State of the Church in the State

Relevance, Irrelevance and Tradition

By J. Jeff Toler for Shenandoah Christian Alliance j.toler@sca4christ.org

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” —John 16:33—Revelation 5:9

It seems that lately, there is a lot of conversation taking place on a number of Christian religion fronts, most importantly the selection of a new pope, a now forgotten archbishop, and the emerging deconstructed church.

We begin with the election of Pope Leo XIV

Born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, Prevost made history on May 8, 2025, by becoming the first American-born pope—being selected less than three weeks after the death of Pope Francis—to become the 267th head of the Roman Catholic Church. He is also the first pontiff from the Order of Saint Augustine. He holds dual citizenship with Peru, where he performed extensive missionary work.

Upon his election, Prevost chose the name Leo XIV, in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who is known for his advocacy of workers’ rights during the time of the Industrial Revolution. Indeed, during his inaugural address, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of addressing modern challenges, including the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, drawing parallels between the current digital age and past technological transformations.

According to informed sources, Pope Leo XIV is recognized for his balanced approach to leadership, aiming to bridge the Church’s ideological divides. He upholds the inclusive practices of his predecessor, Pope Francis, while also embracing traditional aspects of the papacy, such as residing in the Apostolic Palace and wearing traditional papal attire.

We are also told his papacy will be marked by a commitment to unity, social justice, and ethical engagement with contemporary issues, positioning him as a transformative figure in the modern Catholic Church. [https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-05/biography-of-robert-francis-prevost-pope-leo-xiv.html]

It should be noted that Pope Leo XIV is likely to be more moderate in his polity and leadership than his predecessor, Pope Francis. This will affect the 1.4 billion Roman Catholics in the world today.

Consider the Mystery of the Missing Archbishop and the Shrinking Church of England

While we’re on the topic of high-ranking prelates, what has happened to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Church of England? Seriously. What happened? In the grand scheme of things, it may not really matter all that much, but the Anglican Church has been without an archbishop for six months.

Even more fascinating is the absence of interest in, or even knowledge of the Archbishop, even the Church of England itself—once a very powerful influence in evangelizing large parts of the 18th and 19th century world.

This church has been shrinking for years, but especially so in the last five years. Pre-pandemic data showed around 1.1 million people regularly worshipping at Church of England churches, with approximately 690,000 attending Sunday services.

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While the Church of England’s power has diminished, it still maintains its role as the “established” church, with the monarch, King Charles III as its supreme governor. It continues to have a significant presence in British society, particularly through education, with many Church of England schools. The Church wields a notable influence in politics including bishops holding seats in the House of Lords.

The last prelate, Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Selby, officially resigned in January of 2025 after an independent review found he had covered up decades-long physical, sexual, psychological, and spiritual abuse of boys at the hands of his former friend, John Smyth QC. Smyth died at the age of 77 in Zimbabwe before he could be extradited, tried and sentenced for his crimes. Of note, the QC stands for Queen’s Council. He was the equivalent of an attorney general in the US.

Welby, who had served as archbishop since 2013, included in his official statement, the need to take personal and institutional responsibility for the Church of England’s handling of abuse cases and the protracted period of time between 2013 and 2024. As it turns out, the issue was an open secret. Following his resignation, Welby withdrew from public life.

It serves little or no purpose to moralize over Welby’s lack of action, but it does compel some to raise doubts about the Anglican Church and the role it may be guilty of abdicating, which is to say, a genuine Christian response and cultural and societal influence.

In the UK, England, Canada, and Australia, a large decline in the upholding and defending the prescriptions of historical western civilization is obvious. This should be a great concern for Christians in the West.

Protestants Today: The Body of Christ in Dissolution

For several years now, I have written about the trends appearing in the Church, most specifically about the New Age churches in America. The latest trend now is the “Deconstructed Church.” What does a deconstructed church look like?

The adherents and converts to deconstruction are an outflow of the “New Age church.” These churches refer to spiritual organizations or communities that embrace New Age philosophies, blending elements of mysticism, holistic health, metaphysics, esotericism, and personal spiritual growth. Unlike traditional Christian denominations, New Age churches are often decentralized, diverse, and loosely organized, with a focus on individual transformation and globalist spiritual awakening rather than fixed doctrines or creeds.

It would seem deconstruction overtakes established churches, or more accurately, Christians, who begin by re-assessing or re-examining their belief in Christianity. In the process, deconstructing includes abandoning transcendent truth, rejecting authority, and skepticism of institutions. They also adopt progressive morals and values.

Ref: [https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-Age-movement]

[https://www.patheos.com/library/new-age/ethics-morality-community/community-organization-and-structure]

Among the notable points to bear in mind are the terms, “decentralized, diverse, and loosely organized.” In contrast, the Roman Catholic Church is very centralized, adheres to conformity, and is extraordinarily organized. The Anglican Church—which relied heavily on human tradition lost its grip on these things over time.

By comparison, the major protestant churches, both in the US and around the world, which number over 840,000,000 Christians globally, variously place more emphasis on the Bible, personal evangelism, fellowship and community, and Spiritual gifting.

Based on Scripture, Numbers Don’t Much Matter to God.

But some numbers are increasingly hopeful, nevertheless. I have recently pointed out that there is a renewed interest in the spiritual, and now, come interesting indications of a change in the catholic (universal) church. In the US, for the first time in decades, young men are now more likely to attend church than young women. Gen Z men, in particular, have shown a 15-percentage point increase in commitment to Jesus between 2019 and 2025. Millennial men have experienced a 19-point rise. The same trend is evidenced in the UK as well.

In France, the Roman Catholic Church has reported its highest number of baptisms in over 40 years. The US and Western Europe have seen a notable surge in young male converts, especially since the pandemic. COVID may well prove to be a gift from God that very few could have foreseen. [https://religioninpublic.blog/2025/03/05/the-reactionary-religious-reengagement-of-young-men/]