Wednesday, November 04, 2009
The Changing Face of Christian Worship in Wales
I SAW a fascinating programme earlier tonight on BBC One Wales showing how the nature of Christian worship is changing rapidly in the country.
Essentially, the programme focussed on the fact that Evangelical Christianity is rapidly growing in popularity, with a large number of their congregations being below the average age, while traditional Church in Wales services are attended by dwindling, ageing believers.
What the programme failed to look on was the even wider picture of Christianity. I know that, in Liverpool, where I lived for a few years earlier in this decade, attendances for Roman Catholic Masses have risen significantly in recent years, especially at the Metropolitan Cathedral (Paddy’s Wigwam).
The main reason for this is the influx of Catholic immigrants from Eastern Europe, especially Poland, who come with a strong affiliation to Rome. In a very short space of time, the Catholic Church has seen a resurgence in pockets of Britain where large numbers of Eastern Europeans have settled.
It became clear to me through watching this programme that the Church in Wales is suffering from something of an identity crisis, even if it chooses to live in denial for the time being.
I’ve met and liked Archbishop Rowan Williams, but it seems clear to me that his church no longer knows what it stands for or represents. It has dropped, or at least loosened, many of the moral teachings that used to define it as a church. Women priests are in; women bishops soon will be. Open homosexuality is accepted amongst the clergy, and in many churches gay marriages can receive a blessing. These matters seem largely at the discretion of the parish vicar.
Yet at the same time, the traditional, Mass-like services remain intact. The Anglican Church in England and Wales seems to consist of a compromise between Biblical teachings and societal trends. The danger is, if it doesn’t know what it stands for, it may soon stand for nothing. In 1990, some 60,000 people worshipped in Anglican churches in Wales. Today, it is just 48,000. Without wishing to sound cruel, by looking around the congregations and noting the average age, this figure will probably halve during the next 15 years.
One thing is clear: Aside from the Eastern European influx into the Catholic Church, congregations tend to consist mostly of over 65s and under 30s. Yes, a surprising number of young people attend church services, and there is perhaps a growing trend among the younger generation to discover a greater meaning to life in our consumer and money-driven society.
History teaches us that secular societies don’t tend to last for very long, and based on these patterns, Britain is due a religious revival. A rapidly growing number of people, particularly the young, are inspired by the uplifting nature of Evangelical services, and see the teachings that come with it as a welcome alternative to the booze-fuelled, permissive and yobbish society in which we find ourselves. We can expect them to have a far greater role in our society during the next few decades.
The Catholic Church may be the chief beneficiary of a religious revival. Aside from the boost recent immigration has given to congregations, many people may be attracted by the way in which the Church bucks some of the trends of society, by sticking to a set of rules and moral standards that have remained largely constant for centuries. It knows what it stands for; it knows what it believes in, and it doesn’t feel the need to change its core values to match those of the prevailing wind.
The one key question is; Where does all this leave the Anglican Church? The ongoing debate about women bishops and its struggle to find a consistent stance on homosexuality threatens to tear it apart. In 30 years’ time, will it have much of a congregation left at all?
Essentially, the programme focussed on the fact that Evangelical Christianity is rapidly growing in popularity, with a large number of their congregations being below the average age, while traditional Church in Wales services are attended by dwindling, ageing believers.
What the programme failed to look on was the even wider picture of Christianity. I know that, in Liverpool, where I lived for a few years earlier in this decade, attendances for Roman Catholic Masses have risen significantly in recent years, especially at the Metropolitan Cathedral (Paddy’s Wigwam).
The main reason for this is the influx of Catholic immigrants from Eastern Europe, especially Poland, who come with a strong affiliation to Rome. In a very short space of time, the Catholic Church has seen a resurgence in pockets of Britain where large numbers of Eastern Europeans have settled.
It became clear to me through watching this programme that the Church in Wales is suffering from something of an identity crisis, even if it chooses to live in denial for the time being.
I’ve met and liked Archbishop Rowan Williams, but it seems clear to me that his church no longer knows what it stands for or represents. It has dropped, or at least loosened, many of the moral teachings that used to define it as a church. Women priests are in; women bishops soon will be. Open homosexuality is accepted amongst the clergy, and in many churches gay marriages can receive a blessing. These matters seem largely at the discretion of the parish vicar.
Yet at the same time, the traditional, Mass-like services remain intact. The Anglican Church in England and Wales seems to consist of a compromise between Biblical teachings and societal trends. The danger is, if it doesn’t know what it stands for, it may soon stand for nothing. In 1990, some 60,000 people worshipped in Anglican churches in Wales. Today, it is just 48,000. Without wishing to sound cruel, by looking around the congregations and noting the average age, this figure will probably halve during the next 15 years.
One thing is clear: Aside from the Eastern European influx into the Catholic Church, congregations tend to consist mostly of over 65s and under 30s. Yes, a surprising number of young people attend church services, and there is perhaps a growing trend among the younger generation to discover a greater meaning to life in our consumer and money-driven society.
History teaches us that secular societies don’t tend to last for very long, and based on these patterns, Britain is due a religious revival. A rapidly growing number of people, particularly the young, are inspired by the uplifting nature of Evangelical services, and see the teachings that come with it as a welcome alternative to the booze-fuelled, permissive and yobbish society in which we find ourselves. We can expect them to have a far greater role in our society during the next few decades.
The Catholic Church may be the chief beneficiary of a religious revival. Aside from the boost recent immigration has given to congregations, many people may be attracted by the way in which the Church bucks some of the trends of society, by sticking to a set of rules and moral standards that have remained largely constant for centuries. It knows what it stands for; it knows what it believes in, and it doesn’t feel the need to change its core values to match those of the prevailing wind.
The one key question is; Where does all this leave the Anglican Church? The ongoing debate about women bishops and its struggle to find a consistent stance on homosexuality threatens to tear it apart. In 30 years’ time, will it have much of a congregation left at all?
# posted by Marcus Stead @ 1:40 am 
