The 2005 English Church Census showed that evangelicals as a group declined in church attendance between 1998 and 2005, along with all other churchmanships. No group saw growth. However, the evangelicals had not declined as much pro rata as other churchmanships, and, like every other group, had some special strengths as well as weaknesses. This article looks at some of the variations to the general picture as exhibited by evangelicals.
Part of the strength of English Christianity during these first years of the 21st century is the burgeoning attendance seen by the black churches especially but also by many of those in other ethnic communities. While some of this is drawn by immigration much is due to overt evangelism. The large majority of these ethnic churches are firmly evangelical, with most of the black churches (but few of other ethnic backgrounds) charismatic evangelical.
The term ”˜evangelical’ is broken down in the Census analyses into three groups: Broad Evangelical, Mainstream Evangelical and Charismatic Evangelical according to how the minister for individual congregations deemed it best to describe his or her church. The ethnic evangelical churches and the black charismatic evangelicals are therefore included within the broad “evangelical” classification.
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Peter Brierley– Analysis: Evangelical strength in England
The 2005 English Church Census showed that evangelicals as a group declined in church attendance between 1998 and 2005, along with all other churchmanships. No group saw growth. However, the evangelicals had not declined as much pro rata as other churchmanships, and, like every other group, had some special strengths as well as weaknesses. This article looks at some of the variations to the general picture as exhibited by evangelicals.
Part of the strength of English Christianity during these first years of the 21st century is the burgeoning attendance seen by the black churches especially but also by many of those in other ethnic communities. While some of this is drawn by immigration much is due to overt evangelism. The large majority of these ethnic churches are firmly evangelical, with most of the black churches (but few of other ethnic backgrounds) charismatic evangelical.
The term ”˜evangelical’ is broken down in the Census analyses into three groups: Broad Evangelical, Mainstream Evangelical and Charismatic Evangelical according to how the minister for individual congregations deemed it best to describe his or her church. The ethnic evangelical churches and the black charismatic evangelicals are therefore included within the broad “evangelical” classification.
Read it all.