Pace of change is a challenge for Church

The number of people attending traditional church services has dropped dramatically in recent years. While almost one in five regularly attended a generation ago, these days fewer than one in 10 Scots see a visit to church as part of their weekly routine.

Few in this country would argue that strong Christian values are anything other than admirable, it is just that relatively few people feel the need to reinforce these by visiting a place of worship. There is little doubt society is rapidly changing and the church has, at times, struggled to keep pace. Issues such as single sex marriage and the ordination of female clergy have caused huge divides and while the general public have by and large adapted to cultural shifts, religious bodies have been somewhat slower on the uptake.

Of course, the church does remain massively relevant to a significant minority of the public, so the key question must be how to not only maintain the current audience, but also attract newcomers.

Some initiatives have been introduced. Messy Church — a new kind of family-oriented church held on a day other than Sunday — is one prime example. However, such innovation is very much the exception rather than the rule.

While attending church used to be a moral imperative for many, it is now very much an option. Making that option more attractive will become increasingly vital if the tide of people leaving the church is to be stemmed.