Abstract
The growth of African Christian communities in Europe has contributed to the changing religious and social landscape of migrant societies. Within the United Kingdom, African Gospel and Pentecostal churches have increasingly served not only as places of worship but also as spaces where faith, cultural identity, social relationships, pastoral care, and migrant belonging are negotiated and expressed. However, relatively limited attention has been given to the experiences and contributions of African Gospel churches within the Welsh context, particularly in Swansea. This study examines the socio-cultural, theological, and diaspora contributions of selected African Gospel churches in Swansea. Adopting a qualitative case-study approach, the research draws on a semi-structured online questionnaire, participant observation, and documentary materials to explore how these churches understand and practise their religious identity, maintain cultural connections, support members, and engage with the wider Swansea community. The study considers the churches as both religious communities and social spaces within which African Christian identities are maintained, adapted, and expressed in a Welsh urban context. Particular attention is given to worship and theological practices, cultural continuity, pastoral support, community relationships, and the experiences of migration and diaspora. The study contributes to scholarship on African Christianity, Pentecostalism, diaspora ecclesiology, and migrant religious communities by bringing the Swansea context into wider discussions of African Christianity in Britain. It argues that African Gospel churches provide an important context for examining the interaction between Christian faith, African cultural identity, migration, and community life within contemporary Wales.
Keywords: African Christianity; African Gospel Churches; Pentecostalism; Christian Diaspora; Migration; Religious Identity; Swansea; Wales; Diaspora Ecclesiology; Community Engagement
Repository DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23187424
About the contributor
Dr Austin Efosa Ero
Independent Researcher, Swansea, United Kingdom
ORCID 0009-0005-7642-1519
Recommended citation
Dr Austin Efosa Ero. “African Gospel Churches in Swansea: Socio-Cultural, Theological, and Diaspora Contributions.” Faith • Civilization • Theology 1, no. 1 (2026). https://faithcivilizationtheology.org/article/african-gospel-churches-swansea/.
Copyright holder/licensor: Dr Austin Efosa Ero. All rights reserved.