A Death Rattle

Offensive to God and Man

The nineteen fifties saw the first waves of immigrants from the West Indian colonies to the UK.  Most ended up in London in search of work and a new life.  By 1956, well over 40,000 per year were coming into the UK. 

David Kynaston [Family Britain: 1951-1957 (New York: Walker and Co., 2009), p. 449] records that the new immigrants encountered a "range of reactions".  On the whole, most were broadly accepting, on both sides.

But one stands out as breathtakingly bad:  it involved one 1955 arrival, Carmel Jones--who eventually became a Pentecostal minister.

Biggest shock was, one, the cold, and two, having gone to church for the very first time--so elated, so delighted that I'm coming from an Anglican church back home, I went to join in worship, and so I did--but after the service I was greeted by the vicar, who politely and nicely told me: "Thank you for coming.  But I would be delighted if you didn't come back."  And I said, "Why?"  He said, "My congregation is uncomfortable in the company of black people."

That was my biggest shock.  I was the only black person in that congregation that Sunday morning, and in my disappointment, my despair went with me and I didn't say anything to anyone about it for several months after that.  

If one wants at least one explanation for why the Anglican church in so many parts and places is spiritually dead today, the incident recorded above would go a long way.