Those who know me know I like trains and I’m interested in religion. It’s rare I get to bring the two together! But this is one such time.
The decline in attendance and affiliation with traditional Christianity in Canada has got many people asking: What is the future of the church?
That’s a big question. An important question. But it's the wrong question.
And why is it the wrong question? Here’s where the trains come in.
Asking about the future of the church today is akin to somebody in the 1960s seeing the decline of people taking the train in Canada and asking: “What’s the future of passenger trains?”
Back then, that was also the wrong question. The better question would have been: “What is the future of transportation?”
Why was that a better question?
It was a better question because the issue wasn’t about trains. That was just the way people used to travel across the country until other options came along, like highways, cars and airplanes.
The issue was transportation, not the way people travelled. People still needed to get from one place to another. The need for transportation had not gone away. They just weren’t taking the train anymore to do it.
Sure, a few people continued to take the train to get from Halifax to Vancouver. But for most people in Canada, it wasn't the best way to get across the country.
What has this got to do with the future of the church?
Just as passenger trains were once the main way people travelled in Canada, for a long time church was the main way people explored spirituality, meaning and purpose. (By "church" I mean the current format of meeting on Sunday mornings, singing a few songs and hearing a sermon.)
But today that's not the case. Most people don't attend church services. But they are still interested in spirituality and finding meaning and purpose in life. Just like how people still needed to travel when they stopped using trains.
Instead of asking about the future of the church, we should be asking: What’s the future of exploring spirituality, meaning and purpose in life? What are the new ways people will seek those things? How can people of faith enable them to do that?
Asking about the future of spirituality today is like asking about the future of transportation in the 1960s. The current format of church, like widespread use of trains, might disappear or shrink in size. But the need for finding meaning and purpose will not.
Sure, some people will still find the current model of church satisfactory, just like some people still prefer to take the train across the country. And in some places, like the Ontario-Quebec corridor, trains still make sense; there may be places where traditional church gatherings till make sense and meet a need, too.
But most people will not be looking for God, meaning, purpose or whatever you call it in traditional ways today. Just like they abandoned trains in favour of airplanes and cars to travel longer distances.
What are some new ways for churches to help them in this way of "travel?" And who is dreaming about those new ways today? Are there any examples? Ideas are welcome!
Note: I am aware that, when it comes to the environment, trains are the better option. I am merely pointing out that it is not the preferred way for most Canadians to travel across the country. Maybe if the government invested billions in high speed rail, the glory days of trains might return. Until then, it's just a metaphor, not an occasion to argue about climate change.
