by Peter Davison
Q: We keep hearing about church growth, but are struggling just to keep our doors open. Does our church have a future?
A: First, let me say that you are not alone in your concern. Many churches of all denominations are struggling to stay alive, and church participation throughout the northern hemisphere seems to be on the decline. Whether the current recession causes us to re-think our values and priorities remains to be seen, though there are signs that the complacency, which went with our recent imagined prosperity has been shaken, and many of us have seen new faces on Sundays. That, of course, doesn't mean we can be complacent. Getting people through the church door may be one thing, but integrating them into the life of our congregations is another. Some churches seem to attract new and younger families with worship featuring contemporary music and a format that mimics pop culture and entertainment. But even "mega-churches" have discovered that people want community, and have developed small-group ministries catering to specific needs.
If you want to see real church growth, however, look at the global south, where churches, including many Anglican dioceses, are growing exponentially. This may be due to a number of factors, including the following: (1) a fundamentalist approach to scripture, which allows little or no room for questioning; (2) a culture in which leaders often function autocratically; and (3) worship that appeals to the heart more than the head. So we can conclude that many people, and especially people in crisis, want the comfort and assurance of certainty, and knowledge that they are loved. Another factor is the strong competition from Islam or other religions. This forces Christians to define themselves much more clearly. Here at home, on the other hand, most people reject religious fundamentalism while believing it represents what all Christians believe. So we have a double burden of proof — countering the widespread indifference to religious belief, as well as the general assumption that Christianity is incompatible with science or any other kind of intelligence. Furthermore, most of our churches suffer from bureaucratic structures and procedures, with a focus on statistics rather than real-life stories. In the so-called "emergent churches" people seem attracted by two main things — community with shared authority, and serious theological conversation. In short, head and heart are both taken seriously.
If we think we have issues confronting us now, they are probably nothing compared with the challenges just down the road. A combination of genetics, nanotechnology and robotics is rapidly fusing biological and artificial intelligence. This has huge implications for our understanding of reality in general, and of what it means to be human in particular. I would like to think that, with our own history of scripture, tradition and reason, and our recognition of the need for head, heart and will to work together, we may be well placed to explore the place of faith in a world undergoing exponential rates of change. But that will require imagination and courage from all of us. Think, though, how exciting that would be. Certainly no one would be able to say of church, "B-O-R-I-N-G."
For starters, we might all want to think about lively liturgy, challenging preaching, excellent hospitality, and really good pastoral care. A lot of people out there would soon hear about these things, and might well want to become part of us. As for your parish, first identify and build on your strengths. Then you can move on to other things. Don't fret about what you can't do — after all, none of us can do everything well.
