One of the snippets of information I found in my inbox on return from a Summer break was that the sweet-talking Archdeacon of Norwich has been chosen by the Archbishop of Canterbury to be his his acting Press Secretary.
As Communications Director for the Diocese of Norwich the Venerable Jan McFarlane is not simply being reunited with her former theological college fellow student, Justin Welby. She has demonstrated her skill as a communications person by her ability to turn a disaster into a success, well illustrated in an interview here after the news that according to the 2011 census, the City of Norwich was rated the most godless city in England but apparently the good people of Norwich are "doing their church-going differently"!
Also announced in August were statistics showing that "the number of worshippers at Church of England cathedrals increased in 2012, continuing the growing trend seen since the Millennium" while detailed figures show that "almost all the increase in attendance in the past decade is due to increased midweek attendance".
Good news is always welcome but let us not delude ourselves into believing that the Church of England is not in serious trouble.
Surely much of the increase in cathedral congregations arises from people getting away from the diet of Family Services with paddling pool baptisms offered in parish churches. It worked for Shula Archer.
ReplyDeleteCue for great rejoicing in the Diocese of Norwich!
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