Melboune

Melbourne is officially the biggest city and yet churches are declining

/ MurrayCampbell

News broke yesterday confirming that Melbourne is Australia’s largest city. Thanks to the city planner who has redrawn the city limits, Melton is now part of Melbourne and hence, Melbourne is the biggest city in Australia, with now 4,875,400 residents and growing!

A certain degree of pride is deserved. After all, until we grabbed the title of the world’s lockdown capital, Melbourne was acclaimed as the world’s most liveable city. And while we may have lost that near totally useless title, we still have the best coffee in the world and the MCG!

The day after capturing another somewhat superfluous title, the Herald Sun exposed a not-so-secret story about our town, namely, fewer people are attending and belonging to churches in Melbourne.

Mandy Squires reported,

“Christian churches are closing in Melbourne suburbs like Box Hill and Victorian regions like Ballarat

Once the anchor of communities, increasing numbers of Christian churches are closing across the state. This is why suburban and regional Victoria is losing traditional religion.”

But “the faithful” are ever fewer in Victoria, and Christian churches are closing their doors across the state at an alarming rate – a process some research suggests was hastened by harsh Covid lockdowns and restrictions.

Dwindling congregation sizes have combined with rising insurance fees, maintenance costs and increasingly onerous building safety compliance expectations, to make the price of keeping ageing churches operational simply too high for many denominations.

The burden of upkeep has also largely fallen to an ever smaller group of, also ageing, parishioners.”

There is a complex web of data and factors that need to be taken into consideration when evaluating how churches are doing in Melbourne today. COVID has impacted every part of life and it’s hit churches hard, both financially and with peoples’ capacity to serve and volunteer. At the same time, I think Squires’ summary is fair. The pandemic didn’t kill churches, it simply sped up the dying process. There is something to grieve in this; An ageing congregation can be a faithful church and yet unable to keep going under the weight of regulations, rules, and costs. It’s difficult enough for a middle-sized church where I serve, let alone a congregation where all that remains are 20 elderly members.

As Mandy Squires notes, church closures are not only happening across Melbourne suburbs but also across regional Victoria. This isn’t a Victoria only phenomenon, this is widespread across much of Australia and indeed the Western world. Alternative belief systems, most notably the god of the self, have captured the imaginations of our streets and roads. After all, the priests of expressive individualism promise freedom and happiness and a sinless life for sin is nothing more than oppression dipped in sanctified language. We don’t need God, for Melbourne is as close to heaven as it gets. Sure the pandemic proved otherwise, but now we are waking up from the nightmare and hoping that normalcy returns.

Squires notes that there are evangelical churches growing and attracting younger people. This growth isn’t at a rate that can overturn the overall decline but these churches are often an oasis in the middle of a spiritual desert. Reader, please note, by evangelical, we don’t mean some American religiopolitical craziness. I use the term with its proper meaning: Evangelical refers to churches that are grounded in and preach the evangel (evangel is an English word for gospel). These are churches that believe and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ as handed down to the church by the Apostles in the Bible. 

Reading Squire’s piece can feel like another dreaded reminder. But before the doom and gloom set over the conversation like a Melbourne winter, we do well to remember that this same ancient Gospel is growing around the world today. For example, while the UK may be becoming less Christian, there are more people in London today who belong to a church than in many decades. And in France, evangelical Christianity is seeing remarkable growth, with around 745,000 adherent today in contrast to around 50,000 in 1950. And if we’re interested to see where Christianity is truly blossoming, look to China and Iran and to Africa.  While  Church of England parishes are declining in England and in many parts of Australia (take note, it’s not all cities and regions), Anglicanism is growing across Africa. Indeed, Anglican’s home is no longer Canterbury but places like Nigeria and Rwanda where GACFON is currently meeting.

Christianity isn’t dying, Melbourne is witnessing the death of nominal Christianity. Where classical Christianity is believed and taught, there is growth. It may not always be in line with population trends but nonetheless, unbelievers become believers.

The church where I have the privilege of serving grew from 30 people in 2005 to over 200 people by 2017. We then planted a church near Monash University (Regeneration Church). Praise God, they continue to grow. They are seeing people become Christians, especially university students. To be honest, Mentone Baptist Church has struggled to grow in the last few years (COVID has been a substantial factor), but this year we are again seeing many visitors and people curious to find out more about Jesus. I know of many more Melbourne Churches that have seen growth in the past decade and at higher rates than Mentone.

There is of course no silver bullet when it comes to church growth, as though employing the right technique or strategy is the key. The missing ingredient isn’t to give people what they want. Sure, we can find the odd church that puts on a weekly production that’s as impressive as U2 in concert, but also note how people leave these performing venues through the back door almost as quickly as they enter through the front.

