13 May 2009

Churches study Melbourne challenges

Melbourne, Victoria
Adele Nash

On March 12, the results of a major study of churches in the city of Melbourne, titled "All Melbourne Matters," were officially released to heads of denominations and theological colleges. On April 1, they were also presented to almost 200 pastors and church leaders.

Pastor Peter Roennfeldt, church planting coordinator and associate ministerial secretary for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Victoria, gave a presentation at the launch of "All Melbourne Matters" on the need for organic church growth, and believes the Adventist Church has a unique contribution to make to the work of Christianity in Melbourne. He also believes the church has much to gain through participating in Transforming Melbourne.

Transforming Melbourne is an organisation of 25 Christian denominations and a number of missional ministries in Melbourne.

"No part of the church can fulfil the call of God on its own," he says. "There is a need to recognise the wider body of Christ in our city. Jesus' passionate call and prayer is for his followers to be as one, as He and the Father are one."

"All Melbourne Matters" is the culmination of two years of research into the spiritual life of Melbourne's residents, combining results from the National Church Life Study and surveys conducted by Transforming Melbourne, with additional Christian Research Association research included. More than 1700 churches were identified across greater Melbourne, where more than 200 nations are represented.

Pastor Roennfeldt has extensive experience in church planting and is a member of Transforming Melbourne's Mission Response Group. This small group of mission leaders had the role of assessing data as it came to hand and developing possible responses for churches to consider.

He says the research results contain "major challenges," as 1.1 million of the city's population describe themselves as having no religion.

He adds, "While the population of the city is increasing by 90,000 per annum, all churches are losing 4500 people in attendance per year-equal to a congregation of 90 every week. Church members and leaders are also ageing-23 per cent of current attendees are over 75 and 53 per cent over 55. This suggests a further major decline in the not-so-distant future."

Additionally, 48 per cent of Generation Y believe in God, while 79 per cent of the population as a whole believes in Him, which has major implications for future trends in spirituality.

According to Pastor Roennfeldt, the Adventist Church has some advantages over other denominations in these areas. "The Adventist Church is more effective than most other denominations in reaching children and young people," he says. "The average age of its pastors is considerably lower than most other denominations as well."

He believes the Adventist health message is something that could be a significant contribution to the life and mission of the church, and says its effective counselling, refugee and community centres make valuable contributions to the ministry of the church.

Connecting with other churches is an important component to strengthening the Christian cause, and Pastor Roennfeldt says, "Closer relationships with the wider Body of Christ would mean these and other strengths in the Adventist Church would be shared and contribute in a collaborative way to the impact of the gospel across Melbourne.

"It is as we, with all our differences, choose to love another, and bring our different gifts together that the ‘world will know who Jesus is,' they will see the power of the cross to bring the reconciliation that they all need, and the Lord will release His blessing."

Find out more about Transforming Melbourne.

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