Church Statistics, 2010/11 (ISBN 978-0-9564659-2-4), the annual digest of data about the Church of England compiled by the Research and Statistics Department of the Archbishops’ Council, was published on 25 June 2012 and is available at:
http://www.churchofengland.org/media/1477827/2010_11churchstatistics.pdf
It comprises 34 tables and 41 figures relating to: parochial affiliation and attendance, 2010; church schools, 2011; cathedrals, 2011; licensed ministers, 2011/12; and parochial finance, 2010. There is also a five-page foreword highlighting major trends.
The attendance statistics were originally published on 19 January 2012 and were covered by BRIN at that time. See our post at:
http://www.brin.ac.uk/news/2012/anglican-churchgoing-in-2010/
The parish income and ministry statistics are now released for the first time. There is an accompanying press release, which can be found at:
http://churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2012/06/parish-income-and-ministry-stats-published.aspx
The financial headlines include falls in real terms between 2009 and 2010 both in overall parish income and in tax-efficient planned giving. This reflects the impact of the economic recession, although the Church of England feels that it has suffered proportionately less than many charities.
In terms of clergy, there is a long-term shift from stipendiary to self-supporting ministry. 52% of those ordained in 2011 entered stipendiary ministry compared with 78% in 1994. The number of women clergy, paid and unpaid, rose by 55% between 2000 and 2011, and women now comprise 22% of stipendiary and 54% of self-supporting clergy.
The Research and Statistics Department is currently undertaking a survey of its data users, as part of a process of organizational review and prioritization of activities, and some BRIN readers may wish to complete the questionnaire, which is at:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CofEDataUsers
Finally, we can note that the handouts and presentations from the Department’s latest annual Faith in Research conference, held on 9 May 2012, have now been posted on the Research and Statistics webpages at:
http://www.churchofengland.org/about-us/facts-stats/research-statistics.aspx
