Our anti-racism toolkit devotes a section to the importance of building representation of UKME/GMH people within our congregations as well as within our lay and ordained leadership. Integral to building meaningful representation, is how churches can become more welcoming to those from racially diverse backgrounds.
Holy Trinity Church, Aldershot is one example of a church in our diocese, where racial diversity is celebrated and embraced. As a result, it can claim to be a truly intercultural as well as intergenerational church.
We spoke with the vicar, The Revd George Newton who shared the journey of the church and how he and the team have adapted and responded to the ever-changing demographics in the community of Aldershot.
He said: “When I started my ministry around 25 years ago, Aldershot was almost exclusively a White working-class town. Fast forward to the start of the 2010s and the biggest demographic change occurred with the arrival of 7,000 Nepalese people due to the historic link between the British Army and the Gurkhas”.
This arrival, he said led to strong links between the church and the Nepalese Christian community which continues today.
The demographic shifts have continued over the last decade with the arrivals of asylum seekers and immigrants from countries including Afghanistan, Iran and Zimbabwe. George and the church leadership have seen this as an opportunity for outreach and to fully welcome the new arrivals into the life of the church.
George continued: “The census in 2011 showed that our parish was 45% non-White British. We now have so many nationalities and cultures represented in the church.
“We want to include people as much as possible, so we regularly host fellowship events where people cook and share meals to reflect their heritage. We also incorporate other languages in our worship. At our carol service, we had readings in Shona (Zimbabwean language) and Farsi. We also ask our diverse congregation for input on the issues from their home countries that we can pray for.”
Holy Trinity is also close to a hotel used to house a number of asylum seekers waiting for their claims to be processed. George wanted to address the issue of loneliness and boredom by integrating them into church activities and offering them practical support.
He said: “We encourage asylum seekers to serve and come to various groups. We also connect them to practical support, including from the Bishop’s Refugee Advisor Attieh Fard, who has helped them navigate the asylum process.”
George admits that as a White British man, he has had to educate himself over the years around issues like unconscious bias, but he and the church have really seen the benefit of growing a vibrant and multicultural worshiping community.
Advice and resources on how to welcome people from racially diverse backgrounds can be found in the anti-racism toolkit.