New figures reveal changing shape of Methodist Church

New figures from the Methodist Church have revealed the diverse nature of its congregations today.

This year’s Statistics Mission Report is the first to include data on language, ethnicity, Fresh Expressions and the number of churchgoers engaged in children and youth ministry.

According to the report, there are at least 89 Methodist congregations in Britain running worship or fellowships in a non-English language. Just some of the language groups are Hindi, Mandarin, Farsi, French and Zimbabwean.

Walworth Methodist Church in London is typical of the many multi-ethnic congregations that exist throughout Britain. It operates four fellowships and services for Christians from Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, with parts of the services taking place in the mother tongue.

“It’s great because it acknowledges the diverse nature of our church. Holding fellowships in this way has helped our church to grow,” said minister the Rev John Chambers.

“People will come to our church knowing that their ethnic tradition will be acknowledged.”

The report identified 893 fresh expressions of church, with café churches, Messy Church and cell groups being among the most popular.

It also revealed that a significant number of Methodists are part of an ecumenical congregation – over 16,000, or seven per cent of Methodists in Britain.

Dr Christopher Stephens, Research Officer, said the research was taking place annually to build an accurate picture of the Church in the 21st century.

He said the data would enable the Methodist Church to better support local churches in their mission needs.

He said: “This report reveals that we are diverse and modern. We have a huge number of Fresh Expressions and a wide breadth of worshipping communities.

“I think this report will surprise some readers, including Methodists. It demonstrates clear areas of growth and a rich diversity that may reflect a Methodist Church that is different from the general preconception.”