge: Of the 500-odd people who come to worship in the various services each Sabbath, only 10 or a dozen are English.

Adventism is attracting a response among those who migrate, come to study, or are just passing through; on the indigenous population it’s having minimal impact.

And that is true not for just the Advent Centre, but for all our churches in London. The vast proportion of our members today are of Afro-Caribbean origin. As I look out over the congregation at Holloway, I observe only nine or ten White faces in the large congregation. The Balham church last night presented a similar scene. Among the 10,000 members in London, fewer than 300 are English English.

It was not ever thus. Fifty years ago churches such as Holloway, Balham, and Brixton were White.

During the past half century the Adventist Church in London and, indeed, throughout England has undergone a racial metamorphosis—from overwhelmingly White to predominantly Black. Although in the general population the English account for about 90 percent, in the Adventist Church they are only 25 percent or less.

How did this change come about? How did Adventists adjust to it as it was taking place, and how are they handling it today?

It’s time for a little history lesson.

n 1948 the ship Empire Windrush* brought the first wave of African Car-ibbean immigrants to Britain. They came seeking opportunities for work, study, and career advancement; many others followed throughout the 1950s.

These were the days when citizens of Britain’s former colonies had the right to come and go freely, and many, exercising their right, flowed into Britain from the Commonwealth nations of the Caribbean, India, and Pakistan. But the migration ceased abruptly in 1962 when the British Parliament passed legislation restricting access.

This relatively brief period of immigration—only 12 years—would radically affect the racial makeup of the Adventist Church. Like immigrant groups elsewhere, the newcomers encountered prejudice in the larger society. But for the Adventists among them the church provided a home, a refuge, a sanctuary. The Holloway congregation in particular became an early place of fellowship for the strangers from the Caribbean. They in turn could invite others of their race who were not of their faith to this welcoming denomination. The Adventist Church in Britain grew fast, doubling in membership between 1950 and 1970.

With the increase in the numbers of the Black (principally Afro-Caribbean) Adventists, tensions arose in the church in Britain. The newcomers brought with them cultural differences that impacted worship: They were more exuberant and expressive, accustomed to punctuating sermons with amens and other verbal expressions, much less bound by the clock in starting and closing services. They wanted pastors who could lead them in worship in the mode that was right for them, and Adventist schools for their children. And they sought a voice in the administration of the church.

A group of Black laypeople began to meet informally to discuss ways of remedying the situation. Known as the London Laymen’s Forum, they eventually made representation to the leaders of the church but received no satisfaction. As the situation continued to deteriorate, General Conference president Robert Pierson and vice president G. Ralph Thompson intervened personally. Many hours of debate and prayer led to the formulation of what became known as the “Pierson package.” It directed the church to adopt integrated leadership at both union and conference levels, and to place calls for experienced “top drawer” Black pastors who had leadership potential.

Thus in 1979 several pastors from the Caribbean were called to serve in Britain. Among them were Dr. Silburn Reid, who was soon elected president of the South England Conference, Pastor Cecil R. Perry, and Pastor Donald W. McFarlane. Eventually Cecil Perry became president of the union (in 1991), and Don McFarlane president of the South England Conference. The president of the North England Conference is Pastor Egerton Francis; thus now the three presidents—union and the two conferences—are Afro-Caribbeans.

The church continues to grow, but not among the indigenous population. “Britain is a traditional country, and some look on our church as American, alien to the culture,” Pastor Perry told me. He also listed the peculiarity of our message, the anti-Christian tone of society, and the Sabbath (sundown comes midafternoon in the winter) as obstacles to growth.

Two days ago I met with a group of White pastors called together by the leaders of the South England Conference. During the course of a two-hour conversation marked by frankness and strong exchanges, they laid bare their hurts and frustrations.

They emphasized that at the personal level Black and White pastors and members get along fine. However, the cultural differences expressed in worship make it difficult for the White pastors to bring new White people into the church. The White work is dying before their eyes, and they feel sad and frustrated. And they have to deal with the criticism, actual or implied, that if they only worked harder they would enjoy the same success as the Black pastors have.

But Pastor Robert Vine, pastor of the Stanborough Park church, the last large White church left, noted: “The church we’ve got is Christ’s church. We might like it to be this way or that, White or Black, but this is the church He has given us.”

irmingham:
The sky is dark and the wind whistles as we speed north along the M-1 motorway toward Birmingham. By the time we arrive at the Camp Hill church a cold rain is falling, and we scurry across the parking lot to the church door.

Inside a group of pastors and their spouses from the North England Conference have gathered to talk with me about the progress of the work in their field. I am impressed that they would give up their Sunday afternoon and come out in such bad weather.

The conference has about 6,000 members—the work has grown slower here all along. To ministers battling the secular society it must seem as though they are making little or no headway; however, as first one then another begins to share good things that are happening in their parish and new ideas they are trying out, the meeting takes on a highly affirming and encouraging tone. The big picture shows that the work in the north is moving ahead in spite of many obstacles.

