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African Pentecostalism
非洲五旬節派
The power of prayer
祈禱的力量
African churches are leaving a mark on British Christianity
非洲教會在英國基督教上留下的印記
“WE BELIEVE in you for better jobs, raises and bonuses, finding money, money finding us, incomes, royalties, real estates, dividends, inheritances…We pray to Jesus and there shall be a turnaround.” So ends the service at the Walthamstow branch of the Kingsway International Christian Centre. Dancers in long white skirts carrying red umbrellas leap onto the stage. Perhaps 1,000 smartly dressed worshippers chant along while ushers collect hefty “tithes”.
“我們信奉您會幫助我們得到更好的工作、加薪和獎金，尋得生財之道，財運自來，收入、稿酬、地產、分紅、遺產……我們向耶穌禱告，愿有轉折之日。”這是在金斯威國際基督教中心沃爾瑟姆斯托分會舉行的儀式的尾聲。身著白色長衫的舞者手拿紅色雨傘躍上舞臺。約1，000名穿著得體的信徒共同吟唱著圣歌，與此同時接待人員在收取著高額的“什一稅”。
Between 2008 and 2013 the membership of Pentecostal churches grew by 25%,to 430,000, reckons Peter Brierley, who tracks church attendance. Not all are west African—Brazilian Pentecostal churches are also buzzing—and not all west African churches are Pentecostal. But African churches of all sorts do seem to be thriving. Whether as materialistic as the KICC or more traditional in their gospel, they are all entrepreneurial. Increasingly, they are reaching out to suburbs and to whites as well.
記錄教會信徒數的彼得·布賴爾利估算，在2008年到2013年間，五旬節派教會的信徒數增長了25%，達到了430,000人。并不是所有的都在西非——巴西的五旬節派教會也在蒸蒸日上——而且并不是所有的西非教會都是五旬節派的。但各種各樣的非洲教會都看起來在蓬勃發展。無論是像KICC一樣唯物主義，還是信條更為保守，這些教會都如同企業一般。他們也逐漸將枝椏伸向郊區和白人。
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, a particularly successful Nigerian organisation, now has 670 churches in Britain, including branches in Basingstoke and Guildford. The KICC was based in Hackney, but when it lost its building to the 2012 London Olympics it opened a new megachurch near Chatham, a poorish part of Kent.
基督教救贖會是一個相當成功的尼日利亞組織，如今在英國已擁有了670個教堂，包括在貝辛斯托克和吉爾福德的分支。KICC原位于哈克尼，但為了給2012年倫敦奧運會讓位它搬離了原有的建筑，在肯特一個名為查塔姆的不發達地區建立了新的大教會。
Some preachers see themselves as reverse missionaries, bringing back Christianity to Britain, suggests Babatunde Abedibu, the RCCG's chief policy officer in Britain. They set up new branches of churches and relentlessly seek converts. To get them, RCCG churches are increasingly doing the sorts of things Anglican churches do:running food banks, creches and Sunday schools.
RCCG在英國的首席政策專員巴巴通德·阿伯迪布表示，一些傳教士認為自己是反向傳教士，將基督教重新帶回英國。他們建立新的教會分支并不斷尋求皈依者。為了贏得信徒，RCCG教會越來越頻繁地效仿國教教會的做法：運營食物銀行，托兒所和主日學校。
And African churches may be encouraging change in Anglican ones. Under the current Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, it is not unusual to see full outdoor adult baptisms, notes David Goodhew of Durham University. That is perfectly compatible with Anglican theology—but also rather new. He thinks “happy-clappy” charismatic worship is also becoming more common, even in some quite fuddy-duddy churches. Some Africans now go to two services each Sunday, one Pentecostal, one Anglican. The most popular churches are those that run good primary schools.
非洲教會也許也在鼓勵著國教教會進行變革。英國杜倫大學的大衛·古德休說，在當前約克大主教約翰·森塔穆的帶領下，不難見到完整的戶外成人洗禮。這與英國國教神學完全兼容——但更創新。他認為“狂熱、自發的”靈恩式禮拜也越來越稀松平常，甚至在一些守舊的教堂里也是如此。一些非洲人如今每周日都去參加兩個儀式，一個五旬節的，一個國教的。最受歡迎的教會是運營優秀小學的教會。
