Confusion over the Religious Question on the Australian Census — Michael Stead and Mark McCrindle

Posted on August 3, 2026 
Filed under Australia, Culture wars, Resources

An important and timely episode from The Pastor’s Heart –

“Answering ‘Anglican’, ‘Catholic’, or ‘Baptist’ on the Census isn’t a test of church attendance.

Before filling out your form, hear researcher Mark McCrindle, and Bishop Michael Stead discuss

  1. What the Bureau of Statistics is actually measuring.
  2. Why writing your specific denomination helps community planning more than generic labels.
  3. How census data impacts real-world support—like hospital, prison, and military chaplaincy.Don’t let a secular misinformation campaign fill in your form for you. Get the facts and answer honestly!

The Bureau of Statistics definition of religious affiliation is simple: it’s the faith group you associate with, even if that differs from your active practice or participation.”

– Watch here.

Related:

Count us in! – SydneyAnglicans.net.

“Australians with Anglican affiliation have been advised to tick the Anglican box in next week’s census and ignore a misleading campaign mimicking official advice.

The Bishop of South Sydney, Michael Stead, says the religion question in the census measures identity and affiliation, not church attendance, as he warns against skewed advice circulating on social media platforms. …”