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Anglican churches in the Oxford Diocese are being urged to focus their evangelistic efforts on Men, in an attempt to re-address the gender balance in many parish churches, reports Christian Concern for our Nation.

The Church of England estimates indicate that 65 percent of regular worshippers are women, and in many churches, the ratio is one man to every four women!

Over the last 20 years, 35 per cent of ‘believing men’ have left the Church in the UK. For men aged under 30, 49 per cent left in the same period. Over 70 per cent of boys raised in church abandon it during their teens/20’s. (Source TearFund).

On February 5, the Oxford Diocese, in partnership with Men And The Church (MATCH), is to host a day conference for clergy and lay people, offering resources and ideas for churches wanting to reach un-churched men with the gospel, exploring why so many men leave the Church, and to encourage new strategies for evangelism to men.

The event is the idea of the Revd Paul Eddy, 43, curate at Grove Parish Church in the Oxford Diocese, and founder of MATCH. Before ordination, the cleric ran a national public relations consultancy, dealing with the national secular media.

Revd Eddy said: “In churches across the diocese, clergy, male and female, are very concerned about the lack of men in their congregations and have been asking for resources and support in developing effective evangelism to, and the discipleship of, un-churched men.”

The lack of men in church doesn’t just concern the clergy. Revd Eddy said: “Around 25 percent of women in church attend on their own, with a husband at home, and many young women in our churches looking to find a Christian man to marry are deeply concerned at the lack of men in our churches.”

However, Revd Eddy says that some of the answers to the problem might mean a radical re-think of how ‘church’ is done in many parishes.

He said: “Some of the main mission strategies of the CofE might need adapting. An analysis of Fresh Expressions (the major evangelistic strategy of the CofE today), reveals that up to 95 per cent of all NEW evangelistic activities are realistically focussed on women, or women and children (under the heading of ‘family’), and not on men.

“In addition, the current CofE mission strategy revolves around people ‘Belonging’ to a congregation and then ‘Believing’ and then a change in ‘Behaviour’ after conversion. This is great for most women who like fellowship, are brilliant at small talk, and are used to joining mums and tots, coffee mornings etc. However, for most men to make the decision to follow Jesus Christ first requires an intellectual/masculine hurdle to jump before they feel prepared to join a new ‘community’. The first thing that will have to change with most men is their behaviour, so, with evangelism to men, I would suggest, the strategy should be the reverse, recognising they will need to consider ‘Behaviour’, then ‘Believe’ and then finally join, or ‘belong’ to a local church - if, it’s worship, preaching and discipleship is relevant to men.”

Revd Eddy says churches wanting to develop a ministry to men need to be committed to the long-haul. He added: “Research from Christian Vision for Men shows that it takes an average of five years from the time an un-churched man has a significant personal contact with another Christian man, until he has made a public profession of faith in Jesus.”

The conference, ‘Reaching Un‐Churched/De‐Churched Men with the Gospel’, February 5, 9.30am‐4.00pm, will take place at Grove Parish Church, Main Street, Grove.

Chaired by the Ven. Karen Gorham, Archdeacon of Buckingham, other conference keynote speakers include Professor Glynn Harrison, a member of the Crown Nominations Commission, who will help delegates think through the psychological differences between men and women. The Ven. Morris Rodham, Archdeacon Missioner in the Diocese of Coventry, will explore how church liturgy and structures might need to change if men are to feel fully engaged. Case studies and resources will also be available, including how to use the ‘Olympic Games’ and ‘Father’s Day’ evangelistically for men.

For more information, visit www.oxford.anglican.org