When British Pews Are Empty, Don’t Blame the Mosque

Multiculturalism Isn’t the Threat, National Indifference Is  

By Olakunle Agboola  –  On Sunday morning, I stepped into a Catholic Church in Thamesmead, South London. The pews were filled with Black congregants, vibrant, expressive, singing with zeal. Yet on the altar stood a white priest, symbolising not just spiritual authority but a glaring shift in Britain’s religious demography.

Fifty years ago, this church reflected a largely white community, as the older generation attested. Today, it is different. The African spirit now echoes with praises, drums, and joy.  

This is not just a Thamesmead story. I have travelled through communities historically known to be white-majority, places once vibrant with Sunday worshippers, and I was stunned in recent times to find many churches completely empty, shut down or converted into flats, supermarkets or Islamic centres.

The Church of England, once the moral and cultural foundation of British identity, is visibly fading out. Bromley South, where my sister worships every Sunday, was once a predominantly white parish but now dominated by Nigerian, Ghanaian and Indian families.

The hymns have given way to African praise songs. The tea-and-biscuit tradition is replaced with jollof rice and puff-puff. Few white members remain, but those who do are thrilled by the vibrancy and spirituality.  

According to the Faith Survey, less than five percent of the UK population now regularly attends church. The long tradition of starting each day in Parliament with Christian prayers continues in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, though in recent times it has become a subject of debate.

Here lies the paradox. If British people themselves are stepping away from their Christian values or debating whether old traditions should be cancelled, who then is eroding whose culture?  

The Silent Withdrawal  

It is known that British culture in its fineness is intertwined with Christianity. This reflects the crown, public holidays, education calendars and national celebrations.  

Christmas, Easter, New Year services, these are not just church events, they are cultural markers. Yet today, they are being diluted or silenced, not by immigrants, but by native Britons themselves. 

Take Easter. In many schools, celebrations now focus more on chocolate eggs

than the resurrection of Jesus. Some institutions have pulled back from even mentioning Easter or Jesus Christ out of fear of offending non-Christians.  

Christmas is slowly becoming a commercial season rather than a commemoration of Christ’s birth. Nativity scenes, carols, and midnight masses are dwindling. The younger generation is confused and often sees Christmas as Santa, shopping, and holidays.  

Meanwhile, the BBC aired a live Ramadan/Eid service this year, the first full Islamic prayer service broadcast live on a UK terrestrial channel, from Bradford Central Mosque. That was a significant step for inclusivity, no doubt.   

In 2024, BBC faced criticism for discontinuing its long-standing Easter Sunday broadcast from King’s College, Cambridge, a tradition dating back decades. This was a public outcry that seems like Easter Sunday service may not come live on primetime BBC one.  

One must ask whether this is a deliberate effort to mute Christian traditions or if the British have become embarrassed or fatigued in honouring their own heritage.  

The Role of the Crown  

Hosting a royal Iftar at Windsor Castle this year, many hailed King Charles as his action was perceived as religious diversity and inclusivity of interfaith celebration. However, critics expressed dissatisfaction with the move, given that the British monarch is not just a ceremonial figurehead but the Defender of the Faith, a title tied and deep rooted in Christianity.  

The King can honour other religions. But if minority faiths are consistently elevated while the founding faith fades, imbalance becomes inevitable.”  

You cannot silence Sunday service or public prayer in the UK and expect the spirit of the nation to endure.  In Saudi Arabia, the official weekend is Friday and Saturday, making Sunday a workday. Christians there, mostly expatriates, can only worship in private, as public Christian gatherings are prohibited.  

That is their way of ensuring Islamic values dominate public life. They are unapologetic in accommodating other religions by compromising their own. That is clarity.  

Who Is Really to Blame?  

Many immigrants, particularly Africans and Asians, actively revive British churches, keeping them alive with passion rooted in faith. It is immigrant communities now upholding what many native Britons have let slip away.  

The British public is not being forced to abandon their values. They simply are not showing up anymore. If you cannot be bothered to attend church on Sunday but complain when someone else wears their culture proudly on Friday, the problem is not immigration. It is abdication.  

If you strip down your traditions so much you are unrecognisable to yourself, do not blame the mirror. Britain’s cultural erosion is not caused by immigration. It is caused by British apathy.  

The Immigrant Example  

When immigrants arrive in Britain, many bring deeply rooted religious traditions. For many African Christians, Sunday is sacred. They dress up, show up, and build strong spiritual communities.  

Their commitment is not shallow. It is generational. The British, who once exported missionaries to the ends of the Earth, are now receiving missionaries from Nigeria, Ghana and India.  

If these immigrants can uphold their own values in a foreign land while embracing the host culture respectfully, then what is holding the host nation back not to uphold its own heritage unapologetically?  

What Needs to Change?  

It is time for a cultural reset. If Britain values Christianity, it must actively protect it. This does not mean marginalising other faiths. It means refusing to marginalise your own.  

Christian leaders must become more vocal in public life, not just on Sundays. Christianity must re-enter the public square through media, education, and culture, not just private worship.  

The monarchy and government should reaffirm national celebrations. Let Christmas be Christmas. Let Easter be the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and not a bunny hunt. Let Remembrance services include prayer again.  

The media, especially public broadcasters like the BBC, must stop treating Christian festivals as optional while elevating others as essential. Upholding your culture should not come at the cost of silencing it to accommodate others. Inclusion should not mean erasure.  

Embracing the change  

No culture survives silence. If Britons are intentional about preserving or upholding their values, they must first decide what those values are and ensure they are imbibed to reflect the society.   

You cannot dim your light and blame others for lighting theirs. And you certainly cannot skip church for brunch, then post on social media that Christianity is fading.  

Yes, Britain is changing. But the question is, is it evolving or simply eroding.

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