As the Maltese Roman Church pore over the results of the latest Church attendance survey, which many predict will be the lowest in Maltese history, many are switching ranks from the Roman Church to an Evangelical Community and other communities or else practise their faith through individuation.
The times we live in are characterized by a persecuted Christian Church (Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant) which is being attacked by extremists and fundamentalists of all sorts on a daily basis. The sources of such attacks are religious extremism, atheism, and a growing Islamic radicalism. In the face of these threats, Christianity needs to reshuffle its cards if it wants to nurture strong and determined faithful.
For instance, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) recently forced a New Mexico college to remove crosses displayed on its campus. They were less successful, however, when they tried to force an Indiana school district to cancel a programme led by two pastors.
The above is just one example of the sort of challenges Christians are facing and underlines the need for Maltese Christianity to get stronger to face the upcoming stronger challenges it will have to cope with.
As the tidal wave of euthanasia, divorce and abortion and corruption hit Maltese shores, the Apostle Paul who brought the faith to these Islands would be surprised to see that many Maltese are still so naïve. They think that Christianity is a just an institutionalised religion made up of a load of archaic and outdated, meaningless rituals, customs and beliefs and traditions, many of which are just mere inventions and figments of the imagination having no basis in Scripture.
True Christianity implies a personal living relationship with God through Christ. The term 'personal' is quite significant here because many are still seeking meaning in life on a very private and personal basis cut off from any Church fellowship.
Indeed, faith is a personal matter and simply taking stock of church attendance means nothing. There are also many who go to church just for show and to please their family and friends rather than because they are convinced and practising Christians. Many of them are no Christians at all because as soon as they step out on the church parvis, they spit the most poisonous of all venom.
Church attendance is a poor indicator of a decline in Christianity and there is a sociological debate on its true validity because church attendance alone does not reflect the whole picture of secularisation and one has to look deeper into the hearts of the people and of course their outward behaviour. Religiosity and church attendance can never explain what is going on in an individual's heart with regard to faith and relationship with God matters.
One criticism of the Roman Church in Malta was made from within its ranks when, on the 12th anniversary of his Episcopal Consecration, Gozo Bishop Mario Grech was sincere enough to declare that Catechism in the Roman Church has failed and needs a reform.
It was high time that such a declaration was made. Church attendance alone is not a true marker of loss of faith. Church attendance surveys must ask why so many young people seem to be wrapped up in so many things and could not care less about attending or participating in Christianity.
Professor Carl Jung put forward an important concept termed 'individuation'. When one discovers his/her authentic self, there is a confidence, a conviction in his/her passion for whatever path he is on. Many Christians, though not forming part of the Christian institutions, still seek Christianity through this individuation process.
It would be wise if the Roman Church's researchers and sociologists in Malta embark on surveys that will shed light on whether a true Born-Again Christian belief is being encouraged in its individual members and why the Baptism of the Holy Spirit does not form part of its institutional beliefs
The characteristics of the Church in Western Europe is one of a region of 'believing without belonging' or individuation as proposed by Grace Davie, Professor Emeritus in the Sociology of Religion at the University of Exeter UK.
Many have never had a true experience of what the Christian faith really means and many are still asking and searching for a meaning in life. The answer lies in a Christian faith which gives the person an experience to be truly Born-Again in Christ. The Bible speaks clearly that this is the only way: "For God so loved the World that He sent His one and Only begotten Son" (John 3:16)
God wanted us to be with Him so much that He sent Christ to gives us a path to have a relationship with Him. What most people do not want to hear is that God is just and sin cannot enter His presence. Without Jesus preparing the way, we would not have any chance to be with Him, and this means all of us.
Churches should nurture their faithful and bring them home to build the sense of community according to biblical teachings. This, in line with what the Bible clearly commends us to do in Hebrews 10:25: "Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Anthony Zarb-Dimech is the author of the book An Epistle to the Maltese - A History of the Pentecostal/Evangelical Movement in Malta' (2010).