07/08/2026
Hayden, your friendly neighbourhood Anglican Minister here.
I write as my eldest daughter is sitting her HSC trials, and time and time again we teach our students about the importance of reading the question carefully.
This is just as true in relation to Tuesday's census. My intent here is not to tell you how to complete your census form, but rather to give some context to the intent of the questions and how your answers may impact government decision-making in the coming years.
The Anglican Archbishop, Kanihska Raffel, brought my attention to motivated and well resourced groups that are actively encouraging people to tick "no religion" on the census unless they are regular practicing members of that denomination or faith.
I have no reservations about the intent and integrity of the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) in relation to the census which will be held on Tuesday 11th August. It is also true that there will always be those who seek to manipulate the census results for political ends. Politics is neither good nor bad, of course; at the same time every person has the civic responsibility to make sure their choices are informed.
So back to the question of what is the question asking?
Well, it's probably best to let the ABS answer that question, as quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald today, "The ABS is aware of the campaigns circulating online and through social media that suggests people respond in a way that is inconsistent with the intent of the question. The question on religion measures a person’s religious affiliation, which may be different from their practice of, or participation in, religious activities."
Therefore the question is not whether you attend an Anglican church weekly, volunteer at your local Jewish Aged Care Facility, or donate to your local Pentecostal Food Bank; the question is not about action but affiliation. The question is with which religion or denomination (or no religion!) do you identify?
Secondly, how will your answer impact government decisions in coming years?
You will note that the census form has the option to tick either "Christian" or to choose from one of a number of particular denominations (eg "Anglican" or "Pentecostal"). Now, I am sympathetic with choosing Christian, after all, as the Archbishop writes, "we prioritise our identity as Christians. We rightly consider that ‘denomination’ is a secondary matter."
It is worth noting though that Christian care, which provides support to the most vulnerable in our society, needs to be administered by someone. For example it is CatholicCare or Anglicare specifically, and not Christianity generally, that coordinate faith-motivated care within our broader community. One unintended consequence of ticking Christian in the census is that we give the impression that there are fewer people identifying with real denominations; denominations that bring real care to people who are really in need.
This has significant implications for funding. For example, federal funding for Anglicare's financial counselling and casework was cut by 50% earlier this year. The CEO of Anglicare Simon Miller observed at the time, "While donors and existing resources provide much of the funds for this work, this reduction in funding is set to affect nearly 15,000 families."
If we want faith based organisations to continue to be supported so that they can support those in need ,it is important that we formally identify with those specific faiths and denominations on the census form.
As the Archbishop concludes, "for the purposes of the census it is most helpful if people attending Anglican churches nominate Anglican, rather than inadvertently dilute this result by a non-specific indicator such as ‘Christian’."
In the Bible, the Apostle Paul's letter to Rome and to his coworker Timothy teach us about the importance of supporting those in government and the public service. We are thankful for the opportunity to make our census count, and pray for wisdom for those who exercise authority in the decisions they make for all Australians.
It is my hope that this brief note has been helpful as you make your voice heard this Tuesday.
Your Servant,
Hayden
Senior Minister
Emmanuel Anglican Church, Glenhaven
