Whither the Church of England?
by David Goodhew, Covenant:
Whither the Church of England (C of E)? The numbers make bleak reading, for the most part. Take the diocese of Bath and Wells. In 1990, around 34,000 people attended its churches on Sundays. By 2019, less than 30 years later, Sunday attendance had halved to around 17,000 people. Not every C of E diocese declined as much, but all, apart from one, have dropped substantially. Moreover, the figures have worsened in recent years. And that’s before factoring in the impact of COVID.
This article charts the C of E’s recent trajectory and offers reflections on ways forward. Not all is lost, yet. Of course, Anglicanism is much more than the C of E, but the C of E plays a crucial role within the Communion. And C of E trends mirror those elsewhere, notably in the U.S. So its current and future trajectory deserves study by wider Anglicanism…
…Many churches in Britain are growing, But most of the growing churches are not Anglican. Alongside this, historic denominations such as Methodism and Presbyterianism are collapsing. The primary common denominator is theology. Those trimming faith to fit in with culture have tended to shrink, and those offering a “full-fat” faith, vividly supernatural, have tended to grow.
See also: This example of church growth in a non-Anglican setting. ‘It’s not “religious” its real’ – The open air Prayer Station changing Crewe’s estates, by Tony Cummings, Premier Christianity
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