There is, however, a connection between what is believed and taught and the health of a congregation. Churches that have a high view of the truthfulness and sufficiency of the Bible, who believe in the sinfulness of humanity, who trust the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ, and who follow the Gospel call for repentance and faith in Jesus, are more likely to experience health and growth. The more progressive a church is, the more likely it will experience decline. The classic example is the Uniting Church which has lost something like 50% of is adherents since its beginning in 1977. Anglicans and Baptists who’ve followed this liberalist agenda of dumping the Bible of its Divinity and reliability also find themselves with a growing number of empty chairs as the years move on.  Faithfulness to the Bible actually works.

The topic of gender and sexuality is an interesting one. We know for example that the Christian view on these matters is a significant reason why millennials are disinterested in Christianity. Part of this misunderstanding is the product of successful campaigning by Hollywood, social commentators and activists who demonise even Jesus. What’s interesting,  is that those churches that adopt the culture’s sexual ethics are more likely to shrink, while churches that uphold the classical Christian teaching on these matters tend to either hold their ground or see growth, including among millennials. 

After all, why join a church if all it does is mirror popular culture back to me?

I recall an observation made by British historian Tom Holland in 2020. He said,

“I see no point in bishops or preachers or Christian evangelists just recycling the kind of stuff you can get from any kind of soft left liberal because everyone is giving that…if they’ve got views on original sin I would be very interested to hear that”.

Holland isn’t a Christian but he understands the lunacy of ecclesiastical leaders sacrificing Christian beliefs at the expense of pursuing favourable opinion polls or trying to draw in potential pew sitters. Didn’t Jesus say, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot”?

What makes Christianity distinct and enthralling, shocking and appealing, is that it does not sit comfortably in any given culture. The Church is the community where people from progressive and conservative backgrounds, religious and nones, all find in Jesus Christ the God of truth and grace, love and goodness.

Melbourne (and Victoria) needs more churches. 

For a moment, let’s leave aside the religious aspect of church life. Of course, this is impossible given how the Christian faith is embedded into every song, brick and cup of coffee.  And it is, after all, the Christian message that gives birth to a church. But from a sociological perspective, the loss of Christian churches is creating a social vacuum in local communities that has not been replaced. Human beings need social interaction and relationships and such spaces are rare in today’s fast pace and time-poor society. Sure, there are schools, the local cricket club and a men’s shed, but there’s little else that brings people together, especially bringing together people who have little in common. And let’s stretch the imagination for a moment, what of a group that meets regularly and has little in common and yet shares everything in love and with happy sacrifice? 

Going back to the expressive individual that we idolise today. This good news message of ‘being yourself’ and ‘expressing yourself’ is popular and attractive, but let’s be honest, it doesn’t build togetherness, much less bring together diverse people into deep friendships. The very ethos Melbournians are taught to pursue, pushes against belonging, and without that sense of community we lose ourselves. As Jesus argued, there isn’t much point in gaining the world if in the process we lose our soul!

Melbourne needs 50 new churches today (and with 200 people in each) just to keep up with the annual population growth which stands are around 100,000 people. Melbourne needs small churches and big churches, meeting in different shaped buildings with different styles of music and preaching in different languages. Melbourne may be a great city, and the city I love, but it’s still going to hell without Jesus. Premier Daniel Andrews can’t atone for your sins. Governments, schools and universities aren’t fitted for the task of reconciling God to us. The footy club might provide exercise and a beer, but it won’t fill the soul. An afternoon of shopping at Chadstone might bring a little relief but it can’t heal the human heart.

There is something stunning and ordinary about the local suburban church. There is a goodness that can be uncovered, not inherent in the people but in the Christ whom they are getting to know and trust. Churches are not perfect communities. Indeed, we have learned how cassocks and altars are stained with the blood of innocent children. Most of the time, our churches are made up of ordinary people from all kinds of backgrounds who are together coming to know God. I can’t think of a greater community building project than this.

Melbourne needs Christian communities filled with thankful, gracious, loving, and truthful men and women. We need more churches that are clear on the gospel and convicted by the gospel and courageous to keep speaking the gospel. The question is, are churches up for it? Are churches ready to make the necessary changes (or should we call it reformation!)? I guess it depends on how much we love: love God, love the church, and love the people of Melbourne. 

Melbourne—Gaining the World, Yet Losing its Soul?

