Mixing business with religion
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As the United Church of Canada struggles to fill many of its pews, the denomination will delve into contentious political issues at its 41st General Council in Ottawa this week.
"An appropriate price put on carbon, such as a carbon tax, would penalize the use of fossil fuels and could generate revenue for sustainable energy," a group of high-ranking church officials from Toronto argues in its submission to delegates.
The 130 proposals up for debate also include a ban on oilsands expansion, opposing the Northern Gateway oil pipeline proposal and a partial boycott of Israeli products.
Other proposals call for improvement of the world's oceans through the transmission of "healing love to Creation" and for the inclusion of the gay rights activists' "rainbow symbol" in church offices and websites.
However, the United Church of Canada also has to deal with a dramatic decline in membership: membership has dipped from more than a million in the mid-1960s to less than 500,000 now.
Retired United Church minister David Ewart estimates that by 2025 membership will drop to around 250,000.
"If the trend of the last 10 years does not change, then yes, indeed that would be the membership in 2025," Ewart said.
Even more strikingly, Ewart estimates that if current trends hold, by 2025 the United Church will be attracting zero new followers.
Ewart attributes that to liberal theology.
"Because we're so liberal ... we have a hard time selling ourselves," he said.
Ewart acknowledges the only firm doctrine of his church is that "there is no such thing as a final statement of doctrine."
So, while the United Church calls people toward environmental activism, it doesn't call for personal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
"It's dropped off our agenda, I would say, and consequently membership declines," he admits.
Even so, the church has found 600 people to attend its week-long Ottawa meeting, with enough local volunteers to bake 50 dozen muffins and 100 dozen cookies for them daily.
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