European churches say growing flock of Muslim refugees are converting to Christianity

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Muslim refugees are pictured at a reception centre at Derveni near the Greek northern city of Thessaloniki last month. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:09am, 6 Jun 2016Updated: 9:09am, 6 Jun 2016

A growing number of Muslim refugees in Europe are converting to Christianity, according to churches, which have conducted mass baptisms in some places.

Reliable data on conversions is not available but anecdotal evidence suggests a pattern of rising church attendance by Muslims who have fled conflict, repression and economic hardship in countries across the Middle East and central Asia.

Complex factors behind the trend include heartfelt faith in a new religion, gratitude to Christian groups offering support during perilous and frightening journeys, and an expectation that conversion may aid asylum applications.

At Trinity church in the Berlin suburb of Steglitz, the congregation has grown from 150 two years ago to almost 700, swollen by Muslim converts, according to Pastor Gottfried Martens. Earlier this year, churches in Berlin and Hamburg reportedly held mass conversions for asylum seekers at municipal swimming pools.

Workers push a seven-metre long refugee boat through the entrance portal of the Cologne Cathedral last week. The boat, which frought 70 Libyan refugees to Europe and served as altar during a Corpus Christi service held outside the German cathedral, will stay inside the church as a memorial during the

The Austrian Catholic church logged 300 applications for adult baptism in the first three months of 2016, with the Austrian pastoral institute estimating 70 per cent of those converting are refugees.

At Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral in the UK, a weekly Persian service attracts between 100 and 140 people. Nearly all are migrants from Iran, Afghanistan and elsewhere in central Asia.