The evangelists make an impact on a country where only 14 percent of the people attend church.
England has a rich Christian history. The modern missionary movement was launched from its shores when William Carey set sail for India in 1793. Such Britons as Carey, John and Charles Wesley, Hudson Taylor, and William Booth helped set the course of missions, evangelism, and outreach in the modern Christian church.
In recent years, however, evangelistic zeal has all but died out in England. As Luis Palau told a mass rally last year in London’s Trafalgar Square, “I see plenty of religion but not much Christianity.”
The evangelist was right. Only 14 percent of England’s 50 million citizens attend church regularly. And at least one-third of the 7 million churchgoers would not claim to be born-again Christians.
To help reverse that trend, Palau and evangelist Billy Graham are mounting an ambitious evangelistic effort. Palau launched his Mission to London campaign last fall. Graham is preparing for evangelistic crusades in England beginning in May. Their combined efforts are designed to cover the country with the gospel message.
“England is no longer a Christian nation, but a pagan one,” Palau has said. Many British churches are populated by nominal Christians, or “professional churchgoers” as they are called in England. They often hold key positions within the church, making evangelistic outreach difficult.
The first stage of Palau’s campaign made a significant impact on London last fall. More than 210,000 persons attended his eight-week crusade, with an estimated 8,000 making public commitments to Christ. He will return to London in June to begin a month of nightly meetings. His no-holds-barred approach has led the British news media to label him the “ordinary man’s evangelist.”
Graham’s visit in May and June will concentrate on five regions outside London. Each area will present its own set of circumstances, from high unemployment to urban racism. During the months leading up to Graham’s visit, a small army of his American staff is training British church leaders to prepare congregations for the anticipated influx of new converts.
Both Graham and Palau are using mass media to great advantage in England. A newspaper editor became a Christian as a result of Graham’s most recent television appearance there. And Palau, interviewed on a Christian talk show, gave an invitation to receive Christ—a first for British television.
The interview that has caused the greatest stir was broadcast on the BBC’S “Everyman” program. An interviewer asked Palau, “Are you saying, if a person does not repent of their sins, does not ask Christ into their life, that person will not receive eternal life?” The evangelist replied, “That is correct.”
The interviewer’s query sums up the spiritual question that Britons all over the country are beginning to ask. In a few months, Palau and Graham will be there to provide the answer.
NIGEL SHARPin England
North American Scene
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