Categories: uncategorized
Date: 25 July 2007 13:00:05
At present I have no further bookings for sermonising the poor people of South Wales. This is a fairly ad-hoc experience for me. My previous minister was supposed to have organised for me to begin the process to be added to the local list. However, as with many things, it never materialised.
Following our pre-membership interview last week I have been advised that I'll soon be hearing more from my new area. There is a great shortage of preachers - lay or ordained - in our area. Many chaurches/chapels do not have a minister and are always looking for someone to fill their vacancies. One of the deacons currently has a list of 20 churches that he preaches at.
It is also not unusual for lay preachers to perform weddings and funerals in this area, something I never thought possible. This helps to show the sorry state of Christianity in what is supposedly a religious area of the UK.
Many chapels stand empty and quite a few are now private homes or business premises. The majority of congregations are elderly and number around 27-30 members, or active attendees. This is a long way from the days of several hundred attending services every Sunday, or the 3 services each Sunday that many chapels held.
Maybe its the change in the working weeks. Maybe its the loss of confidence and hope that industrial decay spread. It could be because people just prefer to go shopping or spending time screaming at each other every Sunday instead. Or it could be the general malaise that seems to have gripped much of society.