Out of all the cities in the world, why plant churches in London?
When picking a place to plant a church, one must do research, and when God placed London in my heart, that is precisely what I did. What I discovered and want to share with you shocked me. The need is great.
London is a vast and very dense city compared to where I come from:
London
Area 671 sq mi
Population 9,787,426
Density 14,586/sq mi
Kansas City
Area 584 sq mi
Population 1,519,417
Density 2,601/sq mi
With over 9 million people, London is the 19th largest city in the world. It is, however, the 2nd most influential city in the world regarding economic activity, political power, knowledge base, and quality of life.
London is one of the most ethnically diverse cities on earth. There are over 300 languages spoken daily and more than 50 non-indigenous communities with a population of more than 10,000.
At the 2021 census, London had a population of 8,796,628, and 36.8% were White British. London is one of the few places in the United Kingdom where White Britons comprise less than half of the population. In addition, 40.6% of London's population is foreign-born. With over 3 million residents born abroad, London has the highest foreign-born population of any city in the world.
Joshua Project:
The United Kingdom, compared to the United States, has a significant lack of evangelical Christians. Over 90% of the UK claims that Jesus Christ is not the sole source of salvation.
United Kingdom
Population 67,302,000
Christian Adherents 46.2%
Evangelical 7.58%
United States
Population 338,030,000
Christian 76.2%
Evangelical 26.3%
“Evangelical Defined:
Followers of Christ who generally emphasize: The Lord Jesus Christ as the sole source of salvation through faith in Him. Personal faith and conversion with regeneration by the Holy Spirit. A recognition of the inspired Word of God as the only basis for faith and living. Commitment to Biblical preaching and evangelism that brings others to faith in Christ.”
The UK is in desperate need of the gospel, but the need in London is even greater. While 46.2% of the UK claim some form of Christianity, even less do so in London. This means one can only assume that the number of evangelical Christians in London is less than 7%.
If that was not bad enough, censuses show that the number of Christians from 2001 to 2021 dropped by almost 26%. With agnostic (no religion) and Islam growing the fastest. There are also 177,000 that claim Jedi Knight as their religion in the UK.
2021 Census: Religion in UK
Christians 46.2% (Non-Evangelical & Evangelical)
No Religion 37.2%
Muslims 6.5%
No Response 6%
Hindus 1.7%
Jews .5%
Sikhs .9%
Buddhists .5%
Other .6%
2011 Census: Religion in UK
Christians 59.3% (Non-Evangelical & Evangelical)
No Religion 25.2%
Muslims 8.5%
No Response 7.1%
Hindus 1.5%
Jews .5%
Sikhs .8%
Buddhists .4%
Other .4%
The churches of London have been dying since World War 2. Most of the ones that still exist are failing to preach the gospel. Few are being saved, and next to none are being discipled. The people of London are turning to any other form of religion they can find. If nothing changes, more and more people will continue to die without God's saving grace.