USAtoday reported recently that Canadian churches are in decline. The actual report is more about Anglicanism. For those of us who have good friends in the Anglican church (at least for the moment!), this is not new news. Outside of mainstream Christianity in Canada the story may be better, but even there I imagine there is a tendency to stagnation.
… at the present rate of decline — a loss of 13,000 members per year — only one Anglican would be left in Canada by 2061.
… Nationally, between 1961 and 2001, the church lost 53 per cent of its membership, declining to 642,000 from 1.36 million. Between 1991 and 2001 alone, it declined by 20 per cent.
Supposedly people do not identify with a denominational brand now-a-days – they just say they are Christians. Or, as the article states – in my paraphrase – people are making up there own categories of who they are, calling themselves whatever they want.
This is the result of postmodernism in action. We create our own communities of people that we identify with and they become the only "truth". And when we actually look more closely, even our identifying with a community is tenuous. Whenever we do not agree with them or feel we have been wronged, we create a new "community", until (my guess) we finally come to the end of life and have broken relationship with so many people we have no one left!
How different from the Christian proposal for community! Jesus called for love of God, neighbours and enemies. Even when we are about to give a special time of worship to God (bringing our offerings), if we have something hindering a relationship with another flesh and blood person, we leave the offering and go to that person.
Not that Christians always follow up on that, but that is the desire. What a great ideal to hold up in the midst of an increasingly disillusioned postmodern generation. Better yet, what a great life to live!!
