The number of worshippers at Church of England cathedrals increased in 2012, continuing the growing trend seen since the Millennium. Total weekly attendance at the 43* cathedrals grew to 35,800, according to Cathedral Statistics 2012, an increase of 35% since 2002.
Along with occasional and special services, the regular worshipping life of cathedrals has proved more popular than ever over the past decade with cathedrals pointing to stronger community links attracting more people….
Easter 2012 saw the highest attendance in the last decade, at 54,700. Attendance at midweek services has grown most, from 8,900 in 2002 to 16,800, while Sunday attendance has grown from 17,500 to 19,100.
I hesitate to rain on a parade, but I wonder how many of these attendances are actually worshippers? If (as seems clear from the above) many are coming for civic services, then the numbers may point to a decline in faith. I know that sounds paradoxical, but what I am pointing to is an increase in attending ceremonial civil occasions and a decrease in Sunday on Sunday worshippers coming for Word and Sacrament. An example: St Paul’s was packed for the funeral of Margaret Thatcher. But it was sad to see how many were not singing the hymns. Would all those people have gone down in the statistics as attendees?