The sudden departure of the baby-boomers from the Australian Church came as a real shock. It seemed as if a whole generation exchanged church for sex, drugs and rock "n' roll leaving church leaders desperately searching for answers. Slowly the answers came. Youth work was given a new priority and informal services began to displace liturgical prayer book services.
Gone were the robes, prayer book and hymnal as contemporary songs and denim-clad clergy became the norm. This new style of church appealed to the baby boomers and brought thousands back to church. By the mid 1990s the rapid decline had stopped and was even reversed to some extent. The number of Australians identifying themselves as Christians grew by 6.1 per cent across the decade.
What we saw was a strategic response to a generation who found previous forms of church alienating and irrelevant. We displayed a capacity to reflect on our culture and contextualise our ministry appropriately. But will we continue to demonstrate this capacity in the next decade?
An article in the Sydney Morning Herald on May 14, 2005 quotes John Stratton, the head of cultural studies at Curtin University in Perth, citing a growing conservatism among Millennials (the tag given to those born after 1982). He says that in a post 9/11 environment "they see the world as an insecure place, that there's always the possibility of an attack somewhere'. In the same article Belinda Seper, owner of the Belinda boutique chain, notes that fashion among Millennials reflect the 1930s, "when there was more propriety about the way [people] conducted themselves." She continues, "I think we'll see people going back to [activities that] were considered unfashionable, like going to church."
But what church will they go back to?
The large numbers of "Millennials' in our suburban youth ministries may suggest boomer worship has an endearing value. But the key is what happens when these young people hit their 20s. Many fall away and they remain the most under-represented group in Sydney Anglican churches. And what about the values and expectations of the vast majority who are not in our churches? There is evidence that the Millennials are reacting to what they see as churches that have become "McDonaldised' offering the religious equivalent of bland fast food to the new generations of spiritual searchers.
We must not make the mistake of assuming that we are on a continuum from the formal, liturgical styles of worship of the pre-1970s era to ever more informal, contemporary styles with each succeeding generation. A conservative generation who hanker for the innocence, quiet and simplicity of a bygone era will seek an expression of faith that is anchored deeply in the past.
It may be that they will want an experience of church and Christian community that offers a return to the beauty, reverence and order of ancient worship. Symbolism, sacred music and engaging liturgies may be set for a comeback.
The Millennials are our next big test. They will challenge boomer clergy who do not have the training, experience or interest in any style other than contemporary services. But will we show the same capacity to reflect on our culture and contextualise our ministry for them as we did for the boomers?
Tim Foster is the Rector of All Souls', Leichhardt.
