Have people forsaken going to church for going to the mall or movies around Christmastime? Does a holiday built around a religious saviour rekindle deep feelings of faith and a desire to share those beliefs with like-minded people at this time of the year?
The NOW asked a handful of religious institutions of different denominations in Burnaby these questions.
While the opinions of five church leaders are not a full representation of the big picture, the consensus is yes, people still attend a service this time of year. Sometimes they come in droves, depending on the church; other times, it’s a few dozen more than usual at the smaller parishes.
Rev. Graham K. Brownmiller of Jubilee United Church said his Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. sees an increase to 150 or 175 people (about 100 worshippers attend weekly).
“It’s a good number,” he said. “People still come for the (Christmas) story. Christmastime is one of those things that people have a real heart for. It’s a story that we know regardless of whether or not people come to church on a regular basis.”
Hearing the story of Christ’s birth makes people feel good, Brownmiller added, and so does singing the traditional carols and “having a chance to see people you might only see once a year.”
Brentwood Presbyterian Church, though a smaller sanctuary, sees about a 50 per cent uptick in its attendance on Christmas Eve, according to minister Brian Fraser. Attendance is usually between 20 and 25 people on a Sunday morning, he said.
“I think what draws people to church at Christmas is kind of a hunch or a feel or a sense that there’s something more, and they’re not quite sure what that is. They’ve heard versions of what that is, that frankly offend them and repel them, those forms of religion that say, ‘You have to believe this and you have to do that before you can belong.’
“But I think there’s still a kind of sense that there is a divine reality in the universe.That that divine reality has to do with compassion and love; that there is a community where I can overcome my loneliness and my sense of isolation, a community that welcomes me and cares for me,” Fraser explained.
The minister believes the West Coast is the most secular region in Canada, and that’s one of the reasons people don’t attend church throughout the year like they used to. They simply don’t believe in the transcendent anymore, according to Fraser.
“For a lot of people, organized and institutionalized religion no longer seems important. It’s ‘I have the freedom to choose my own spiritual path.’ And most organized religions get in the way of that. ‘I may show up at Christmas; I may show up at Easter, but it’s for my spirituality, not the spirituality of that particular community.’”
Our Lady of Mercy Parish’s midnight mass on Christmas Eve is attended by some 400 people. From Dec. 16 to 24, the church also holds a 6 a.m. service, which attracts around 100 people each morning.
“It’s a celebration,” said Deacon Kenneth Fung of the attendance. “Some people may be too busy but still at big celebrations like Christmas and Easter, they still go to church. Even some non-Catholics, they feel like coming to enjoy the atmosphere and music.”
Though the midnight mass is popular, Fung said it’s the Christmas Day sermon at 11 a.m. that packs the room, with around 600 worshipers.
Pastor Ben Turner at Anchor Baptist Church agreed that more people attend service during the holiday season.
“I would say we do see an influx the closer you get to Dec. 25. Now, we do have people who are travelling so you get a mix of people that leave to go see family and friends, but then you have people who come in to see family in friends here in Burnaby,” he said.
Normal attendance at Anchor Baptist is between 110 and 120 people, noted Turner, but he’s unsure what Christmas Eve numbers will look like this year. That’s because the Sunday service (and Christmas Eve service as a result) has been moved from the morning to the afternoon.
“I think it’s safe to say our increase would be no more than 15 to 20 per cent per Sunday, but again, this is going to be something brand new for us. We don’t have the traditional morning time slot. We may see that that helps us because maybe somebody’s tied up in the morning. We’ll see,” he said.
Turner agreed with the others about why people attend church in December.
“There’s enough still in society that OK, this is a traditionally a time where people go to church because it’s Christmastime, and that’s great. It’s wrapped around the tradition we go to church on Christmas Eve. Maybe that’s still a family tradition for many people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Orthodox institutions celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7. (The Orthodox calendar is different.)
Ljubomir Kotur with the St. Archangel Michael Serbian Church on Canada Way expects close to 1,000 people to trickle in and out the night before, over four to five hours. The church hosts a 45-minute Christmas Eve service and after, a present is given to every child in the room. People also get to leave with an olive branch, a longtime Serbian tradition.
“They bring it home and they keep it until the next Christmas Eve as a protector,” said Kotur, adding there’s also a candle lighting ceremony.
He said the annual celebration is attended by a host of people from all different cultures and faiths – Bulgarians, Russians, Greeks, Chinese and more.
