British Christians Urged to Engage Muslim Neighbors
British Christians should approach Muslim neighbors with confidence, honesty and friendship as Islam becomes more visible in public life, speakers told an Evangelical Alliance webinar.
The 75-minute program, “Islam: challenges, questions and gospel opportunities,” featured Andy Bannister, director of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, and John Ghanim, a Yemeni convert from Islam.
Bannister said many churches have left believers poorly prepared to discuss Islam, while mosques commonly teach Muslims how to speak with Christians. The answer, he argued, is neither hostility nor silence, but understanding both faiths and building relationships with Muslim neighbors and co-workers.
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“Islam and Christianity are radically different,” Bannister said. He urged Christians to explain Christ’s uniqueness while separating their assessment of Islamic beliefs from their treatment of Muslims as people. The assessment follows earlier reporting by Metro Voice on Islam and Christianity.
Ghanim told viewers that Christians should regard Britain’s Muslim communities as a mission field rather than respond primarily with fear. “We need to be bold for Christ,” he said, encouraging believers to know Scripture, pray, offer hospitality and answer questions about the Trinity, Christ’s divinity and salvation.
British Muslims have doubled in 15 years
The numbers help explain the alliance’s concern. The Muslim population has more than doubled in 15 years. The latest censuses counted about 4 million Muslims in England and Wales, nearly 120,000 in Scotland and 10,870 in Northern Ireland, a combined total just under 4 million. Fifty percent of all Muslims in Britain are under the age of 25.
Britain’s wider religious shift is driven chiefly by disaffiliation from Christianity. In England and Wales, 46.2% identified as Christian in 2021, down from 59.3% a decade earlier. The share reporting no religion rose to 37.2%, while Muslims increased from 4.9% to 6.5%. Overall, Christianity remains the world’s largest religion.
Bannister suggested Britain may have reached “peak secularism,” with some young adults becoming more spiritually curious. Evidence for a broad revival remains debated. A Bible Society report claiming sharply higher churchgoing was withdrawn in March after YouGov found fraudulent survey responses, Reuters reported. British Social Attitudes data continue to show younger adults are the country’s least religious generation.
–Alan Goforth
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