Discover
The identity of the nation
England is the largest and most populous of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom, with about 58.6 million inhabitants. Its capital, London, is one of the world’s most influential cities in finance, culture, and media, drawing people from practically every country on the planet. To speak of England is to speak of a nation small in territory but with an enormous historical weight on how billions of people today live, speak, and govern themselves.
Few places have played as significant a role in the history of world Christianity as England. It was there that John Wycliffe, in the 14th century, produced the first complete translation of the Bible into English, risking his own position to put the Scriptures into the language of the common people. It was there that William Tyndale, shortly after, paid with his life for the same ideal: translating the Word of God from Hebrew and Greek directly into English, coining expressions that have shaped the language to this day. In the 18th century, the brothers John and Charles Wesley led a spiritual revival that renewed the faith of multitudes and gave rise to the Methodist movement, which spread throughout the world. In the 19th century, the preacher Charles Spurgeon gathered thousands of people every week in London just to hear the Bible preached. It is no exaggeration to say that much of the way the Protestant world reads, translates, and preaches the gospel today has English roots.
This past, however, contrasts sharply with the present. In the 2021 Census, for the first time in history, less than half of England’s population (46.3%) identified as Christian, while those who say they have no religion now number more than a third. Historic churches, such as the Church of England (the country’s official, state-linked church), face increasingly empty buildings on Sundays, and for many English people, faith has become something from the family’s past rather than a living practice. At the same time, a quiet drift away from religion is growing among the young: not open hostility, but indifference, the sense that faith simply makes no difference in daily life.
This creates an unusual mission field: a country Christian in name only, full of cathedrals, hymns, and holidays of Christian origin, yet where the gospel must be presented anew as something living and fresh, not as inherited tradition. At the same time, immigration has brought Muslim, Hindu, and other religious communities to England, who now live side by side with English-born people, creating a mission field at home as well, quite different from the past centuries, when it was the English who sent missionaries to the rest of the world.
- Celtic peoples inhabit the island before the arrival of the Romans
- 43 The Romans conquer Britain and remain there for almost 400 years
- 410 The Roman legions withdraw; Anglo-Saxon peoples from present-day Germany and Denmark begin to settle
- 597 Missionaries sent by Rome arrive in Canterbury and begin converting the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to Christianity
- 793 Beginning of the Viking invasions, which come to control much of the east and north of what would become England
- 925 Athelstan is crowned king, considered the first monarch of a unified kingdom of England
- 1066 William, Duke of Normandy (a region of present-day France), invades and conquers England at the Battle of Hastings
- 1215 King John is forced by the nobles to sign the Magna Carta, limiting the king's power for the first time
- 1382 John Wycliffe leads the first complete translation of the Bible into English
- 1534 King Henry VIII breaks with the Church of Rome and creates the Church of England, with the monarch as its head
- 1536 William Tyndale, translator of the Bible into English from Hebrew and Greek, is executed for heresy
- 1611 The King James Version of the Bible is published, drawing heavily on Tyndale's text
- 1738 John Wesley experiences a personal conversion that sparks the Methodist revival
- 1760 Beginning of the Industrial Revolution, which transforms English cities into manufacturing centers and changes the world of work
- 1940 During World War II, the Battle of Britain is fought in English skies against Nazi Germany
- 1948 The arrival of the ship Empire Windrush brings the first large groups of Caribbean immigrants, changing the country's population profile
- 2021 The UK Census shows, for the first time, less than half of England's population identifying as Christian
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EnglishOfficial and majority language, spoken by nearly the entire population
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British Sign Language (BSL)Officially recognized language of the deaf community
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PolishMain immigrant language, brought by communities that arrived after 2004
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Punjabi and UrduSpoken by communities of Indian and Pakistani origin, a legacy of historical ties with South Asia
England occupies most of the island of Great Britain, sharing land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west. The terrain is generally gentle: rolling hills in the south, plains in the center and east (home to the Fens, a low, marshy area near Norfolk), and higher mountains only in the north, such as the Pennines, a range that runs the length of the country from north to south and is known as the backbone of England, and the Lake District, a region of mountains and lakes in the northwest. The country is surrounded by sea along almost its entire length, which historically eased both its defense and its maritime expansion across the world.
