This is a sample article featured in the May 2005 issue of Quadrant

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Church life is changing, and, despite some of the gloomy headlines, not always for the worse! There are reports of churches growing of all denominations, there are stories of midweek increases, and the largest churches of all, including some Cathedrals, say Sunday attendance is going up. Then there is the excitement of the emerging church and all that that may mean. It seems important to capture the facts and determine exactly how much the church has changed since the last big survey seven years ago.

Methodology
The English Church Census is a comprehensive survey of every local church across all denominations, almost 38,000 churches in total. This is the fourth such study and will allow trends in churchgoing to be measured more accurately than ever.
There are about 23,000 church ministers in England, fewer than the number of churches as many look after more than one. Each has been sent a letter informing them about this new Census, explaining the reasons for it, and indicating that a two-page form will be sent to them well in advance of Census Sunday, Sunday 8th May. We have also written to every senior church leader of all denominations, including Bishops, Archdeacon and Diocesan Secretaries, Regional Ministers, Divisional Commanders etc telling them of the study. We hope they will encourage ministers to participate. Two Diocesan Bishops immediately responded saying they would certainly be encouraging all their clergy to participate.
The 2005 English Church Census is being supported by a very wide range of senior church leaders and others. Rev David Coffey, the Moderator of the Free Churches Group, Rev Joel Edwards of the Evangelical Alliance and Rev Katei Kirby of the African & Caribbean Evangelical Alliance are among those representing wider groups. For the Church of England there is Viscountess Gill Brentford (recently retired as Third Estates Commissioner), Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch (Bishop of Manchester) and Rt Rev Pete Broadbent (Bishop of Willesden). His Eminence Cormac Murphy O’Connor (Archbishop of Westminster) and Rt Rev Keiran Conry (Bishop of Arundel & Brighton) are backing it for the Catholic churches. We are greatly encouraged by the very positive response to the announcement that another Census was being planned. At one event there was even applause when it was announced!

Sufficient sponsorship money has been raised to cover all the costs. For the first time a Church Census has received academic support with a substantial grant from the Economic and Social Research Council negotiated by a Christian Research member on the staff of Manchester University. Other major sponsors include Ansvar Insurance Society, Alpha International, the Church Mission Society and the Church Pastoral Aid Society. Large interdenominational agencies such as the Bible Society, Christian Aid, Operation Mobilisation, Tearfund and World Vision are also behind it. The consequence is that we should be able to complete what we have begun, and look forward to the results being published about September 2006.

Purpose
The purpose of all this activity is to provide a ‘photograph’ of church life in 2005. The aim is to give individual church leaders, lay and ordained, with information about their area, their denomination, their churchmanship and their environment. It should help clergy to identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of their church(es) and, through discussion with their PCC or others, hopefully think about their future opportunities for change. It will also provide strategic information for senior leadership.
The form will ask about Sunday church attendance broken down by age, gender, frequency and ethnic background. There will also be questions on mid-week worship, youth and “fringe” activities, mission activity and values, and community engagement.
Should your church take part? YES PLEASE! Everyone who responds will be given a summary of the overall results, which will also be shared at road shows to be held in the spring of 2007. It is important that we get as many replies as we possibly can, so that rural and suburban situations can be known more accurately, the age of attenders can be specifically assessed, and, above all, we can find out whether the rate of decline is the same or slowing down!
Is anything different this time? Yes! Churches can send in their replies online if they wish (a special website www.ecc05.org.uk is being set up and in the first mailing church leaders were invited to register). The age spectrum has been split at both ends of the spectrum so that we look specifically at those under 11, 11 to 15 and those aged 65 to 74. The set of questions about midweek activities which worked so well in the Scottish Church Census in 2002 is also included. So please go for it on Sunday, 8th May 2005! Your participation is important for the accuracy of the results. If you are a church leaders, please make sure the Census form is completed as accurately and fully as possible. If you are not a church leader, please try to make sure your church plans to take part.
If things really are heading for improvement then the sooner we can trumpet the results from the housetops the better!

By: Peter Brierley, Executive Director, Christian Research
 

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