There are 25 year olds in my diocese who enjoy smells, bells and Latin but not very many. Too often I have been to traditional church services where there is no one under 40. The average age of the attendees at our 1662 Holy Communion service at 8 am is 65. The average age of the congregation at our sister church, which holds a traditional service at 10:30 am, is 55, not counting the under 10s who are forced to come with their parents.
There is no future for the traditional church in my diocese. By and large, the church members are growing old and dying or moving into old people's homes. Young people are voting with their feet and leaving the church as soon as they are out of their parents' clutches (early teens). A few remain in the traditional churches but very few. Fortunately there are churches who understand their plight and are willing to sacrifice their personal wishes for the benefit of the whole community. There is a renewed vigour in the Church and Cheshire has seen a growth in membership over the past three years.
If I want organ music I play a CD. If I want choral evensong I attend a cathedral service where the choir sings in tune. I enjoy such services, but I take a much greater delight in seeing an evenly-balanced congregation worshipping God in unison.
