U.K.'s New Urban Churches Promote ‘Renewal’

The Guardian explores a "new breed" of hip, young churches in urban centers who see "wholesale urban renewal" as part of their spiritual mission.

To these churchgoers, dilapidated neighbourhoods such as the old, drug-infested Stokes Croft are the fallen world – and their salvation lies not just in prayer and devotion, but in start-ups, vintage clothes stores and bakeries.

The feature focuses in particular on the Bristol neighborhood of Stokes Croft, which a local church is actively working to position as "a gateway to the city" as well as "a gateway to the Kingdom." The church advocates localism and urban regeneration, running "a range of startups and social enterprises" and operating communal living spaces on residential property it owns.

In Bristol, the proliferation of local micro-breweries, vinyl revival record stores and pop-up greengrocers is mirrored in the rise of a new breed of grassroots congregation, attracting younger, trendier demographics with considerable success. A kind of “spiritual gentrification” is gaining currency.

Church spokespeople acknowledged some "tension" over the potential for displacement, but also noted that their congregation includes people who are homeless, formerly incarcerated, or in addiction recovery as well as students and professionals.