An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

and cultural patterns of how authority is acknowledged and respected. For example, olderpersons in the black majority church earn respect by reason of their age. This is also acultural norm amongst black people. Status also entitles individuals to a certain level ofrespect which has nothing to do with age. Therefore, a pastor, elder, evangelist, andSunday school teacher are revered as God‟s chosen ministers. If the individual holds aposition in the church and also has seniority in age then they are doubly respected. Anydispute with God‟s minister must be legitimized by the Holy Spirit and a more seniorminister.Power, status and authority in one setting do not give the person equal status in another.African and West Indian immigrants may leave behind high rank in their own countrytaking up lower positions in Britain, thus experiencing loss of status as displaced people.As some of the critics of liberation theology discussed by McGovern (1989) suggest, amove to another country may be a move towards a new form of servitude and lessauthentic freedom. Many sought to replace their loss of status and new form of servitudewith positions (office) in the church or deny the importance of achieving high status.Within the Black community in Britain there is often an assumption that society runs on anassumption of white superiority and black inferiority. This stems in part from the fact thatalthough black people have been present in Britain since Roman times they were onlyofficially recognized by the 1991 British census (Raleigh and Balarajan 1994). Thereforeas a people their visible presence in Britain is thought by most to be relatively new to thecountry. Historically this is not correct but their visible presence is relatively new (c.f. Hiro1991, Ahmad, 1993). Blac ople‟s relatively new presence in Britain as well as theirrelatively small numbers means that they possess less political power than the white155