 |
| The Archbishop of Wales addressing Governing Body, September 2023 Source: Church Times/Church in Wales |
One of the highlights of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales (CinW) used to be the Membership and Finance Report but no more.
The Annual report and Accounts 2023 presented by the Representative Body prepared for September 2024 meeting of the Governing Body summarises the position as follows (page 9):
"3. Accelerated decline in church attendance
The continuation of declining attendance
and an increasing age profile would result
in declining financial income for dioceses:
this would lead to an inability to present
established patterns of ministry to the
whole of Wales. The Representative Body
endeavours to maintain the highest financial
support to dioceses possible. Also, a
renewed focus on mission and evangelism,
including additional financial resources being
made available, aims to stimulate church
growth. A membership app is being rolled out
to assist with monitoring church attendance
statistics."
'Declining attendance' puts it mildly. British Religion in Numbers (BRIN) showed that the average Sunday attendance (over 18) in 2004 was 41,771. By 2009 attendance had dropped to 36,836.
Ten years on, CinW adult Sunday attendance (over 18) was given in their Membership and Finance Report as 30,424 in 2014. A year later it was 29,019. [See Sept 2016 entry.]
I have been unable to find any reference to current attendance figures for some time which suggests that the Church in Wales has something to hide.
Access to the 'membership app' referred to in the RB Report is by invitation, thus obscuring the data from inquisitive eyes. I wonder why?
