Evangelical Alliance

London's Gujarati Christians celebrate milestone birthday   

There are an estimated 75,000-strong South Asian Christians who live in the UK. The third birthday of the Gujarati Christian Fellowship United Kingdom is testament to this emerging demographic in British society.

The Gujarati Christian Fellowship celebrated its third annual anniversary at the Northwood Methodist Church in West London where members thanked God for His faithfulness and the cultural diversity that they themselves enjoy in the UK.

The Gujarati Christian Fellowship United Kingdom began life in August 2007 by a small handful of Gujarati Christians living in West London. Nowadays the fellowship has grown to 200 members and one of their aims for 2011 is to find a permanent place of worship in West London as they currently meet in hired halls in the Hounslow and Wembley areas of the capital city.

At the party, members raised £1,200 for poor families in Gujarat by selling a choice of Indian dishes and delicatessens to guests who included the Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Asad Omar, the Mayor of Brent, Councillor Harbhajan Singh and the Leader of Harrow Council, Councillor Bill Stephenson. Guests were entertained by the Indian classical and Gujarati folk dance (Garba), the Gujarati Church Choir, the Northwood Methodist Church choir, the Welling Borough Choir and the New Life Suvarta Sangat choir.

"On the one hand Christ's love has no cultural boundaries, on the other; diversity is part of God's creation", says Davidson Solanki, Chair of Trustees, the Gujarati Christian Fellowship. "Having seen extensive growth over the past three years we're expecting this pattern to continue as people seek answers to the meaning of life."