Claims About The Church Of England’s Demise Are Exaggerated | Letters

Rev Stephen Gardner and Paul R Baines respond to an article by Simon Jenkins

Simon Jenkins makes his annual impassioned plea for the Church of England to be disestablished, quoting the dreadful fall in attendance since 1990 (Even Prince William doesn’t attend church – it’s time for a new Reformation, 15 February). He states that “Lively [churches] are at least finding new uses” as pubs, clubs and post offices.

As a priest in charge of four growing churches in north Doncaster, I beg to differ. The more recent statistics that Mr Jenkins avoids show that in the Church of England, the “lively ones” are actually growing – growing younger, growing more faithful, growing in their service of their communities. In fact, growing at 5% to 10% a year.