This tweet sums up the Highlights of latest meeting of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales
There has been an increase in mid-week attendance with an extra 0.03% of the population who do not attend church on Sundays.
By contrast the average Sunday attendance by people over 18 continues to plummet. Down another 3% on 2016 figures to 27,359 representing 0.8% of the population of Wales. Attendance by those under 18 was down by 7%.
Baptisms were down by 10%, Confirmations down by a massive 36% and Weddings down by 8%.
Not regarded as sufficiently important to warrant an agenda item of its own despite concerns previously expressed the Membership and Finances Report 2017 was
He said he was "encouraged by two of its statistics: the increase in attendance at midweek services, which suggested that new kinds of Christian gathering were bearing fruit; and the gentle increase in young people aged under 17 – 'That mustn’t be a fitful figure, but a normal investment in young people to hear the good news,' he said."
If it doesn't bear fruit and quickly the future for the Church in Wales is grim.
It won't bear fruit if the Church continues to use tainted fertilizer.
ReplyDeleteTwo figures struck me in the report -
ReplyDelete36% reduction in confirmations.
4% of income spent on outreach.
Discuss....
What's to discuss?
Delete£10 million is about to go the same way!
On outreach? As long as it is proper mission let it be double that and the rest! 4% is risible on the core mission and raison d'etre of a Christian church. That's one twenty-fifth; it should be against charity law if nothing else.
Delete"As long as it is proper mission"?
DeleteMy point entirely.
The probability is 99.9% certain of more stomach-churning crap like the Llandaff "sneak-a-peek" day, Seven Sacred Spaces or the 2020 desolation
DeleteDon't forget Whamab that being an "inclusive" or Gay church is part of the list of evangelism being celebrated on the video clip. So part of the £10 million can go to projects that contradict the Bible and exclude traditional Christians. At root the bench don't believe in their product and those folk who do are leaving fast.......
DeleteChurchianity is so unattractive. People need to encounter the risen Christ.
DeleteWell that is not happening in Wales nowadays.
DeleteUnfair Ruth. Perhaps not in Church in Wales churches, but Christ is still alive and well outside the CiW
DeleteThe only Church I see being discussed is the one and only Church in Wales.
DeleteI would guess the increase in midweek attendance was those who couldn't bear the Sunday Service anymore.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the Anglo-catholic remnant could come up with a counter offence. Holding some event to attract the potential Jo public? Look back to the formative high church events, model something for the current age. Many young people are attracted to wicca, because of the ritual, meditation because of the simple silence, surely the churches anglo-catholic can surplant this attraction, by showing how meaningful the ritual in the mass can offer much better and more profound devotion. There has to be a drive for counter-culture, away from the drive for inclusion, which Anglo catholics have been doing for decades without the need for banner waving and sound bite theology! Show the prelates we are not laying down and playing dead, but reviving a time served litergy for a modern age. DPM.
ReplyDeleteAnd to top it all - no need for the mediation of the Holy Spirit, thanks to The Telegraph a few days ago - the next Archbishop of York will be a woman!
ReplyDeleteNot only The Daily Telegraph.
Deletehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/01/archbishop-york-announces-retirement-raising-prospect-uks-first/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/01/john-sentamu-archbishop-of-york-says-he-will-retire-in-2020
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6229491/Archbishop-York-Dr-John-Sentamu-retire-meaning-Church-appoint-woman.html
And on Wednesday in Norwich - candidates to be considered for the next Bishop who in conscience could not ordain women need not apply. No other conditions were placed.
DeleteAB York, surely not a women! We need to pray the translation of either, Mr St Asaph or, Bangor, but alas, it could be Llandaff��PP.
ReplyDeleteTalking of High/Low Lights, was anyone at the Llandaff Diocesan Conference? It was quite a sight watching June on the back foot during her presidential address, trying to justify her decision to cart the clergy off to Santiago de Compostella. Not only did she insinuate that, unless she took them, none of them would ever get a break beyond Porthcawl; but that Andy Crap's recent Charabanc to London with his remaining 40 clergy, to be addressed by two clergymen over the age of 70 (one formerly of the parish of Llandaff) set a good precedent.
ReplyDeleteThere were quite a few sniggers on the back row, I can tell you.
Keep digging, June. Keep digging.
