Church attendance in Britain is declining so fast that the number of regular
churchgoers will be fewer than those attending mosques within a generation,
research published today suggests.
The fall - from the four million people who attend church at least once a
month today - means that the Church of England, Catholicism and other
denominations will become financially unviable. A lack of funds from the
collection plate to support the Christian infrastructure, including church
upkeep and ministers’ pay and pensions, will force church closures as ageing
congregations die.
In contrast, the number of actively religious Muslims will have increased from
about one million today to 1.96 million in 2035.
According to Religious Trends, a comprehensive statistical analysis of
religious practice in Britain, published by Christian Research, even Hindus
will come close to outnumbering churchgoers within a generation. The
forecast to 2050 shows churchgoing in Britain declining to 899,000 while the
active Hindu population, now at nearly 400,000, will have more than doubled
to 855,000. By 2050 there will be 2,660,000 active Muslims in Britain -
nearly three times the number of Sunday churchgoers.
The research is based on analysis of membership and attendance of all the
religious bodies in Britain, including a church census in 2005.
Coming just months after the Archbishop of Canterbury suggested that the
introduction of aspects of sharia into British law was unavoidable, the
report is likely to fuel calls for the disestablishment of the Church of
England.
Martin Salter, the Labour MP for Reading West and a member of Reading
inter-faith group, said: “I think all faiths could be treated equally under
our constitution. These figures demonstrate the absurdity of favouring one
brand of Christianity over other parts of the Christian faith and the many
other religions that grace our shores.”
Hazel Blears, the Communities Secretary with responsibility for community
cohesion, said: “We will look at these findings very closely. Britain is a
secular democracy with a strong Christian tradition but many faiths have a
home in Britain.”
The report makes it clear that Christianity is becoming a minority religion.
It also reflects the changing nature of religious practice worldwide and
will further aid the stated aim of the Prince of Wales who, on his
Coronation, hopes to become Defender of Faith rather than Defender of the
Faith.
Only in the large, evangelical churches of the Baptist and independent
denominations is there resistance to the trend, but many of these churches
also show some decline. One small area of growth is in Northern Ireland,
where the enthusiasm of Pentecostals and other independents has led to a
slight increase in numbers of churches - a trend expected to continue to
2050. The three growing denominations are the Orthodox, Pentecostals and
smaller denominations, all dependent to a degree on immigration.
The crisis is particularly acute for Methodists and Presbyterians, as many
worshippers are aged over 65. The report predicts that these churches might
well have merged with others by 2030. “The primary cause of the decrease in
attendance is that people are simply dying off,” the report says.
By 2050 there will be just 3,600 churchgoing Methodists left in Britain,
Christian Research predicts. Anglicans will be down to 87,800, Catholics to
101,700, Presbyterians to 4,400, Baptists to 123,000 and independents to
168,000.
The national breakdown shows similar declines across England, Wales and
Scotland. Churchgoing across all denominations in England will fall from
about 3 million today to about 700,000 in 2050. In Wales it will tumble from
200,000 to 42,000 and in Scotland, from 550,000 to 140,000. The figures take
into account the recent boost to Catholicism from the number of Polish
immigrants to Britain, particularly in Scotland.
The report predicts that by 2030, when Dr Rowan Williams’s successor as
Archbishop of Cantebury will be approaching retirement, there could be just
350,000 people attending just 10,000 Anglican churches, with an average of
35 worshippers each. The next Archbishop after that could find his position
“totally nonviable”, the report says, with just 180,000 worshippers in 6,000
churches by 2040.
David Voas, a professor of population studies at the Institute for Social
Change at the University of Manchester, said: “The difficulty is in
retaining the children who have churchgoing parents. So long as churchgoing
is something that gets you laughed at, so long as there is a social stigma
attached to being a churchgoing young person, it will be difficult to
reverse the trend.” He said that young Muslims operated in a different
environment. “Being religious is a way that you show you are different, that
you are proud of your heritage. One of the ways young Muslims assert their
identity is by being more observant than their parents.”
The Church of England disputed the forecasts last night. Lynda Barley, its
head of research, said: “These statistics represent a partial picture of
religious trends today. In recent years church life has significantly
diversified so these traditional statistics are less and less meaningful in
isolation.
“There are more than 1.7 million people worshipping in a Church of England
church or cathedral each month, a figure that is 30 per cent higher [than
the Sunday attendance figure used by Christian Research] and has remained
stable since 2000. We have no reason to believe that this will drop
significantly.”
— Hundreds of churches are protesting at soaring water bills, with some
parishes facing increases of up to 1,300 per cent. Senior churchmen from the
Church of England, Methodist and other churches are meeting officials from
Ofwat, the industry regulator, to argue their case against the charges
today.
