Documenting the important story of Black Church history
Marcia Dixon MBE encourages Britain’s Black-majority churches (BMCs) to start documenting their history to leave a legacy and inspire future generations
There are two main reasons why we know about the characters and events in Scripture: people were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write about them, and God thought their stories were worth telling.
Stories – defined by dictionary.com as ‘a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse or instruct the hearer or reader’ – remain a powerful tool to connect with others. That’s why the Arts, essentially a medium through which stories can be told, remain so popular today.
Stories provide us with opportunities to understand, sympathise, empathise or be enlightened by the experiences of others. And this is true whether the stories are autobiographical (where someone writes about their life or shares the story of a business, organisation or movement they founded) or biographical (where someone writes about the life of someone else, their organisation, or a fictional story).
Jesus’ parables were short, fictitious stories He told to illustrate a religious principle or to deepen people’s understanding of God, and they have endured for centuries. Why? Because people are able to connect deeply with the scenarios depicted. And they are memorable too.
The story of how the Black Church in Britain came to be is an amazing story.
It’s a movement that provided a spiritual sanctuary and community for Caribbean migrants when they settled in the UK between the 1950s and 1970s.
Our churches have developed and evolved over the years, and the migration of the Christians from African countries since the 1980s has added a new and exciting dimension to the Black Church experience.
There’s no doubt the Black Church community has impacted British society in various ways. These include musically, influencing worship styles as well as secular music; providing the foundation for Britain’s growing Black middle class; motivating people to start their own businesses; and serving as inspiration for Britain’s wider Christian movement.
The impact of the Black Church has been major, and our stories need to be told.
I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but soon there won’t be any pioneers of the Black Church movement here in Britain – leaders as well as members – as they are being called home to glory.
This is why it’s important for churches – both individual congregations and national denominations – to properly document their stories of how they came to be; their key achievements; their work of changing lives through preaching the Gospel; and their acts of service in the community.
When a church records its story, it serves as a written proof of a church’s legacy and history that future generations can read. It will also serve as inspiration for others, as they read about the individuals who played major roles in establishing churches.
There are so many ways stories about our churches can be recorded. They can be written and published in a book, magazine or brochure format. They can be recorded on video, shared in a podcast, and/or documented via a photo exhibition.
During 2026, I want to challenge church leaders and congregations to start writing and documenting your stories. Your members will be inspired by them, the wider community will welcome them, and future generations will learn from them.
The time to write the story of your church is now.
Marcia Dixon MBE
Publisher/editor, Keep The Faith; Founder of MD PR www.marciadixonpr.co.uk
Thankfully some books have already been published. Below are a few of them.
Flourishing in Babylon: Black British Agency and Self-Determination by Bishop Dr Joe Aldred, 2024
The Black Church in the 21st Century by Bishop Dr Joe Aldred and Keno Ogbo, 2010
How to Make Gospel Music Work for You by Roy Francis, 2021
Windrush and the Black Pentecostal Church in Britain by Roy Francis, 2024
Forward March by Rev Dr Oliver Lyseight (founder of the New Testament Church of God UK) and George Garwood, 1995
Bethel Begins: The Beginnings of Bethel United Church of Jesus Christ Apostolic by Nicholas Myers, 2022
From an Acorn to an Oak Tree: The History of the New Testament Assembly by Richard Reddie, 2012
Look What the Lord Has Done!: An Exploration of Black Faith in Britain by Mark Sturge, 2005
