Pentecost Festival celebrates church's birthday

Thousands of Christians are in London today for the climax of the Pentecost Festival, a citywide celebration of the birth of the church.

The annual festival, now in its third year, kicked off on Tuesday with seminars and talks and culminates today with dozens of events reflecting the diversity of the church.

Last night, some 5,000 people filled the Hammersmith Apollo for a night of worship and prayer with Holy Trinity Brompton, Hillsong and Jesus House.

It was a historic night, with worship led by Tim Hughes, Reuben Morgan, Pete Wilson and the Jesus House Choir. Speakers included Nicky Gumbel, Gary Clarke and Pastor Agu Irukwu.

On the other side of town some 1,000 people filled Methodist Central Hall in Westminster to hear a prophetic word from Christian activist Shane Claiborne, co-pioneer of The Simple Way, a faith community dedicated to transforming inner city Philadelphia.

Today, freestyle beatboxer Intensi T wowed crowds in Leicester Square, a popular tourist spot, with a performance of drum beats, rhythm and musical sound using only his mouth and a mic.

He was followed up by weightlifters and bodybuilders from Christian charity Tough Talk, who lifted heavy weights as they shared their personal testimonies of transformation from drug abusers to disciples of Christ.

Pentecost Festival Andy Frost said the festival was about demonstrating that the church “is as relevant now as it was when it started”.

The festival has been joined this year by comedians Tim Vine and Milton Jones, actor George Dillon, who has won critical acclaim for his solo performance of the Gospel of Matthew, and the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams.

The programme includes the first UK screening of Call+Response, a new documentary by Justin Dillon looking at modern forms of slavery like child labour or forced prostitution, and what the church can do to help victims.

Tonight Methodist Central Hall will be packed again for an evening with Bill Johnson, senior pastor of Bethel Church, California, and a performance by Sons of Korah, an Australian group that sets the Psalms to acoustic music and multi-ethnic sounds.

The BBC will broadcast live worship from the festival for Pentecost on Sunday from 10am to 11am.