Pastor Dalbir Masih tells about the establishment of a new church in the West Midlands. Named the Breath of Life, it has no connection with the television program of Dr. Walter L. Pearson, Jr.  He has also helped old people find a home: The Advent Garden consists of nine bungalows, with another 15 in progress.

Dalbir was one of my students when I taught at Spicer College, and it gives me great satisfaction to see his contribution to the work in Britain. In addition to his pastoral responsibilities he is church growth coordinator for work among people of Indian origin. Dalbir was honored by the government of India by being asked to chair the committee that planned the jubilee celebration in Britain of India’s independence.

Pastor Jude Jeanville describes the evangelistic effort in his Wolver-hampton church. Instead of inviting a speaker from the United States, as is frequently done here, he did the preaching himself; 15 people were baptized. The Wolverhampton church has built a large new community center (£220,000 = US$300,000) and started a “school of further education.” Church members raised half the funding, with the remainder coming from local government and European sources. The center has had a big impact on the community.

Obviously,  a number of pastors in Britain are seeking new ways to put the Adventist Church on the map. Jude’s efforts reminded me of what Pastor Eddie Hypolite told me when I met him at the Brixton church Sabbath evening. He has developed a workshop, How to Be a Player, aimed to help Black men and youth find their identity. At the request of local authorities he gives the workshop at schools and prisons, helping inner-city youth cope with drugs and home and school problems.

What can a church of only 10 members do for outreach? Cedric Vine, son of Robert Vine and in his first year of ministry, relates how he mobilized them behind a Vacation Bible School-like program called The Fit Chicken Club. They have 40 children ages 5-14 attending from the community.

I learn that the North England Conference, concerned about the decline in White membership, appointed Pastor Paul Haworth as coordinator for “indigenous evangelism”—that is, to target the English English. The South conference has done likewise; Pastor Dalbert Elias carries this responsibility.

And,  with all the struggles of the White work, there is one shining example of progress. I saw it this morning on the way to Birmingham. We turned off the M-1 and made our way to Leamington Spa, where we found Pastor Alan Conroy standing outside a unique Seventh-day Adventist church, one with a figure of St. Peter in the front!

Conroy glowed as he shared the story of the congregation. Some 10 years ago Adventists had no church here, only a group of 10-12 members who wanted to start a fellowship. Then, six years ago, the Youth Mission went on sale. Built in 1828 as a Roman Catholic church, it had passed through various hands. Now it was being offered at a bargain price of £68,000 (US $100,000), but it needed massive work to make it usable—roof caving in, walls to be plastered, floor replaced, and so on.

With the community taking note and large press coverage, the Adventists set about to restore the building, which is centrally located and known to everyone. During a six-year effort all members got involved, regardless of age. They first renovated an upstairs room as a meeting place for worship, then started on the main hall.

Although members donated their labor, sometimes working 14 hours on Sundays, there were substantial costs for materials, such as the restoration of the broken-out windows in the original glass and pattern. But, said Conroy, without any fund-raising drive the money came in—£275,000 (US$400,000) in all. He estimates the value of the renovated building, which won a Millennium Award for the restoration effort,  at £500,000 (US$728,000).

“Today is the first Sunday in six years that I’m not here in my overalls,” said Conroy. “If you want people to volunteer, better be there yourself.” The church was dedicated just the previous Sabbath, with various dignitaries in attendance.

Conroy told me that many White Adventists who had dropped out of church drive up to 50 miles (a long way for Britain) each Sabbath. The service, which seeks to be, in his words, “modern, contemporary, relevant,” offers a ray of hope for the White work in England.

eathrow Airport:
After five days at breakneck pace, time to reflect on what I’ve seen and heard. Only the Lord knows the complete scene—I cannot claim more than impressions built on the images and vignettes experienced during this whirlwind visit.

I feel tired but exhilarated. This union that, though small in numbers,  has contributed so much to the life of the world church—people such as Edward Heppenstall, W. E. Read, W.G.C. Murdoch, E. E. White, “Uncle Arthur” Maxwell, G. D. Keough, and others—has great vitality today. The immigrant groups who now heavily outnumber Whites have helped the church grow, perhaps have kept it from dying out. They have brought energy, dynamism—and wonderful music. Their choirs—the London Chorale and the Croydon Seventh-day Adventist Gospel Choir—are nationally and internationally acclaimed, helping to break down prejudice against the church. Likewise the John Loughborough School in London has attracted large and favorable media coverage.

Yes, the church has changed, is changing. Yes, the secular society presents a huge mountain of resistance to the gospel. Yes, race relations bring some tensions and frustrations.

But these powerful forces have not dynamited the Adventist Church. Jesus is leading a people, calling out a people in Britain. He is the Lord of the harvest, and by His grace it is ripening in our day.

*For the historical background in this section I have drawn upon two publications produced by the British Union Conference: The Story of Seventh-day Adventists in the British Isles, 1902-1992, and A Century of Adventism in the British Isles.

_________________________
William G. Johnsson is editor of the Adventist Review.