He paints a vivid picture of the country they came to, explains how they lived, the problems they faced, the religious climate they found, and how, as Pentecostals, they started their churches. Roy also explains the music West Indians came to Britain with, chart their development from the earliest years in the Caribbean and explain how as choruses, they are not merely worship songs, but like the ‘Spirituals’ of the American South, are perhaps coded messages of resistance that have come down to us through the ages.
In the 1980s, another important migration took place, and Roy’s knowledge shines through as he charts this progress, shows why Africans started coming to Britain, explains what attracted them to the country, highlight their success, lists the achievements they’ve made, suggest the challenges they’ll face and assess their likely chance of success.
Born in Jamaica, Roy came to Britain as a child. His late father, T G Francis, is a pioneer of the Black Pentecostal movement in Britain and during the 1960s, Roy then only seven years old, would accompany his father going to various church services and open-air meetings. His talent of playing the piano drew the attention of many people, including church leaders, and soon he was in demand to play at their services.
Roy recalls, “Looking back, those were interesting times and although I didn’t recognise it, the people that used to visit our house to see my father or whose churches I visited to play, were pioneers of the Black Pentecostal Church in Britain.’
Windrush and the Black Pentecostal Church in Britain is a timely book which shines a light on an area of British religious life rarely written about, but one that’s been a great success story, -Caribbean and African Christian migration to Britain, the changes they’ve made to British religious life, and their overall contribution to British Society.
By your copy www.royfrancis.co.uk
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