Renfrewshire, Scotland - Just over half (54%) of the Scottish population reported being a Christian while nearly 37% reported not having a religion in a 2011 census. In Renfrewshire, which is one of 32 council areas of Scotland, Protestants make up the single largest group, with 56,366 worshippers, almost a third of the area’s population, while more than a fifth identify as Roman Catholic. The number of non-believers is 57,132; non-believers now outnumber followers of all of the major religions across the shire.
The highest number of Church of Scotland worshippers can be found in Erskine and Inchinnan, which are also Scottish shires. Christianity is the most practiced religion in Renfrewshire, with different branches combining to make up 58 per cent of the population. Johnstone South, Elderslie and Howwood also has a strong Protestant contingent, with more than 33 per cent — 5,861 people — identifying as such. Houston, Crosslee and Linwood also have a higher proportion of Church of Scotland members, with 5,503.
Churches are struggling to attract more believers. Bishop of Paisley John Keenan admits efforts to keep and attract parishioners have been too complacent.
“The problem has been that we have been working with a model which expects people to come. Through Christ, the church is supposed to go out, rather than wait for the people to come in, but we’ve lost sight of this”, he said.
Maybe different approach to believers can contribute to increase of their number. He thinks that religion is about its believers, they should be more concerned with the real problems of their worshipers, such as “what is going on in their lives, their jobs, how they put food on the table and listen to their concerns and hopes”.
The Reverend Ann McCool, of Johnstone High Church, is moderator of Greenock and Paisley Presbytery and says many religious buildings are becoming unfit for the purpose. Many people do believe but they don’t come to church, according to Ann McCool. Paisley North West benefits from a rich ethnic mix, with a population of almost 20,000. The ward also has the greatest number of Buddhists, at 45; Hindus, with 59; and Jews at 17.
The second most followed religion in Renfrewshire is Islam, with 1,313 worshippers and the highest Muslim population can be found in Paisley North West. Sikh numbers are greatest in Renfrew North, where 1.33 per cent of the population — 169 from almost 13,000 — follow its teachings.
Renfrewshire has lost a slew of much-loved religious buildings in recent years such as St Anthony’s Catholic Church, in Johnstone, Paisley’s historic Castlehead Church in 2010, the town’s St James’ Church, was axed after more than 100 years as a place of worship. Crunch talks are ongoing to save the 19th century cathedral, with calls for Renfrewshire Council to step in and pay up to £500,000 ($750,000) to repair a faulty heating system.
Douglas McLellan, humanist and vice chairman of the Scottish Secular Society, says residents are turning away from traditional beliefs to consider their own. “Religiosity peaked in the 1950s, but, even if you drill down into this information, much of it can be seen to be false,” he said. “The rise of different schools of thought, of feminism, in particular, has had an impact”. That is one of the important reasons for reduction of believers, according to McLellan.
Photo Credits: Paisley Abbey - Renfrewshire, Scotland - TrekEarth
