Friday, November 3, 2023

This was in USA Today:

Our churches are dying. To reach Gen Z, faith leaders must get back to the basics.

If religious leaders do not make some serious adjustments, 20 years from now a whole lot of church buildings are going to be restaurants.

Read in USA TODAY: https://apple.news/Aj0Zji2nNT-WmI8OlY06SoA

I believe Hilliard is right about almost every observation made.  And, I note what Hilliard describes as desirable is a good description of the Episcopal Church.  We are what Hilliard believes the Church needs to become.  

Hilliard wants the Church to ordain women.  (We've been doing it since 1976)

Hilliard wants the Church to address issues like poverty, trafficking, health care, education, addiction and other moral issue that warrant our concern. (Check out the Episcopal Public Policy Network)

My quibble with Hilliard (and it is a quibble) is with the assumption that if you are 25 years old and not going to worship services on Sunday, you will never be going to worship services on Sunday.  

It is true that our parishes are full of senior citizens on Sunday mornings.  But, it is also true that I (and everyone else) is getting older every day.  We replace those senior citizens who are dying with predictable regularity.

The "Baby Boomer" generation was large (hence the name).  Generations behind the "Boomers" are smaller.  There will be decline in the days to come, but it is not because 25 year olds are not attending worship services.  And, for Episcopalians (who are doing everything Hilliard says we all should be doing) it will not be due to climate change denial or gender (or sexual) discrimination.

Some decline is due to all the items Hilliard notes and all the changes Hilliard advocates are correct.  But, some decline is just demographics.