Tomiwa Owolade references Theos’ research in piece for New Statesman. 29/03/2023

There is a building in the south London borough of Lambeth that used to be a bingo hall. For decades, generations of men and women came here for pleasure and recreation, community and belonging. Now its grey walls are scoured with graffiti. This building is silent for most of the week, a picture of dereliction – except for Sundays. Then, between 10am and 12pm, a resurrection begins.

When you enter on a Sunday morning you are received by the welcoming committee: three or four charming, smartly dressed young women point you to the main hall. It is like a concert venue. The chairs are plush and maroon. The floor is thickly carpeted in a funky spiral of lime, yellow and blood red. There is a choir on stage singing music to dance or sway to. There is also a massive TV screen behind the stage; smaller screens flank the venue like guardian angels. Welcome to an African church in London.

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