FULL statistics on church attendance in 2023 have confirmed the image given by preliminary figures in spring this yr (News, 24 May), with some minor upwards revisions. The figures show a rise in attendance from 2022, with a very substantial increase at Christmas and Easter services.
Weekly attendance rose to 693,000 in 2023 (revised up from the figure of 685,000 reported in May). This amounts to a rise of 4.5 per cent compared with the figures for 2022.
Although overall attendance still stays below the degrees recorded before the pandemic, the number of normal worshippers has risen back to only over a million. In 2019, it was recorded that the C of E’s “Worshipping Community” (those attending once a month or more) numbered 1,114,000.
Close to 2 million people attended Christmas services in 2023: a rise of 20 per cent on the previous yr. In 2019, 2.3 million attended Christmas services. Attendance at Easter also grew substantially between 2022 and 2023, with an additional 74,000 within the latter yr.
In the last decade from 2009 to 2019, most key measures of attendance fell by between 15 and 20 per cent, and by three per cent since 2014 (News, 16 October 2020).
The decline in church attendance has had a knock-on effect on church funds. In a review of diocesan funds published in June, attendance was described as a “key driver of weakened financial sustainability” (News, 21 June).
Archbishop of Canterbury to rejoice Christmas privately. On Wednesday, a spokesperson for Lambeth Palace confirmed that Archbishop Welby wouldn’t be participating in Advent or Christmas services at Canterbury Cathedral, before he relinquishes his post at Epiphany.
It was confirmed on Wednesday that Archbishop Welby’s final day in post could be 6 January, along with his duties covered from that date by the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of London, and the Bishop of Dover.
It had previously been announced that he would stop his official duties at Epiphany, but is now confirmed that he’ll formally relinquish his position on that date. The spokesperson said that Archbishop Welby could be spending Christmas along with his family, and reiterated that he “intends little or no public-facing activity between now and Epiphany” (News, 22 November).