The problem is the Church of England and its pathetic moral equivalence. Where the CoE should be concentrating on the spiritual and trying to save souls, it has instead been taken over by a bunch of left wing social workers.
Bring back moral certainty!
Richard, Worcester, England
Very cleverly worded to use the word 'churchgoers'. Going to church has NOTHING to do with being a Christian. I am a convinced and commited follower of Christ, and that makes me a Christian - not going to church. Christianity needs to get out of church - perhaps that is what God's making happen!
Phil Hemsley, Rugby, UK
- Thousands of cofe youngsters gathering each summer for Soul Survivor festival
- Innovative city churches multiplying into new congregations
- Thousands being reached through Hope 08
- Documented biblical healings
These Are not signs of a church in decline, but adapting to changes in society!
P Dolby, London,
David Jones says it is time to "formally put religion into the private realm in the UK." Does he mean that people should keep their beliefs to themselves and never try to influence society? We should be thankful that people like William Wilberforce and Lord Shaftesbury didn't!
Geoff Chapman, Yeovil, UK
The church is dying?
So I'm just imagining the fact that my church has gone from 20 people to over 250 in 5 years?
Doesn't look like a decline to me.
Nick, Leicester,
And yet every church I've attended over the last 20 years has been bursting at the seams. My current church expanded three years ago and we still can't fit everybody in.
This report may apply to the church of England but I suspect it's only a partial picture of the true state Christianity in the UK
Kevin Raddy, Worthing, United Kingdom
I'm christian and proud of it, but I'm not proud of how the church likes to present itself in this country
if churches are going to die, let them - perhaps then those left will realise that christianity NEEDS to live in the 21st century.
after all, Jesus was one of the most radical people ever
Mike Blitz, Winchester, UK
Could it be that 'slaves obey your lawful masters' and 'the poor ye shall always have with you' just lack appeal with the general public? What a shock that a feudal institution designed to push peoples faces into the floor can not survive democracy..!
Cassandra, Yeovil,
"It teaches that few will take the small path to Life, and many the wide road to destruction. "
It didn't take long for the ad baculum to appear did it? Believe or be doomed to eternal torture.
Colin Walls, Hyde, UK
The UK is a secular democracy with a strong Christian tradition and some religious legacy in its legal framework. Unless we formally put religion into the private realm in the UK, non-Christian religions are going to have a lot of power over all of us soon and it'll be too late to change it.
David Jones, Loughborough, UK
Christianity is far from finished.
Mack, Christchurch, New Zealand
In this country, the weekend newspapers are full of "Things To Do" for Sunday. Not once is church ever mentioned. Marathon races are scheduled for Sunday, and streets are blocked to accomodate this, making it an obstacle course to get to church. There's too much other "stuff" going on on Sunday!
John F. McIlray, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
@ Craig of Liverpool, is there anything more 'vitriolic' than hatred of difference (Muslims, Jews, women , the wrong kind of Christian) and anything more 'smug' than people swanning around thinking they're immortal? Just two more to add to your list of Christianity's achievements.
philip, cambridge,
Sanctioning Sunday Trading started the decline, this was followed by the clergy's revision of the services giving rise to langauge which lacked flow and hymns which seem to epitomise the worst aspect of pop lyrics.
The result, no emotional flow and one no longer left the service uplifted.
Dave, chorley, UK
Christianity will return to this country. I know of a Christian man who is carrying a revival anointing that can be heard as he is trying to make Christianity relevant to a new generation by praying for God to collapse the European Union.
Stephen Kingsdon, Tamworth, United Kingdom
As a Pagan, I'm pleasantly surprized that THIS time no one is blaming us!
The established churches of Europe have sunk into decline BECAUSE they were creatures of their respective states. In America, styles of worship change but churches are strong BECAUSE they only exist when self-supporting.
Christa Landon, Minneapolis, USA
What will happen will happen
Liz, swanage, Dorset
So NuLabour’s plan works - making Christianity wither away – if we believe this their latest PR. The anti-Christians here seem to think that, when we’ve finally gone, their hatred will evaporate too. Sorry guys but you aren’t that nice! The next target for your hatreds will be each other. Enjoy.
alan143, London,
If Christianity is man made it will die out. If it's God's plan for mankind it won't.
Richard Morris, Coventry, UK
Fashions change. The current stigma attached to churchgoing will not forever remain. Cars will not forever destroy local communities. Divorce will not always be the norm. People won't always imagine that science has disproved relgion.
(Author, 12 Common Atheist Arguments (refuted) )
Malcolm McLean, Bradford, UK
I am very glad to see that religion is generally in decline but I think it very unrealistic to extrapolate figures like these. Who knows what will happen in the next 40 years? Who is to say people of Muslim/Hindu background won't reject religion aswell? Let's make sure - teach more science....
