Searching through some old boxes a while ago, I was surprised to find an old Macleans magazine from 1999. The cover article was: Jesus at 2000. Intrigued, I had to take a closer look at what people thought about the state of Christianity in Canada at the turn of the Millenium, nearly 25 years ago.
Note that this article speaks about the mainline Church, not only Anglicanism.
A Christian Country?
As the year 2000 approached, the working assumption was that Canada was a nominally Christian country. Yet in 1999 decline in religious attendance had been noted as ongoing for some 50 years already. This led many religious leaders to reflect negatively on the spiritual life of the country and more broadly “the West”.
John Paul II launched a third millennium evangelism movement saying of the West that it was “estranged from its Christian roots”. Victoria Matthews, then Anglican Bishop of Edmonton, saw the challenge in the fact that “a huge proportion of Canada is biblically illiterate”. This comes with an expectation that Canada and western European culture should remain Christian, that something missing needs to be restored.
The writer of this section of the article concludes: “faith was once a central part of the lives of most Canadians and true believers are convinced that it will be again.”
There was a sense that the work at hand was to recover what was lost. It hasn’t worked out that way. Religiosity is continuing to decline everywhere with important implications for denominations and religions. This is because of demographic and generational shifts in society over which we have no control.
In the mid 2010s we began to discuss the “rise of the Nones and Dones” (two terms I’ve come to loathe). It is increasingly common for people to indicate “none of the above” as their religion on the census. Many others have left organised religion for many personal reasons.
Yet over the past twenty-five years spirituality and spiritual practise have become more diversified and individualized. What once pertained to the sanctuary can now be just as easily practised in the yoga studio, out in nature or around the dining table. People may be less religious, but that does not mean that they are not spiritual. Calling people biblically illiterate or spiritually unmoored is not only inaccurate, it’s downright insulting. When adopting this condescending attitude, we miss out on the ways we can connect with others over spiritual practises.
Blame Canadians
In the year 2000 it was thought that much of mainline Christianity had about 20 years left to go. We’re still here, though now our window is thought to be 2040. Our own St James the Apostle was mentioned as an establishment church that had enough endowments to continue in perpetum. It didn’t work out that way, yet refreshed ministry happens in that place. The tendency in 1999 was to blame Canadians for losing interest in traditional Church and finding other ways to spend their time.
As mentioned, Canadians were found to be biblically illiterate. Another cause of decline was attributed to Sunday shopping as well as children’s sport activities. Even the wealth of Canada was seen as a problem. The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canda expressed disappointment that whilst seeing growth in other parts of the world, the economic status of Canadians was posing a barrier. One leader said “Our greatest disappointment is our own country. The message is not spreading as successfully as in parts of the world where people are needy and inclined to dependence on God.”
Illiterate. Disappointing. Unmoored. Spoiled. If religious leaders were thinking of Canadians in this way, no wonder people left established Christianity. Yet this blaming of Canadians still is a dynamic that drives the way the Church engages or doesn’t with the society in which we exist. If only we still had prayer in schools.
Nearly twenty-five years later, there is no point in lamenting changes in the way people live their lives or the place of faith in public. What we can do is find ways to extend ourselves to serve others in new ways The emergence of fresh expressions like Dinner Church, Messy Church and Contemplative Fire shows us that when we attempt to meet people where they are and try to make their lives easier, we can create new community. There is plenty to be hopeful about if we are willing to engage in new ways.
A failing Church?
In addition to blaming everyday Canadians, at the turn of the Millenium there was a great deal of blaming the Church for its own decline. This was a time of increasing dissension within our Anglican family over the blessing of same sex unions. In 1999 a book came out entitled: Suicide: the decline and fall of the Anglican Church. This ultimately led to the formation of the Anglican Network in Canada as a kind of rival. All of this is founded on the assumption that the mainline Church had failed and was now spiritually bankrupt.
When blame is apportioned today, it often focuses on our failure to hold onto the youth in our congregations, or on the work of our clergy. If only we had a younger/more dynamic/better looking/energetic/charismatic priest, they would come.
The truth is that the Church has not failed and neither have our clergy who work with great dedication. We can point to some important achievements in our openness to diversity, our concern for the vulnerable, our care for creation, our desire to pursue Indigenous reconciliation. Our leadership continues to become more diverse and let us not forget that we currently have women in position as our Diocesan Bishop AND National Primate. At its best, our church can reflect the beautiful kaleidoscope that is Canada. We are not perfect, but we continue to seek to grow towards justice.
The Anglican Church was right to move with the times, for it is in these ways we reflect the concerns of most Canadians. In shared values and action, we can still be a relevant and constructive part of our national conversations and connect with others in our communities.
Back in 1999 it was thought that youth-oriented Churches with their energetic music and smoke machines (no Tyson Rosberg – not thuribles!) would grow exponentially and be the wave of the future. It was noted that only .5% of the population ever listened to traditional hymns so the way forward was to ditch outmoded organs and stodgy hymns and bring in the humble guitar and praise choruses with heartfelt, if theologically ropey, lyrics. This would attract young people.
It is true that two of our churches that mainly use contemporary praise music, CMP and St Jax, both have noticeably younger congregations and with-it high energy. We should pay attention to this.
But it is also true that “young people” are not a uniform mob who all want the same thing. What is compelling about these churches is relational and spiritual authenticity: the encounter with God. This can be expressed in many ways – in a worship experience rooted in Catholic tradition, in a small group gathered to read the Bible, or on a walk in nature – as much as in a praise style worship event. You never know what will strike a chord with someone.
Good News Story
The article ends with the story of a parish and priest who were bucking trends. The parish was Holy Trinity in Ste Agathe, and the priest was Mary Irwin-Gibson who is quoted: “In a true house of God everyone feels welcome.” If we can understand welcome in the broadest possible sense, that might just be the best advice there is.
