New Christian Churches

Over 300 new churches and congregations have sprung up in Newham since the 1975s. Immigration, first from the Caribbean, then from Africa and Asia and now Europe has led to a phenomenal increase in Christian congregations across the Borough. From slow beginnings in the 1970s, accelerating in the 1980s and then rushing on from the 1990s and still flowing into 2019 many ‘black-led’, mainly Pentecostal or ethnic churches have coloured and are re-shaping the Newham faith story.

Here is a roll call of some of them known to be working and worshipping in Newham. They began in homes, hired halls, booked into community centres, rented older church buildings, bought shops and pubs, adapted factories and built their own premises. Some are 20 strong, many claim to be 50-100 strong, a group are 200-500 and there are a few mega-churches soaring over 2000. Many are independent churches, some are in networks, others are linked with the established denominations.  Among them there are Afro-Caribbean churches, French-speaking congregations, Tamils, Nigerians, Ghanians, Congolese, Malawi, Filipino, Ethiopian, Eritrean, Chinese, Mauritians and Lithuanians

Their names tell the story. The places change as congregations grow or move on. People often travel in, leaders change, web-sites alter, congregations disappear. The list is incomplete and still growing. Here is the known list of new churches that are-or have been- in Newham at the end of 2012 together with the places or locality where the congregations gather for worship.

The 2019 Book 'The Desecularisation of The City - London Churches, 1980 to the Present' has a chapter 'New Churches in Newham' telling the story. Click here to download the whole chapter.