The death of Christianity in the West has been greatly exaggerated

The tide is turning on belief in God. There’s a growing interest in the Christian message, says Stephen McAlpine

“I want you to meet Claire,” my friend Ollie said to me at our annual church network celebration.

“She’s just become a Christian.”

A newbie! A recent convert! I was in! In this day and age, in which the tide of Christianity is going out – plummeting church attendance, general indifference on one hand, hostile anger on the other – just meeting a person who is positive towards the faith seems a long stretch. But someone who’s actually become a Christian? Crazy stuff!

Claire came over for chat. Not a university student. Not a recent migrant. Not someone in dire need. Claire was in her 40s, well educated, working in a creative industry, happily married with kids (the family had all turned up to the church despite only Claire being the one with faith).

In other words, Claire was the type of person we generally think doesn’t become a Christian in the West.

The kind of person we say “No” for, without even asking. We just assume that that’s the person for whom Christianity is no longer on the radar. She’s not the low-hanging fruit that we presume is all that is left.

Which is why my first reaction was one of excitement. I’ve fallen into that glass-half-empty way of thinking about Christianity’s future in the West as well.