Cheryl, Swindon, UK
When Muslims evolve, culturally, to a rational plane of existence, attendance will fall off at mosques as well. Belief in an afterlife may be comforting to many, but is all the rest of it really necessary? Don't murder, steal or perjure yourself; OK, got it covered! Leave the rest to science.
Geoffrey Tudor, Sequim, WA, USA
It's about time we pry the dying hands of the Anglican church from our government.
Religion has no place in goverment in this day and age, nevermind one in which such a small proportion of the country are actually active members of.
Hannah, Manchester,
I quote from an executive of DaimlerChrysler speaking in 2007: "It was actually forecast in 1873 that if the volume of horse-drawn traffic continued to rise England would be covered by a yard of horse manure by 1961." Extrapolating present trends is an extremely dangerous exercise.
Robert Nowell, Barnet,
I had a humanist friend who said that the Bible was all myths and fables. He was dying with cancer and shortly before his death he asked me to conduct his funeral and to warn everyone that it was not myths and fables but reality. I'm glad I ama man of faith!
Ron, Prestatyn, North Wales
The Church ( Established)has been in denial for years and refuses to see the Truth.
The answer is to make the Established Anglican Church clergy accountable and be WORTHY of its role as the Established Church...which IMHO it's not
John, Durham, UK
I don't go to church any more as I don't have a church to go to. All I have is a vicar who zooms in, performs a service then zooms off again. Otherwise he's never seen.
What I used to have was a church where I knew the vicar, he knew me and he spent his time caring for the souls in his community.
Mike Poulsen, Reading, Berkshire
Should Christians be worried about separation of church and state? The church seems to do better when persecuted, e.g. China, than when it is regarded as an earthly institution. But would there still be any independent voices in parliament who put morals before their party and political correctness?
Kevin B, Oxon, UK
"....when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18 v.8).
What is happening is is as the Bible predicts, but those who think that this marks the end of the Christian faith have got it wrong. Jesus is coming again -- soon!
Diana, Providenciales,
Alex says 3 million people's lives have new meaning. But he is mistaken.. That's 3 million people whose lives have lost their meaning. Sad. I'm an American & devout Anglican and attend a growing and thriving church in Texas. Our message, like our faith is strong and it draws people in.
Carol, Aubrey, TX, USA
The research makes no sense. If London Diocese alone carries on growing at the rate it has done since 1995, there will be over 100,000 Anglicans in just that 1 Diocese in 2050, let alone the other 42 CofE regions.
I wonder if rigour has been sacrificed in favour of a good headline.
David Keen, Yeovil, UK
It's funny that the professinal atheists with their vitriolic and smug comments are (I imagine, although nothing would surprise me) aren't so dismissive of the achievements in art, politics, literature, muic and culture generally, which are due to Christianity.
Craig , Liverpool, UK
Sadly you make no reference to the new generation of growing community churches, represented by organisations like New Frontier or Pioneer. You also fail to refer to the huge success of initiatives like Alpha in bringing many new people into the Church. l
Mark Coccker, Banfora, Burkina Faso
This comes as no surprise to me.
Christianity has spread suffering, propaganda and corruption everywhere it's been. Take voodoo dolls: taken from euro witchcraft
As science has proven them wrong and the church holds no power to silence the non-believers anymore, so fewer people follow this twaddle!
Tom, lancs,
seperate church and state now.
Mark, HH, England
England is 'still' a Christian country !
What we don't see here is the number of Muslims 'leaving' Islam, for fear & obvious reasons there are few statistics on this.
Many of them in the west have seen how archaic Islam is & how it interferes with a modern lifestyle.
Good for them may it continue !
maggie millington, brittany, france
The ignorant and illiterate do not realise that a good religion preached correctly sets a standard for people to live with each other in peace and harmony. Love they neigbour, obey the Ten Commandments, etc. Today's Britain proves that there is a need to return to the teachings in the Bible.
B J Deller, Marbella, Spain
Excellent news. It's quite cheered me up. Common sense prevailing over silly superstition at last. Even the rise of Islam is more to do with asserting cultural identity than anything else.
Believers, you are free to believe what you wish. But its time to stop your privileges and special status.
Paul Owen, Birmingham, uk
There are those who doubt these figures! As for those calling relgion a superstion, well, thats a point of view, nothing more.
Christianity does not defend itself, and it should. The trouble is the church in this country is always seen as the Anglican and it is so much more than that!
