In a wake-up call for Christians, the number of people who do not believe in a religion is forecast to rise by more than 50 percent to 5.5 million Australians by the year 2020. This is just one of the bold predictions made by IBISWorld in a recent forecast of demographic and economic trends in Australia. The research company also predicts that the number of adherents of non-Christian religions will grow rapidly, largely driven by immigration from Asia and the Middle East. The number of Muslims will rise by more than 200 per cent to one million Australians, whilst the number of Buddhists will double to around 870,000.

The forecast growth of Christian denominations is not so spectacular, but the news isn't all bad. The Catholic Church (10.3%) will continue to grow due to European immigration and children taking up the faith of their parents. Anglicanism (2.4%) is predicted to be boosted, albeit slightly, by immigration from African countries. Apart from Pentecostal churches, many Christian denominations, including the United Church (-13.7%), will experience declining memberships. IBISWorld senior analyst Edward Butler explains: "There's an ongoing trend of young Australians of Christian families not taking up their parent's faith."

The set of predictions are eye-opening, but offer a real challenge to the contemporary Church to declare the hope of Jesus in a world weighed down by anxiety, conflict and oppression. We have a privileged opportunity and calling to be salt and light in our troubled world.

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Used by permission of Australian Prayer Network  www.ausprayernet.org Source: Compiled by APN from media reports

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