Joseph Attoh 
The religious landscape of Europe and North America is undergoing a profound transformation shaped by accelerating secularisation and unprecedented global migration. While some observers fear that the Global North may lose its historic Christian foundations – drawing parallels with the gradual transformation of Anatolia – emerging evidence suggests a more hopeful narrative. Migration is not only reshaping societies; it is revitalising Christianity in regions once considered its heartlands.
For the first time in history, the majority of the world’s Christians now reside in the Global South, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for over 30 per cent of the global Christian population, according to Pew Research Center. In contrast, Europe and North America are experiencing widespread Christian disaffiliation, as the religiously unaffiliated become the fastest-growing demographic group. This dual reality has created a spiritual vacuum, intensified by the growth of religious pluralism, including expanding Muslim populations across Europe.
Yet this moment also presents a strategic missionary opportunity. Migration is transporting a vibrant, mission-oriented Christianity from the Global South into the cities of the North. Just as the early Church expanded through the movement of believers across the Roman world, contemporary migrant Christians are forming dynamic faith communities in some of the most secularised urban centres of the West.
Historical analysis confirms that large-scale religious change is possible, but scholars note that the current Western context is driven primarily by internal secular erosion rather than external religious replacement. Within this pluralistic environment, migrant churches – particularly African-led Pentecostal movements – are among the few Christian expressions recording sustained growth. Movements such as the Redeemed Christian Church of God and The Church of Pentecost have established thousands of congregations across Europe and North America, functioning both as diaspora fellowships and missionary bases reaching indigenous populations.
These churches often provide holistic spiritual, social, and economic support, offering an attractive alternative to the largely private religiosity common in secular societies. Strategically, this positions migrant Christianity as a key agent in the re-evangelisation of post-Christian cities such as London, Paris, and New York.
The implications for global missions are clear. Church leaders and mission units must move from observation to intentional strategy by equipping diaspora believers as cross-cultural missionaries, investing in strategic urban church planting, and fostering partnerships with historic Western denominations. Embracing this “from everywhere to everywhere” mission paradigm will enable the global Church to respond with clarity, confidence, and impact.
This demographic shift is not a crisis to fear but a providential moment to steward – one that holds promise for renewed Christian witness and transformation across the Global North.
Written by Dr Enoch Ofosu (Research Scientist, University of Waterloo, Canada)
About The Author
Joseph Otsibah 
