Christian by Culture, Not by Christ
Why the Old Census Numbers Lied to Us
For years, we comforted ourselves with the census.
“Look! 50% of New Zealanders still say they’re Christians!” we’d say, as if that meant the Church was strong, healthy, and growing. We clung to that box-tick like it was gospel truth. But the truth? It was cultural camouflage. And we wore it proudly—until the costume fell off.
The latest census shocked many: only 33% now say they’re Christian at all. But the real kicker? Just 9% of New Zealanders are actually practicing the Christian faith—attending church, reading Scripture, and seeking to live under the Lordship of Jesus.
The rest? They’re “Christian” like I’m a rugby player because I watch the All Blacks.
Somewhere along the way, being Christian in New Zealand stopped being a conviction and started being a cultural inheritance or a label. Like joining the Golf Club. Like a family crest or a nostalgic Christmas carol. You didn’t have to believe the Gospel. You just had to not be Buddhist. “Christian” became the default, not the decision.
But ‘cultural Christianity’ was always a house of straw. And the winds of secularism, materialism, and postmodern relativism have blown hard. We’re now living in the aftermath of the collapse.
The 91% have walked away—not all at once, but drip by drip. Generation by generation. And we didn’t notice because the census box kept us feeling safe. And in our churches we all greeted each other warmly with a smile and said in our hearts, “I’m alright, are you alright?” “Yep, I’m alright…” So we all knew all was right in the Church.
But now the box is nearly empty. And that’s not a crisis. That’s clarity.
We can’t build the future Church on nostalgia. We need the real thing: men and women who follow Jesus not because it’s tradition, but because they’ve been transformed. I’m looking for the Remnant who will stand in the gap for the 91% and transform their lives painfully and radically to make that stand.
Jesus never called us to be cultural Christians. He called us to lose our lives for His sake. He didn’t ask us to tick a box - He asked us to take up a cross.
And maybe, just maybe, this census isn’t the death knell of the Church.
Maybe it’s the sound of refining.
