Church attendance in UK continues decline
The Church of England saw an increase in the attendance on Christmas and festive services in the year 2015 but the number of churchgoers during regular Sunday services continue to decline.
According to the statistics released by the Church on Friday, the average weekly attendance dropped from 977,800 in 2014 down to 961,400 in 2015. The figures include a proportion of those who attend the mid-week services. An average of 810,600 people attended Sunday services last year.
Despite the decline in the weekly attendance, people continue to flock to churches during the holidays. The Christmas service attendance grew from 2.4 million in 2014 to 2.5 million last year. Around 2.3 million people went to the advent services for the congregation and local community while 2.7 million people participated in the advent services for civic groups and schools.
The report revealed that there are 1.1 million people in the worshipping community of the Church of England in 2015. About 20 percent are under 18 years old. Thirty percent are over the age of 70. Fifty percent are aged 18 to 69.
William Nye, the Church of England's Secretary General, said that the Church is working on ways to increase the attendance in its services.
"The Church of England is setting out on a journey of renewal and reform, aiming to reverse our numerical decline in attendance so that we become a growing church in every region and for every generation," said in a statement.
"These figures represent a realistic assessment of where we start from in terms of weekly attendance. We are confident in a hopeful future where our love of God and service of neighbor will form the basis for future growth," he continued.
The number of churchgoers have fallen by 12 percent in the past 10 years and the decline is expected to go on for the next 30 years. The Church of England has considered abandoning the requirement to hold weekly services on Sundays for churches with low attendance.