Steven, Buckhurst Hill,
@Micky of Battersea: Huh? Can you give an example of the "near-hysterical tone" because I couldn't see any. Even though I am a non-believer, I don't like the idea of Islam becoming any more powerful in this country.
Norman, Anstruther, UK
"Ironic that even the church cant go against evolution" bob london...
Brilliant comment! thanks for making me smile bob!!
Greg, Stoke,
Micky from Battersea wonders "why they are so afraid if there is nothing there?" I'd imagine it's because they dont want their time on earth ruined by gullible dolts who imagine theyve got somewhere to go after the die.
karl, oxford,
Whilst the modern day Christians continue to be weak and flacid, Church going will continue to fall. People want to follow strength, not weakness.
So buck up your ideas, and get tough, then the people will follow!
Pete, St Albans, England
The Sunderland Minster is seeing an increase in both attendance and membership. There seem to be many reasons for this, but one is that it has become a 'non-parochial place'-- it no longer has a parish. I *has to* reach out because it is no longer the default CoE church for anyone.
Harry Erwin, Sunderland, United Kingdom
Presumably the complete 2050 figures should read: Muslim 2.5 million, Christian 1 million, Hindu 1 million, athiest / agnostic 70 million. This article is the finest argument for secularism I have ever seen.
Steve, Altrincham,
Mrs Jones - sorry, but science is not "the new god".
God goes, and is replaced by the intellectual freedom from religious superstition. That's all.
alan, germany,
Dear Sir/Ma'am
Martin Salter MP articulates the multi-faith perspective typical of the decline your report describes.
The Lord Jesus Christ affirmed His own unique distinctiveness, with the Bible saying His is the only Name given by which we may be saved. Nothing "multi-faith" about that.
Barry Holroyd, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Well done Peter and Angelface for coming out with the usual egocentric arguments... proof indeed of why the old school is failing. Such self centredness is condemed in the Bible... I think you need to study what Jesus was teaching through his actions... not your pontifications!
Martin Sansone, London, UK
4 million churchgoers down to 900 thousand within a generation... that's over 3 million people whose lives will take on new meaning and who will be freed from the shackles of superstitious nonsense.
Worth celebrating, not mourning.
Alex McGregor, Plymouth, UK
It is interesting to see the near-hysterical tone of non-believers. One has to ask why they are so afraid if there is nothing there?
Micky, Battersea,
As a regular church-goer & member of our PCC, I can certainly say that our church is often more empty than full with a predominantly older congregation, so these figures seem accurate in our case. I believe the church now does not know how to market itself to a changed society & has lost contact.
Kieran, Broadway, England
Any institution that promotes discrimination (women, gays etc) is rightly going to struggle in 21st cebtrury Britain. If If the church cannot be relavent to peoples lives (was it about anything other than power?) it will die out. Ironic that even the church cant go against evolution
bob, london,
Better one man worships for genuine spiritual reasons than a thousand for social and cultural reasons.
PeterB, Lincoln,
This is no surprise to those who know their bible.
It teaches that few will take the small path to Life,
and many the wide road to destruction.
With Christianity you have to look at the quality, not the quantity.
Amen, to Belinda, London
angelface, Barcelona, Spain
Science, is the new god, with Richard Dawkins help we shall rid our selfs of these backwards way's.
We shall do teh tright thing becuse we want to do the right thing, not becuase we fear beeing burnt in hell for all the rest of time.
This can only be good thing.
Mr W Jones, Liverpool, England
What the statistics don't account for is the changing nature of church attendance. We have many young families in our church, but they often only come once or twice a month. Numbers aren't down for us so much as fequency. I think that's a trend across the board.
Vicar, St Albans,
Depends if it is Catholic or Anglican. My Catholic Church is always brimming with people and thrives.
Ian Payne, WALSALL,
Christianity has survived over 2000 years through good times and bad. God is with us always and He will provide. Belinda
Belinda, London,
The Government continues to favour religion, to give it special privileges. This is despite the evidence. So what if there are more Muslim worshippers than Christian soon. The numbers are still tiny. Get religion off our backs.
Barry Henderson, London, UK
Faith of any kind should be treated with contempt.
Atheists unite!
Dan, Manchester, Greater Manchester
Secular means that state and religion are separate.
Hazel Blears states that Britain is a secular state, yet the head of state, the queen, is also the head of the church of England.
So in what way is Britain a secular state?
Geoff, Arzier, Switzerland
Good.
The sooner every society rids itself from superstition the better.
F.S.Summers, NY/London,
Interesting side note: The title Defender of the Faith was conferred upon Henry VIII by the Pope, therefore the faith the monarch should be defending in Roman Catholicism. Although whether anyone other than Henry VIII can use the title is questionable depending on whether it is inheritable or not.
Stephen, St. Ives, England