ACCORDING to a report by the organisation WhyChurch, UK church attendance currently stands at around 6 per cent of the population, down from 11 per cent in 1980.
It predicts that by 2020 attendance will be around 4 per cent with an average age of 56, nearly 20 years higher than it was 30 years ago.
With this trend set to continue and congregations literally dying off, is it inevitable that we will see further decline and more closures or is it possible for churches to reinvent themselves to become relevant in the 21st society?
I believe it’s all based on ability to adapt. St Mary’s Cathedral, a beautiful 19th-century landmark in Edinburgh’s West End, recently received planning consent to provide the NHS with a new, purpose-built medical centre in its grounds. This will provide an important on-site facility which is relevant to the needs of the local community.
This approach can also work in modern churches built in the 1950s and 1960s, many of which are now in need of refurbishment or are simply not fit for purpose.
The United Reform Church in Leith completed an innovative deal with Port of Leith Housing Association, disposing of some of its premises for a new development of affordable flats, with the old church being replaced by a new, purpose-built one on the ground floor. Along with traditional Sunday services, this church is now able to welcome more diverse community activities including jazz evenings.
Galashiels Baptist Church, of which I am a member, last week returned to phase 1 of its newly refurbished premises which will accommodate a raft of new activities including film nights, concerts and drop-in sessions.
The numbers who regularly attend church services are vastly lower than the roughly 70 per cent of people who, according to the UK Census and other surveys, consider themselves to be Christian and the even greater numbers who consider themselves to be “spiritual”. Using innovative thinking to make the church more relevant in people’s everyday lives is the only way all the denominations can address this issue.
• Andy Drane is a partner at Davidson Chalmers.