I C H A B O D

 "Necessity has been placed upon me, so I would indeed be wretched if I ceased from conveying the Gospel". Paul -1 Corinthians 9:16.

The Church of England has published its "Statistics for Mission (2021)" analysis and report this past week, which provides us with some telling data regarding the impact of the previous few years on this denomination.

Prior to the pandemic, regular in-person attendance at services was around 845,000 people, but the report shows that this figure dropped substantially following the events of 2020/1, and now stands at around 605,000 nationally - that is a loss of 249,000 people from regular attendance.

Perhaps the most appalling piece of this examination is the fact that there has been a 38% loss in children and young people, meaning that, once again, it is the next generation that are seeing the greatest departure from engagement with mainstream Christian activity.

Whilst the report - like much of the census analysis last week - seeks to view such results as only slightly disturbing, the reality is that many long-term believers who had often attended churches for long periods are now outside of that realm, purely because of the behaviour of our national authorities, and the response of the authorities of the church to this (in respect to immediate acceptance and total conformity).

The painful truth is that whilst a small number of pentecostal groups were seeing some measure of growth prior to 2020, the majority of mainline churches in the country were witnessing comprehensive decline. John Hayward's analysis of these issues prior to the pandemic was stark enough (as was his conclusion - that Christianity itself has become the offence to God), but the clear loss of so many in recent days tells us that this is, indeed, a Gospel issue, and can no longer afford to be dismissed or minimalised.

The church was clearly wrong to pursue the line adopted in respect to the pandemic, and if it truly desires to see a change of direction in respect to its decline, it must indeed face that error and seek to repent. The consequences if it refuses to do so are clear - and terribly tragic.