The first decade of the century for the church in the capital has been one of strong growth in membership and giving, reports the Diocese of London.
A new report out this week, Another Capital Idea, said giving to churches had risen in real terms by 50 per cent over the past decade despite slightly tailing off in the recession.
As well as an increase in the overall income from giving, the number of “tax efficient planned givers” – people who register their donations for tax purposes – rose from 21,000 in 2000 to 26,300 in 2009.
Note that the statistics given here relate only to the Church of England. The biggest growth is in Pentecostal churches; Catholic growth is also substantial, aided by immigration. It is, I fear, part of the unconscious arrogance of the Church of England that its writers regularly refer to ‘the church’ meaning their own, as if there is no other.
#1, If you read the About Us section, you’ll see that this mag is a mainstream Protestant publication. I don’t think they care about Pentecostal or RC growth.
I’ll admit to chuckling at your last sentence, though. That’s the way the RCC routinely behaves toward the rest of us. Don’t worry, you’ll learn to ignore it. 😉
#2 Dear Fr Tee
I know what you mean, and there is truth in what you say, but I read that this report is a follow up on a previous report specifically commissioned about and for the purposes of the Anglican Diocese of London to know what is happening within it and what they should be doing. You can find the diocese report from here if you are interested. It is a cause for celebration that more widely London and its young people in particular do seem to be embracing Christianity across the board. So please forgive us.
Teatime: hoist by my own petard. You are right, I fear. Pageantmaster: a charitable response to my irritability. With you I rejoice at young people turning to Christ in this most secular of cities. I have a question (genuine): to what extent is the revival driven by HTB?
Hi Fr Tee – thanks too for your charitable and engaging response.
I think credit for the start of the revival has to go to All Souls, Langham Place which set the thing going in the Church of England. All Souls is like an iceberg – you don’t see church plants in London, but as we realised with the John Stott memorial website, the reach of All Souls with its related ministries reaches across the world perhaps to a greater extent resourcing established Christians and pastors. Its Christianity Explored and Discipleship Explored courses are though aimed at evangelising and fostering new Christians. HTB has a different approach, and is known for support for those who are not Christians, and for specific ministries to couples, and again its reach is more obvious across London, the UK and the world.
Regarding HTB’s London impact – the diocesan authorities would probably have a better idea than I do. All I know is that HTB itself now has a complex around Brompton Road down to Sloane Square of three or four churches and buildings under its direct umbrella and the ‘related churches‘ are now up to 17, five plants being added last year! HTB plants where it is encouraged and invited and made welcome. There are a few dioceses around London who won’t have them planting at any cost, but Chichester+ invited them to plant in Brighton, and that is taking off well, and the only prospect of restoring its cathedral-like barn of a church, St Peter’s.
I think the real impact HTB has had in London and around it, is that it has shown that we can revive, and has given us the resources and confidence to do so, and I believe that is true of your church too, and Alpha for Catholics is perhaps the most productive ecumenical effort I know of.
The story is that HTB got going after years of prayer by a group of faithful ladies in a quiet church. Revival seems to start with prayer, repentence, seeking God’s face and biblical preaching [2 Chronicles 7:14-15]. Beware of little old ladies bearing bibles and prayer books, or perhaps rosary beads – you might get what they ask for.
Related to HTB’s approach are the large festivals such as Soul Survivor and New Wine, and these are hard to see in such a geographical sense, so wide is their reach.
Would that the TEC establishment would look at and learn from what is going on here, and in South Carolina for that matter, and what they might be doing, instead of being so determinedly clueless.
The particularly interesting things with HTB’s church planting into closed churches or those on the verge of closing is that the second and third generation plants are themselves now planting, and that may explain the exponential growth. Watching the pattern of growth of these churches is fascinating. Consider St Peter’s, Brighton for example, At the start, one year on, and feedback coming in.
What they have done is to consider the people they are serving, provide the community which young people crave, be ready to discuss their questions honestly, provide the bible teaching and worship which they soak up like sponges and each day to invite in, that little extra something which makes all the difference.