One wonders how such a gross error of judgment could be made. Presumably she will publish a full financial statement of the costs incurred in flying everyone to this destination, and the accommodation costs too. I'm looking forward to this being aired on Wales Today - a great story for the early evening news.
DeleteCromarty
@Alwyn
DeleteNever mind June just keeping digging, Alwyn.
There are many tales doing the rounds that she who must not be named is actively engaged in bullying and harassing lots of different people, including Clergy.
It would serve her right if the majority of the Llandaff Clergy vote with their feet and just don't bother turning up on the day to get on her Charter plane to Spain.
What a surprise. Not. So much champagne was drunk in the Close here at Salisbury when her move to Llandaff was announced that a lorry had to be dispatched to Reims to refill!
DeleteOf course she is bullying people because that is all she knows - and all she will ever do. Ask her how many secretaries she went through during her decanal reign of terror.
She talks about leadership endlessly, but true leaders listen, consult and bring the troops with them. That has never been June's style. The last Bishop of Salisbury unwisely made her part of his inner sanctum in the early days ('Senior CHaplain' was the title she demanded) and, when June caused near-mutiny in the Diocese, had to edge her out of The South Canonry (Ty'r Esgob in Salisbury) helped by a broken limb (not inflicted by the Bishop!) and some 'time off.' The problem was that she presumed to speak for the Bishop by throwing her not inconsiderable weight around.
I can tell you that we are thrilled with our new dean here in Salisbury. Intelligent, courteous, insightful, wise, and someone who is not trying to compete with God. More champagne, please...
June was a back-stop bishop for Llandaff who had clearly been passed over by the C of E hierarchy, doubtless on the strength of the incidents you recount Sarum Correspondent.
DeleteI do wonder who recommended her in lieu of Jeffrey John! Perhaps Salisbury saw an easier way of edging her out of the Close altogether?
She doesn't deserve any support in her current diocese and (one hears) receives little affection when she starts crowing about the career achievements of her immediate family. Why that should add to a Bishop's lustre I know not.
In any case, grumbles on the Green report a small gaggle of interviewees for the recently advertised Canon Precentor job at Llandaff. Could be counted on one hand apparently! Let's hope they are up the job of supporting Gerwhine in his oh-so-exhausting schedule of Church services.
"I do wonder who recommended her in lieu of Jeffrey John" you ask. One very simple answer: Peggy the Pilate! Peggy had been on a number of June's 'coaching' courses for women who were not getting anywhere in the C of E (until the Golfer brought her over the Dyke after she applied for 11 archdeacons' jobs and was never appointed). There's nothing like loyalty in the sisterhood.
DeleteMy word, 40 clergy! Has Bangor sunk so low? With St Asaph ceasing to have working Cathedral is it time for a new diocese of Bangor & St Asaph to emerge from the ashes?
ReplyDeleteAccording to records, proposals of boundary changes, leading to a single north Wales diocese, (such as the Catholic diocese) with one less bishop, was made to BM in 1994. Look what happened to the guy who suggested it (www.scandal and offence.blogspot.com and Judgement of the Provincial Court of the Church in Wales 1997, released and shared by BM throughout the Province).
DeleteCwyfan Llwyd
Should a northern diocese come about - and I am sure it will one day - then a new name combining the two could be Bangasa .... mmmm - maybe not!
DeletePP. There seems to quite a few Welsh parishes looking for clergy in the CT and other media. Neath Team Leader, and Radyr an incumbent the a Head Verger St David's (can the HV Llandaff be translated, all in this week's edition.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with a Northern Diocese is this. Although it makes sense (Bangor no longer has the critical mass of clergy to make it viable for the long-term), St Asaph stands to loose the most. If Andy Crap became the Diocesan, most of the St Asaph clergy would flee across the border (Lichfield already has a large number of refugees in its ranks) and the situation would be back to square one. Then we will hear noises about carving bits off to St Davids and bits off to Swansea & Brecon.
ReplyDeleteFace facts. It's broken beyond repair.
PP, Surely St Asaph will be vacant soon enough with the Bishop tipped for York. Then a little episcopal gave of musical, sorry silence chairs (excuse the pun) and Andy Asaph appears, with another +Ma Lady in Bangor to close the festival in a Rainbow Cope.
ReplyDelete