This is not good.
According to the latest data released by the Church of England on Monday, the denomination has yet to regain its pre-pandemic levels of attendance. Although there has been a modest increase in average weekly attendance at services by nearly 5% to 685,000 in 2023, this marks the third consecutive year of growth for the Church of England. However, attendance figures still fall significantly below the pre-pandemic levels of 845,000, which accounted for around 1.45% of the population in 2019.
Additionally, the Church of England had anticipated a weekly attendance of 747,000 in 2023 had there been no pandemic, further highlighting the gap between projected and actual attendance figures.
However, there are signs of improvement, as the data indicates a narrowing gap between projected pre-pandemic trends and actual attendance. In 2021, all-age Sunday attendance was 22.3% below the projected trend, whereas by 2023, this gap had reduced to 6.7%.
These statistics are based on data collected from over 11,000 churches across the denomination. Despite the challenges, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby expressed optimism, commending the efforts of clergy and congregations in sharing the gospel with their communities. He particularly noted the increase in children attending church and expressed gratitude to those involved in children’s ministry.
Welby emphasized the significance of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ and highlighted the ongoing work of renewal and growth within the Church. As Pentecost approaches, he urged continued prayer and effort to invite more individuals to experience the love of Jesus Christ.