Key Points
- Richie Merzian writes he was raised Roman Catholic, but moved away from the Church as he grew older.
- He launched the Canberra chapter of the Sunday Assembly to see if he could build a community without a religion.
Australians are less religious than ever before, according to the 2021 Census. So, with many of us shifting away from traditional institutions, what does it mean to hold onto your beliefs? On Keeping the Faith, Insight explores the costs and rewards of sticking with spirituality. Watch it on SBS On Demand.
Can you build a church without religion? That is the question I set out to answer with my partner on a hot summer’s day in Canberra in 2013.
For a long time, I had felt something was missing. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I had a job that was meaningful, challenging and included a good deal of travel. I had (and still have) a wonderful partner and great friends. I had a decent apartment and family not too far away.
But there was something more - something bigger than me.
I was missing a community.
I was raised Roman Catholic, with my mum teaching in the local Sunday school, and spent my youth moving between cities and countries.
Wherever we ended up, there was a community we could connect with. A place we could go and meet like-minded, friendly, generous people who shared our values.
As I grew older, I moved away from the Church. I was able to form my own views on Christianity and I realised I didn’t have faith. I couldn’t believe in the supernatural elements.
I had to make my own path. But where do you go when you tick ‘no religion’ on the census? And who do you go with?
Richie Merzian launched the Canberra chapter of the Sunday Assembly. Source: Supplied / Richie Merzian
We had become isolated units that came together for hobbies or interests –Canberra had no shortage of them – but not over shared values.
A lot of our values-based communities have taken a hit in membership - not just churches, but political parties and unions, too.
So could we rebuild our communities, drawing on the structure and learnings of the Church, and just leave out the God bit?
In early 2013, two comedians in the UK had a red hot go with The Sunday Assembly. These British stand ups were hosting monthly events at a community hall, exploring life themes with an odd assortment of people, drawn together by a desire to connect, learn and give. Assemblies had a live band playing tunes you’d normally sing on a boozy Saturday night at karaoke but you were sober on a Sunday morning. Of course, there would be tea and biscuits afterwards!
By late 2013, we’d launched our own Sunday Assembly Canberra to a packed-out hall of around 200 people of all ages and backgrounds. We’d hit a nerve.
Richie Merzian set up Sunday Assembly Canberra in late 2013. Source: Supplied / Richie Merzian
I loved connecting with people outside my circles. Beyond the Sunday gatherings, groups formed around gardening, books, cooking, music and movies.
One speaker we welcomed, the social researcher and bestseller Hugh Mackay, explained the good life exists in a thriving, respectful community. Hugh joked that as our households were getting smaller and more isolated, we compensated by getting more pets and giving them human names.
At the Sunday Assembly, members would share their personal stories with the audience and in doing so, form new connections.
The one exception to the decline in modern community building are the social connections initiated by children.
As my partner and I bought a suburban house near our children’s future school, we got more involved with the local school community and neighbourhood.
We tried to pass the baton of the Assembly to a new team to manage, but it was already struggling to keep going.
Organising a church is hard work (even after you’ve mined the literature like The Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren for tips). Keeping the community ‘religiously’ engaged is even harder.
Each Sunday Assembly was like a standalone episode. It wasn’t a serial.
We were all volunteers and could have benefited from a paid organiser. As the original community members moved away (Canberra is a transient town), fewer people joined and volunteered.
I also think we lacked the substantive underpinnings, the deeper structure, the organisational foundations to keep all the pieces connected and engaged.
Each Sunday Assembly was like a standalone episode. It wasn’t a serial.
The well-known and loved Father Bob spoke at one of the Assemblies, and he said he hoped to see more values-based communities popping up.
While the Canberra Sunday Assembly didn’t last, there are still a few chapters operating in Europe and the United States.
With the rising number of non-religious Australians, hopefully the lessons learned in Canberra could underpin the next secular community.
