I am being approached more and more by people (always middle class) who are not convinced by the issue of class within the UK. According to one recent conversation, 20schemes is“over egging the pudding” and, incredibly, “deliberately and provocatively stirring up dissension that doesn’t really exist”.

Certainly, whenever I am invited to speak about the church reaching into housing estates and schemes, I am finding more and more Christians pushing back on this issue. So, is it all in my imagination? Is it just a case of working-class victim mentality at play? Is it a chip on the shoulder? I do not think so (but, then, I would say that). In fact, I think that 20schemes, if we are guilty of anything, it is only of pointing out the glaring chasm that currently exists between much of UK evangelicalism and those living in traditional working-class areas, housing estates, and schemes.

We put the question to Lewis Allen on his recent visit with us.