Major cities
- LondonCapital, financial and cultural center, one of the most diverse cities in the world
- ManchesterBirthplace of the Industrial Revolution, today a hub for technology, music, and football
- BirminghamThe country's second-largest city, historically tied to industry and now highly diverse culturally
- LiverpoolPort city, home of the Beatles, with a strong identity of its own
- YorkHistoric walled city in the north, with a medieval cathedral and a Roman and Viking past
Climate and temperature
Fish and chips
Battered fried fish served with thick-cut fries, the dish most associated with the country
Sunday roast
Traditional Sunday lunch with roasted meat, potatoes, and Yorkshire pudding, a baked batter that accompanies the gravy
Full English breakfast
A hearty breakfast with eggs, sausages, bacon, beans, and toast
Shepherd's pie
Ground meat pie topped with mashed potato and baked in the oven
Afternoon tea
The tradition of drinking black tea with milk, almost always accompanied by biscuits or cake
Sticky toffee pudding
Moist date cake covered in warm caramel sauce, a classic English dessert
Understand
Culture and spirituality
2a · The culture
Cathedrals and historic churches
Centuries-old buildings that bear witness to a past of deep faith, today often visited more as monuments than used for worship
The monarchy
The country maintains a king or queen as head of state, with a mostly ceremonial and symbolic role
Football
The national sport par excellence, born in England and now followed with passion around the world
Afternoon tea
A social ritual that still marks gatherings among family and friends
Self-deprecating humor
The English tend to laugh at themselves and value dry, ironic humor in everyday life
Queuing and formal manners
Respecting the queue and maintaining a certain social formality are strong cultural values
Music and literature
From the Beatles' rock music to Shakespeare's literature, England exports culture to the whole world
Stonehenge and prehistoric sites
Stone monuments erected millennia before Christ, today symbols of the country
- Talking about religion in a direct and insistent way The local culture values discretion; personal faith matters tend to be treated with more reserve than in Latin countries
- Commenting on the royal family Strong opinions about the monarchy can cause discomfort, even among the English themselves, who are divided on the subject
- Cutting in line It is seen as a serious lack of manners and can provoke an immediate reaction from people nearby
- Confusing England with the United Kingdom Scots, Welsh, and Northern Irish do not like being called English; they are distinct nations within the same country
- Speaking loudly in public spaces A lower, more measured tone of voice is the norm on public transport and in queues
- Expecting relaxed punctuality Scheduled commitments are usually taken seriously; being late without notice is frowned upon
- Overpraising or seeming overly effusive It can sound artificial; communication tends to be more moderate
2b · The field
Areas of spiritual battle and cultural captivity to cover in prayer. Tap each point to understand:
Much of the population grew up without religious practice and sees faith as something from the past, not something alive
Many call themselves Christian only out of family or cultural tradition, without a personal relationship with God
Professional success, consumption, and material comfort occupy the central place that faith once held
The culture values privacy and self-sufficiency so highly that seeking spiritual help can seem like weakness
Historic buildings of faith become museums, event venues, or stand closed for lack of a congregation
Science and reason are seen by many as sufficient, making faith seem dispensable
Attachment to history and old religious forms can substitute for genuine personal faith
Anxiety and loneliness are high even amid material comfort, a sign of an unresolved search for meaning
Talking about miracles or a living faith can sound strange in a highly rationalist environment
Christians, Muslims, and other faith communities often live side by side without real dialogue
Religious freedom in England is broad: there is no violent persecution, mass imprisonment, or ban on worship. The pressure that committed Christians face there is of a different nature, more subtle and cultural. Expressing Christian convictions in public, especially on matters of ethics and behavior, can provoke strong reactions on social media, at work, or even in legal proceedings. There are records of Christians questioned or detained by police for silent prayer, made alone, standing, near abortion clinics, even without speaking aloud, which sparked public debate over the limits of religious expression in the country.
The greatest challenge, however, is not repression but indifference. In a society that has moved away from religious practice, a committed Christian is sometimes seen as strange or old-fashioned, rather than persecuted. This weighs especially on young Christians in schools and universities, where publicly defending the faith can mean social isolation. Even so, England remains a country of full legal freedom to convert, gather, evangelize, and practice any faith.
The persecution score runs from 0 to 100: the higher it is, the greater the pressure on Christians.
Pray
Intercede for this nation
Every nation carries a redemptive purpose. Marks that seem woven into the identity God desires to restore:
Go
Practical details for those who want to go
Local time
Cost of living
Outside London, the price drops significantly, to about £900 to £1,000
Cost by city
Reference values (source: Numbeo). Confirm before traveling.
Practical points for those who go
- Punctuality matters: arriving at the agreed time is a sign of respect, and being late usually requires notice
- Queuing is sacred: waiting your turn in any situation is a strong social rule
- Tea is a social ritual: offering or accepting a cup of tea is a common gesture of hospitality and conversation
- The weather changes constantly: it's always worth carrying an umbrella, even on days that start out sunny
- Tipping is discretionary: in restaurants, around 10% to 12.5% is common, but not mandatory as in other countries
- Initial formality: among strangers, the tone of conversation tends to be more reserved until trust is built
Send and sustain
Not everyone goes, everyone takes part
Not everyone goes. Everyone takes part.
Behind every worker among these peoples stands a network of people who pray without ceasing, care for the family left behind, and faithfully sustain the work. Sending is mission too.
Start with your church: introduce this nation, adopt it in ongoing prayer, and walk alongside those God is raising up to go.