Growth of the Christian Church (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)
Revision Note
The Future Growth of the Christian Church
The Future of the Church
Christianity is currently the world’s largest religion
One reason for this is its history of evangelical and missionary work
This involves Christians spreading their religion in both local communities and other countries
However, in 2021, for the first time in a census of England and Wales, less than half of the population (46.2%, 27.5 million people) described themselves as “Christian”, a 13.1 percentage point decrease from 59.3% (33.3 million)
Some would argue that this is evidence that although Christianity is still the largest religion in the country, it is declining in numbers and influence
Consequently, Conservative and Evangelical Christians believe that it is even more important to reach out to try and convert Christians
A decline in religion has led some Christians to change the way they worship and connect to followers, in a bid to attract new and younger followers
For example, Christian groups have been making the most of technology
At Easter, the Church of England encouraged followers to share “photos of baptisms, dawn services, church celebrations and more using the hashtag #EasterJoy” on all forms of social media
On Facebook, the page 'Ask a Catholic Nun' has almost 270,000 followers
A Christian-based ad agency found more than 30% of churches said they updated Facebook each day
In the UK, Christians are finding increasing numbers of new ways to worship and be part of Church communities
Many Pentecostal Christians worship in modern churches more like concert venues than traditional churches
Christian Churches bring believers together in communities
Today this could mean getting together to share meals, to read the Bible, or even connect with Christians around the world online
Some people consider themselves Christians without ever having been inside a church building
Leaders of new Churches are often not ordained clergy but may just be devoted Christians who want to help and support others in their faith
The Purpose of Missionary & Evangelical Work
The Origins of Missionary and Evangelical Work
A missionary is a person who is sent out on a religious mission to promote Christianity abroad
Evangelical work refers to the spreading of faith by missionaries
Missionary work began with Jesus’ disciples
After the death of Jesus, Saint Peter followed Jesus’ instructions to spread his teachings and began converting people in the area around Palestine
Saint Paul was also a crucial figure in spreading Christianity around much of the Mediterranean area
When European countries such as Britain began colonising other parts of the world, they often took missionaries with them
This meant that during the period of colonisation, there were often large numbers of people who were converted to Christianity
The Purpose of Missionary and Evangelical Work
According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told his disciples that they should spread his message throughout the world and should try to convert people to Christianity
Therefore, missionaries spread the Christian message abroad, not necessarily only through preaching, but through their actions too, like helping with development projects
This is how Christianity as it is known today has spread across the globe
The aim is to spread the word of Christianity through words and actions
Christianity has been the largest world faith in Europe for a long time, so today its spread in Europe is slow
However, there is rapid growth in South America and Africa, where missionaries work on charity projects and set up new churches
Examples of Missionary & Evangelical Work
Examples of Missionary and Evangelical Work
There are many organisations both at home and abroad that aim to spread Christianity through the work that they do
Tear Fund | Tear Fund is a Christian charity that works through Church groups giving help to the poor in many countries It currently works in over 50 countries, providing emergency aid when natural disasters occur and carrying out long term projects to support local communities It raises public awareness of social issues such as poverty and discrimination, gives practical help in order to act out the teachings of Jesus to help others, and encourages self-help for individuals and communities In Columbia, they have worked with children and teenagers and set up 30 sports clubs for football training, providing safe places for young people to socialise away from the risk of joining gangs, offering mentoring to equip them with life skills |
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Open Doors | Open Doors was established in 1955, when Brother Andrew, a Dutch missionary, smuggled Bibles into the Soviet Union Today, it helps persecuted Christians by distributing Bibles, providing practical support for Christians who have been the victims of disasters, speaking on behalf of persecuted Christians to raise awareness of their situation and supporting and training Christians and Church leaders to deal with the trauma they may be suffering while maintaining their faith |
Alpha | Alpha Is an example of evangelism in Britain It started with the aim of helping church members understand the basics of the Christian faith The course is now used as an introduction for those interested in learning about Christianity It is described as “an opportunity to explore the meaning of life” through discussions Courses are held in homes, workplaces, universities and prisons, as well as churches |
Christian Attitudes Towards Missionary & Evangelical Work
Different Christian Attitudes Towards Missionary and Evangelical Work
Some Christians believe that it is their duty to continue sharing the teachings of Jesus with the intention of converting people to Christianity
This is done through education programmes, charity work and missionary work
Many Christians will highlight passages from the bible which seem to indicate that all Christians should spread the message of Christ
‘He said to them, “Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation”’ (Mark 16:15)
‘“Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people”’ (Matthew 4:19)
The Great Commission is the direct instruction Jesus gave to his disciples to spread his teachings. In the Gospel of Mark Jesus says:
‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptised will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned’ (Mark 16:15–16)
Based upon these quotes and the example of Jesus, some Christians believe they have a duty to ensure that Christianity continues to enlist followers
Some conservative and evangelical Christians believe missionary and evangelical work still has a role to play in the spread of Christianity
They believe Christians have a duty to follow the instructions given by Jesus
They also believe they should share their religion with others so that as many people as possible can experience God’s grace
Many liberal Christians believe missionary and evangelical work is no longer as relevant as it was in the past
They may also believe that it can have a negative impact
In a multicultural society, trying to convert others might be seen as a form of discrimination
Liberal Christians believe that it is better to demonstrate love by accepting people’s religious choices and respecting that people have different beliefs
They might say that missionary work is an intolerant approach that is at odds with Christianity’s key messages
Worked Example
Explain two ways in which evangelical work helps others
(4 marks)
Answer:
Evangelical work helps others because often it is not just about spreading the religion but also actions to support those in need. For example, the work of Open Doors to raise awareness of those who are persecuted (2 marks)
It can also help others because it is spreading the word of Jesus and converting others to the religion which Christians believe is a good thing for people (2 marks)
Exam Tip
You may be asked to evaluate the importance of Missionary and Evangelical work. For example;
‘Evangelism is the most important duty for Christians in Britain today’
In your response you should highlight the importance of evangelism in spreading the word of Christianity but also consider why evangelism might be ethically questionable and how other Christian duties might be more important
Arguments in support of the statement could include;
• Evangelism is spreading the faith of the Church to people who do not share it currently and it is a duty of all Christians because Jesus said, ‘Go into the world and preach the gospel to all creation’
• In Britain today fewer people go to church so it is important that those who do, get involved in active evangelism, otherwise the Church will have fewer and fewer members
• It is the most important work because it is the most urgent. If people die without faith in God, they are cut off from him and people will not be taught how they can go to heaven, etc.
Arguments in support of other views could include;
• Evangelism is important work but it is not the most important. Other duties are equally important, eg developing one’s own spiritual life or supporting the local community
• Christians have a responsibility for social justice in Britain today and so helping others is just as important as evangelism
• Evangelism can be seen by many to go against Christian teachings of tolerance and respect for other religions
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