Image by Sussex Parish Churches
An Australian church network is aiming to reignite Christian faith across the country by planting 300 new churches by 2030, in response to a significant decline in religious affiliation.
Recent data from the 2021 Australian Census shows that only 44 percent of Australians now identify as Christian, a notable drop from 52 percent just five years earlier. At the same time, 40 percent of the population reported having no religious affiliation, with younger Australians increasingly distancing themselves from traditional religion.
In response to this shift, Reach Australia, a network consisting of over 260 churches, has set an ambitious goal to reverse the trend by establishing new church communities across the nation. Derek Hanna, Director of Church Planting for Reach Australia, outlined the plan at the network’s national conference in May, rallying church leaders to embrace the challenge ahead.
Hanna acknowledged that achieving the target would be difficult but expressed confidence in their mission, pointing out that 145 churches had already been planted through the network’s efforts. The plan now is to plant an additional 155 churches over the next six years, a feat that will require training 800 new Gospel workers.
“You might think it’s impossible, but we believe in a God who raised Jesus from the dead. That’s impossible too!” Hanna said, underscoring his faith in the initiative’s success.
Despite the overall decline in religious affiliation, Hanna emphasized the dedication of the 1,300 leaders who attended the conference as a sign of hope and evidence of God’s ongoing work in Australia. Reach Australia also pointed to a steady growth in church planting over the past two decades, with a four percent annual increase in new church plants.
Hanna was quick to clarify that the network’s goal is not about boasting but rather an acknowledgment of what they see as God’s movement during a pivotal time in the nation’s religious landscape. With this focused effort, Reach Australia hopes to provide more opportunities for Australians to reconnect with their faith.
