Reverend Dr
George Carey attacked the modern church for
being too old fashioned, saying the denomination
could be wiped out within 25 years if it does
not become more welcoming to younger people.
The
78-year-old said: "I am convinced that churches
can grow, must grow and should grow.
"But to sit
in a cold church, looking at the back of
people's heads, is perhaps not considered the
most exciting place to meet new people and hear
prophetic words.
"So we have
a problem getting people to church because it is
not something that is natural to people in their
lives nowadays.
"There is a
prevalent view that people don't want to hear
what we have to say any more. How can we say
that?
"There is
so much violence, too many divided families, too
little job security, too many young people with
nothing to aim for.
"It is
still the case that people are essentially
looking for spiritual fulfilment" he added.
"One of the
most worrying, most urgent groups we need to
invest in is young people.
"We ought
to be ashamed of ourselves.
"We are one
generation away from extinction - if we do not
invest in young people there is going to be
no-one in the future."
Dr Carey
warned that every one of the 43 Church of
England dioceses were at risk.
The retired
Anglican bishop was making the keynote speech
today at Holy Trinity Church in Shrewsbury, as
part of the Shropshire Churches Conference
2013.
Lord Carey
held the post of Archbishop of Canterbury for
11-and-a-half years and retired at 66 in 2002.
