A rather bleak tale of numerical decline, selling buildings and an inability to evangelise.
From the Journal
The diocese of British Columbia has announced a plan to close 13 churches. While the dramatic restructuring is a response to declining church attendance, Bishop James Cowan says it goes beyond cost-cutting, addressing how the church can best allocate resources to carry out its mission as well as rebuild for the future.
Nineteen churches are slated to be dis-established, but five of those will be renamed and become hub churches in areas where other parishes have been closed. Bishop Cowan said the diocese hopes to use one other church as a diocesan conference centre.
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The sale of properties could bring in millions of dollars, the bishop said, noting that resources could be redirected to new kinds of outreach such as altenative types of services. This change is about “coming to grips with the realities of the culture in which we live,” he said. “We are not in the Middle Ages anymore where the entire population is considered to be Christian….”
Changes of this nature have been discussed since 2004. A report to the House of Bishops in 2005 underlined the demographic problem for the church. Church-goers are aging and are not being replaced by younger parishoners. Attendance has been in precipitous decline, decreasing by about 13,000 or about two per cent each year.
At that rate, the report projected the Anglican church in Canada could face extinction by the middle of the century. The newly released report from the diocese of British Columbia confirms that this decline has continued. The diocese reports a larger number of funerals than weddings and baptisms combined.
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Another aspect of the plan is to make the church, including the laity, more outward-looking and able to engage in evangelism. When asked whether traditional Anglican reserve might be an obstacle to this, Bishop Cowan acknowledged that “Anglicans are reserved. And they have this image of evangelism that is the televangelist.” In fact, he said, the kind of evangelism he is referring to has a “10-second training session, which is ‘Would you be interested in coming to church with me?’ ” It is an invitation based on relationship, he said. “Most of us are involved in conversations at one point or another where people are talking about things beyond themselves….”
Training about how to pick up on questions and respond without being pushy has already begun in the diocese, he said. “Our congregational life facilitator [The Rev.] Gary Nicolosi is working…to, God willing, help Anglicans overcome that shyness and say, ‘We do have something that we think is worth sharing with others.’ ”
I wonder whether the reason Anglicans in the liberal part of the church don’t evangelise is not because of shyness, but because they – like their leaders – are unsure of what the Good News, that they are being asked to convey, actually is.
“This change is about “coming to grips with the realities of the culture in which we live” I sure hope he doesn’t mean the GLBT culture, that would make for quite a pun.
Stuck
You have quite an imagination, and sense of humour.
“In fact, he said, the kind of evangelism he is referring to has a “10-second training session, which is ‘Would you be interested in coming to church with me?’ ”
Mr.Cowan just doesn’t get it. He seems to believe that the early church flourished because the apostles sat around in the upper room issuing invitations for potential disciples to show up.
‘Would you be interested in coming to church with me?’ ” What a powerful witness. What a powerful testimony. I bet that they’ll be beating down the doors to get in. NOT!!!
Actually Trav. looks to me like the statement will be, ‘I’d like to invite you to come to church with me but they closed it’.
What do you canucks think about this: “The sale of properties could bring in millions of dollars, the bishop said, noting that resources could be redirected to new kinds of outreach such as altenative types of services.”
Here in Colorado, the bishop is fast becoming a manager of empty properties – that aren’t selling.
The outgoing bishop of Connecticut, in a diocesan newsletter piece about the “Joys of closing” churches, reminded readers about the signficant costs of decommissioning churches that end up costing more than the proceeds from the sale. (See http://tinyurl.com/ygg6ulr )
So will the closing of the parishes “bring in millions”?
Stay warm!
In #5 Robroy said:
I’m in Colorado too. As a canuck transplant, I’ve not been impressed with the temperatures this winter. I think the average temperature has been higher in BC where I’m from originally. There definitely are more sunny days, though.
I’ll let others respond to your real point.
Robroy, I’m afraid I see a similar future for our beloved church up here: the people in charge selling, spending, followed by more selling, more spending until it finally all runs out and there’s nothing left.
Their churches are empty of people because their substitute-gospel is empty of meaning.
#5 Robroy; It’s great to hear from a yank brother in our borderless church. I now joyfully think of myself as a North American Christian. This brings me to your question. Canada’s political policies and adherence to the so called Charter of Rights and freedoms has moved us ahead of the USA in terms of the rush to de-christianize the land. This, in conjunction with property values being what they are will indeed bring in the millions and decline further the blessed presence of Christ “in our midst”. Of course, without Him what good is the money. On the other hand we have the 5Yr. 1K CP, a prophetic utterance of our amazing Servant Archbishop, and of course scripturally we know what makes a prophet.
Praise God and pass the collection plate,- could be that you good folks in Colorado could just pick up a few of those empty churches for a psalm. My guess is though that you would have to be as wise as serpants and dress accordingly.
Blessings from your sister diocese ANiC.
for the uninitiated
App1 – 5Yr. 1K CP; 5 year 1000 Church Plant
App2 – ANiC Although it is not yet “The Diocese of Anglican North in Christ” and remains “Anglican Network in Canada”, I’m all for a name change.