Church of England flock strays far from its pews
`Britain is showing the world how religion as we have known it can die,' a historian observes as regular church attendance slips to 8 percent
By Tom Hundley
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published May 11, 2006

ROEHAMPTON, England -- Rev. Mandy Beck, an Anglican priest, is on the lookout for lost souls among the loaves and frozen fish.

Bringing Christianity to the aisles of an Asda superstore, a British chain owned by Wal-Mart, isn't exactly missionary work, but it's close.

Beck, who is the pastor of a small suburban London congregation, admits she probably hasn't won any converts in the year she has been serving in Asda's store chaplaincy program."

But I have probably had more serious religious conversations here than I have had in my church," she said. "People seem to feel comfortable here. They'll come up and start talking to you about their struggles with suffering or death."
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