Economic downturn benefits church

Rise in church congregation

attendance down to economy

Thousands of people are turning to religion thanks to 

the recession, according to the Church of England.

 

By Chris Irvine 

Canterbury Cathedral: around 1.7 million people attend Church of England worship each month

Congregations around the country have seen an influx of parishioners, with church elders believing the economic downturn has meant people are rethinking their values.

Back to Church Sunday, an annual service in September where members of the church are encouraged to invite a friend to a service, attracted 37,000 new congregants this year, almost twice the number who attended in 2007.

Lichfield Diocese alone saw between 6,000 new congregants in September, and found that by Easter, between 10 and 15 per cent were still attending.

The Church of England is confident of retaining 10 to 15 per cent this year nationally, meaning an extra 3,000 to 4,000 congregants nationally.

Chelmsford Cathedral in Essex has seen its congregation grow by seven per cent in one year. Last year 108,000 people came to the cathedral, with this year's figure expected to reach 117,000.

Canterbury and Westminster Cathedrals also expect to be full for Christmas Eve services this year - Canterbury is already hosting an extra one on the 23rd.

Reverend Canon Paul Bayes, the Archbishop of Canterbury's adviser on church growth, responsible for Mission and Outreach, explained that more people were turning to the church because now is a period of reflection.

"People are inclined to look at the church when their life gets a bit of a shock," he said.

"This could be when you have a baby, or get married, or experience the loss of a loved one, and the current economic uncertainties are no different.

"We have two periods where people do this - New Year's resolutions and September when the children go to school. It's a moment to take stock."

He added the invite-a-friend scheme worked because it is so "simple".

"It plays to the love that Christians have for their church, but also the love that they have for their friends. That's why our slogan is 'You're inviting someone you already know to something you already love'."

Dr John Preston, national stewardship officer for the Church of England and author of several books on Christianity and consumerism, said: "The downturn challenges materialism and people are finding meaning in alternatives; for some that's Christianity and God. It's undeniably true that the severity and speed of the economic downturn have challenged a lot of people to ask questions about where they place their trust."

A spokesman for the C of E said: "The severity and speed of the economic downturn have challenged a lot of people to ask questions about where they place their trust.

"When life becomes unexpectedly difficult, people naturally ask why, and what they can do about their own lives to improve them.

"The fact that people are more open to going back to church and taking stock may well be down to the economy: anything that shakes the structure of our lives makes us think more about internal things - so if materialism is not the answer, what are the alternatives?

"For some that's a return to the faith they always had; for others it's perhaps an exploration of something they may have unconsciously been groping towards."

Recent figures suggest that around 1.7 million people attend Church of England church and cathedral worship each month, while around 1.2 million attend services each week – on Sunday or during the week - and just under one million each Sunday.