/ MurrayCampbell

I once saw a man run across the road and was hit by a car. He landed heavily on the bitumen, and when I reached him I saw that he was injured and blood was pouring from his arm. When someone is bleeding you apply emergency first aid. The underlying issue may require greater medical expertise, but you don’t let the person bleed out because it’s too hard.


Melbourne is once again the world’s most liveable city. Melbournians like to boast about our “most liveable city” status, especially because we rank above Sydney, but also Adelaide and Perth, who also made it into the top ten. But what makes the “most liveable city” and are we assessing our greatness by the best criteria?

This annual study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, measures the quality of life in global cities by looking at healthcare, culture, environment, infrastructure and education. I suspect that the award is ignored by most of the world cities, including those truly great cities like London and New York, but like the people of Punxsutawney in the movie Groundhog Day, every year we Aussies cheer the surprising announcement of Melbourne’s spot at the top of the world.

But what about qualities like justice, kindness, and generosity? Not so much in the structures of Government, the police force, and the judiciary. We have a low crime rates, a good legal system, and a relatively good welfare system. But what about the qualities of justice, generosity, and kindness in the hearts of the general population?

I am thankful for the city where I live and am raising my family. There is much to enjoy and experience: our parks, schools, food, sport, and general standard of living are truly exceptional. One might argue that the culture is as diverse and interesting as our weather (that’s a positive, incase you’re wondering!).


While Melbournians were celebrating this accolade and lighting up twitter with pictures of our city, on the other side of the world, nations like Germany and Sweden were opening their doors to tens of thousands of refugees fleeing from Syria and Iraq. Of course, Germany and Sweden are countries and not cities, and yet the reality is that the majority of refugees will be housed in cities, as they are in Australian cities.

Australia’s commitment in 2015 is 6,000 refugees spread throughout the entire country, compared with Germany’s 800,000 and Sweden’s 100,000. Lest we argue that Germany’s population is 3 ½ times the size of Australia, Sweden’s is less than half ours, and these two countries together only share an area equivalent to that of NSW!

When the Bible describes cities of worth, the scope extends beyond prosperity, and includes vital qualities such as peace, righteousness, and refuge. Which raises the question of whether there is a fatal flaw in our ethos.

We are proud about our prosperity. But are we generous with it? We are super keen for the world to admire our splendour, and even for the world to experience Melbourne should they come and visit. But what about sharing and sacrificing for the good of those who face extraordinary suffering across our globe?  We alone cannot end global poverty and persecution. But if nations less prosperous than us can welcome people in their thousands, why can’t we?

I am reminded of these words of Jesus, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Mark 8:36). Sure, we may offer an occasional donation to ease the conscience, but ideas such as lowering our living standards for the sake of others seems absurd to us. Of course, Jesus didn’t just talk about sacrifice, he lived it. He willingly laid aside a glory that we cannot even imagine in order that the poor in spirit might be healed and restored.

What do we want the defining marks of Melbourne to be?

Do we wish to be a city known for greed or for generosity? Could we not give from our superabundance to those who have lost everything? Could we not ask the Federal Government to welcome more refugees? Does it not say something about our own hearts that the Federal Government thinks it too politically toxic to increase our Refugee intake dramatically?

We know the issues of displaced peoples are complex and solutions are difficult. Sacrifice isn’t easy:

“Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners except to feast their eyes on them?” (Ecclesiastes 5:11-12)

Behaviour modification isn’t enough. ‘Try harder’ will only motivate a few and for a short period. Neither can sacrificial generosity be enforced. It must come from a heart that has been wooed by a better way. 

We might think it is an impossible task to shift the entire mindset of a populace. But it is possible. Centuries before the birth of Jesus Christ, the city of Nineveh was the most celebrated city on earth. Other than a few references in history books, Nineveh has crumbled into antiquity, although in its place now stands the remains of Mosul, one of the cities where so many people have died or have fled seeking asylum. In the 8th Century Nineveh was the envy of the world; it was also prosperous and proud. During that period a prophet by the name of Jonah was sent to the city by God. He didn’t want to go, because he knew how undeserving the Ninevites were. Eventually Jonah went, and when he spoke God’s words, the citizens listened, believed, repented, and mourned. They changed their ways. 

Too much of the world is bleeding, and it is anti-human for us to stand by and not do more to help. The world’s most liveable city has opportunity to open its doors to some of the world’s most vulnerable. Yes, this is largely a Federal Government policy decision, but the people can speak up and demand that we can exercise the freedom to welcome people. Again issues are complex and solutions not straightforward, but there is a basic principle in being human: If you can help, do so. Otherwise we are not so different from Nero who plucked his harp and sang while Rome burned. We are living in a perennial happy hour while millions of people flee their homes. 

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