Aleem Maqbool,Religion editorand

Catherine Wyatt

BBC

Bishop Arun Arora is addressing a dilemma in the Church of England over welcoming people on both sides of the immigration debate by seeking unity

Gareth Talbot does not necessarily believe in God, but he’s started going to church.

He felt compelled to do so after taking part in one of Tommy Robinson’s rallies in September.

“I never thought I had to choose before, but now I’m feeling like Christianity could be replaced, so that’s why I feel the church needs support,” the 36-year-old from Bradford says.

Gareth talks about the church in England being under “threat”, as he sees it, mainly from Islam. He says his concern is about the extreme elements of Islam, not the religion as a whole.

He also makes claims about all the Christmas markets in London being renamed “festive markets” and about some areas of the country becoming “fully Muslim”, as other reasons for feeling a need to engage more with Christianity.

Having now returned to the church he used to attend as a child with his grandmother in Little Horton, Bradford, Gareth says he wants to take more of an interest in what is going on there.

“It’s not that I’ve found God,” he says. “I’ve never felt you need to go to church to be a Christian, but it’s always been the Christian religion that’s kept our values and freedoms, and that’s why I need to support it now.”

Gareth has returned to church in Bradford

He was among those attending September’s Unite the Kingdom rally, and was in plenty of company. Many of the protesters, estimated to number between 110,000 and 150,000, who marched in central London that day carried Christian symbols such as wooden crosses, and placards featuring Bible verses. Some were dressed as crusader soldiers.

That was a lot to do with the man who organised the event, Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – the far-right figure who says he recently found Christian faith while in prison.

All this has left the Church of England, an institution steeped in national history and culture, but which has undergone decades of declining attendance at its services, grappling with fundamental questions.

How does it challenge what some see as misrepresentations of Christian values, while welcoming potential new churchgoers?

And how does it reconcile engaging those on one side of the debate like Gareth, with continuing its long-standing interfaith work to foster understanding between Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths and support asylum seekers?

When Gareth walked into the church in Little Horton, he met its vicar, the Reverend Derek Jones, who encapsulates the dilemma. Since then, Mr Jones has mainly been listening to Gareth and exploring what he means by British or Christian values.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to understand where he’s coming from and what he thinks it means to promote the values that he associates with the Christian faith,” says Mr Jones
Read More

Aleem Maqbool,Religion editorand

Catherine Wyatt

BBC

Bishop Arun Arora is addressing a dilemma in the Church of England over welcoming people on both sides of the immigration debate by seeking unity

Gareth Talbot does not necessarily believe in God, but he’s started going to church.

He felt compelled to do so after taking part in one of Tommy Robinson’s rallies in September.

“I never thought I had to choose before, but now I’m feeling like Christianity could be replaced, so that’s why I feel the church needs support,” the 36-year-old from Bradford says.

Gareth talks about the church in England being under “threat”, as he sees it, mainly from Islam. He says his concern is about the extreme elements of Islam, not the religion as a whole.

He also makes claims about all the Christmas markets in London being renamed “festive markets” and about some areas of the country becoming “fully Muslim”, as other reasons for feeling a need to engage more with Christianity.

Having now returned to the church he used to attend as a child with his grandmother in Little Horton, Bradford, Gareth says he wants to take more of an interest in what is going on there.

“It’s not that I’ve found God,” he says. “I’ve never felt you need to go to church to be a Christian, but it’s always been the Christian religion that’s kept our values and freedoms, and that’s why I need to support it now.”

Gareth has returned to church in Bradford

He was among those attending September’s Unite the Kingdom rally, and was in plenty of company. Many of the protesters, estimated to number between 110,000 and 150,000, who marched in central London that day carried Christian symbols such as wooden crosses, and placards featuring Bible verses. Some were dressed as crusader soldiers.

That was a lot to do with the man who organised the event, Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – the far-right figure who says he recently found Christian faith while in prison.

All this has left the Church of England, an institution steeped in national history and culture, but which has undergone decades of declining attendance at its services, grappling with fundamental questions.

How does it challenge what some see as misrepresentations of Christian values, while welcoming potential new churchgoers?

And how does it reconcile engaging those on one side of the debate like Gareth, with continuing its long-standing interfaith work to foster understanding between Christians, Muslims and people of other faiths and support asylum seekers?

When Gareth walked into the church in Little Horton, he met its vicar, the Reverend Derek Jones, who encapsulates the dilemma. Since then, Mr Jones has mainly been listening to Gareth and exploring what he means by British or Christian values.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to understand where he’s coming from and what he thinks it means to promote the values that he associates with the Christian faith,” says Mr Jones
Read More