UK Christians are urged to actively share their faith with Muslims, even in the face of opposition and indifference, as Islam's public presence grows.



In the United Kingdom, Christians are being encouraged to boldly share their faith not only with their neighbors but also with those who oppose it. Specifically, Muslims. According to a warning from the Evangelical Alliance, fear and indifference are present, but that shouldn’t stop followers of Jesus from sharing the Gospel with Muslim neighbors, co-workers, and surrounding communities.

During a webinar titled "Islam: challenges, questions and gospel opportunities," the second installment of a series focused on the rise of Christian nationalism and Islam in the U.K. discourse and politics, speakers noted the urgency of sharing the Good News.

As Islam is becoming prominent in British public life, over 4 million Muslims currently live in the U.K. Andy Bannister, a speaker at the webinar and director of Solas Centre for Public Christianity, noted Christians can’t afford to stay silent on or ignore the subject.

“Islam is certainly more vocal … it’s more confident,” he said. “We’re going to see a lot more about Islam in the public square, in the media.”

According to Bannister, high-profile Muslims are making the religion more popular. At the same time, Britain could be moving towards “peak secularism.” Because younger generations are asking questions and are open to faith, they could explore Islam alongside other faiths.

“Islam is a very public faith and … they’re a faith that believes in communicating what they see to be the truth, but immediately then we [Christians] get a bit nervous,” he said.

“The Church has generally done, I think, with the greatest respect, a pretty bad job at equipping people to engage their Muslims friends and neighbors. By contrast … many mosques teach their people how to engage with Christians.”

Encouraging Christians to share their faith without disrespecting other cultures and religious systems, Bannister believes honest conversations can take place without hostility:

“We don’t disrespect Islam by describing honestly what’s there,” he said. “Much better to go: This is different, let’s understand our Muslim friends, understand what they believe, and then share the uniqueness of Christ.”

At its core, Bannister urges Christians to show Christ-like love in truth, even when difficult or controversial topics are present.

“So, help your Muslim neighbor and then when they thank you, don't just go all shy,” he said. “Just go, ‘You need to know, by the way, the reason I have done this is I’m a Christian and Jesus died for me and He died for you and I’m doing this to demonstrate the love of Christ.’”

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