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African Pentecostalism
非洲五旬节派
The power of prayer
祈祷的力量
African churches are leaving a mark on British Christianity
非洲教会在英国基督教上留下的印记
“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”.
“我们信奉您会帮助我们得到更好的工作、加薪和奖金，寻得生财之道，财运自来，收入、稿酬、地产、分红、遗产……我们向耶稣祷告，愿有转折之日。”这是在金斯威国际基督教中心沃尔瑟姆斯托分会举行的仪式的尾声。身着白色长衫的舞者手拿红色雨伞跃上舞台。约1，000名穿着得体的信徒共同吟唱着圣歌，与此同时接待人员在收取着高额的“什一税”。
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.
记录教会信徒数的彼得·布赖尔利估算，在2008年到2013年间，五旬节派教会的信徒数增长了25%，达到了430,000人。并不是所有的都在西非——巴西的五旬节派教会也在蒸蒸日上——而且并不是所有的西非教会都是五旬节派的。但各种各样的非洲教会都看起来在蓬勃发展。无论是像KICC一样唯物主义，还是信条更为保守，这些教会都如同企业一般。他们也逐渐将枝桠伸向郊区和白人。
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.
基督教救赎会是一个相当成功的尼日利亚组织，如今在英国已拥有了670个教堂，包括在贝辛斯托克和吉尔福德的分支。KICC原位于哈克尼，但为了给2012年伦敦奥运会让位它搬离了原有的建筑，在肯特一个名为查塔姆的不发达地区建立了新的大教会。
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在英国的首席政策专员巴巴通德·阿伯迪布表示，一些传教士认为自己是反向传教士，将基督教重新带回英国。他们建立新的教会分支并不断寻求皈依者。为了赢得信徒，RCCG教会越来越频繁地效仿国教教会的做法：运营食物银行，托儿所和主日学校。
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.
非洲教会也许也在鼓励着国教教会进行变革。英国杜伦大学的大卫·古德休说，在当前约克大主教约翰·森塔穆的带领下，不难见到完整的户外成人洗礼。这与英国国教神学完全兼容——但更创新。他认为“狂热、自发的”灵恩式礼拜也越来越稀松平常，甚至在一些守旧的教堂里也是如此。一些非洲人如今每周日都去参加两个仪式，一个五旬节的，一个国教的。最受欢迎的教会是运营优秀小学的教会。
