Ageing Church of England 'will be dead in 20 years'

The Telegraph ^ | July 12, 2011 | Tim Ross

[Bed_Zeppelin]

The average age of its members is now 61 and by 2020 a “crisis” of “natural wastage” will lead to their numbers falling “through the floor”, the Church’s national assembly was told.

The Church was compared to a company “impeccably” managing itself into failure, during exchanges at the General Synod in York.

The warnings follow an internal report calling for an urgent national recruitment drive to attract more members.

In the past 40 years, the number of adult churchgoers has halved, while the number of children attending regular worship has declined by four fifths.

[Bed_Zeppelin]

It's really quite simple. Preach the gospel, the word of God, and the people will come to church and stay.

"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32

[Westbrook]

I musta missed something.

As far as I can tell, the “Church of England” has been dead since before I was born.

[MarkBsnr]

The CofE has long declared that it is not Christian. Witness the consquences and the permanence of those ‘Christian’ denominations that come and go like waves on the shore.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Not to worry.

England will be under Sharia Law by then.

[BobL]

The British Welfare State could not have happened except for HUGE NUMBERS of churchgoers supporting it.

...so now it’s over.

[Moonmad27]

I stepped into one of their churches off Piccadilly and the sign in front made it clear that anyone was welcome — gays, any religion, atheist — that should be true any place to win sinners. But it was clear from the sign that the sinner was okay “as is” and no attempt to convert or change would be made.

It was sad.

[MrChips]

Maybe they will give back all those beautiful cathedrals they stole under Henry VIII.

[MrChips]

Oh. I though Londonislam already was.

[presently no screen name]

Preach the gospel, the word of God, and the people will come to church and stay.

Exactly. Because the power is in HIS Word. "For the Word of God is LIVING and ACTIVE. Sharper than any double-edged sword, It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart".

"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32

AMEN! 'HE' does the drawing - not a church.

[bwc2221]

The Church of England has more than its share of problems. It is more interested in political correctness than following the word of God. Rowan Williams, the current Archbishop of Canterbury is a certifiable left-wing loon and its members are defecting to the Catholic Ordinate in substantial numbers.

[ken5050]

Could not have said it any better myself...

[Natural Law]

"The CofE has long declared that it is not Christian."

The closest parallel we have to the CofE is the government sanctioned Chinese Catholic Church. It wanted to offer the people the smells and bells subservient to a political message. Sooner or later all anti-Catholic organizations are exposed as being anti-God as they loose the facade of Christianity they initially hide behind and openly serve their founding principles.

[MarkBsnr]

The closest parallel we have to the CofE is the government sanctioned Chinese Catholic Church. It wanted to offer the people the smells and bells subservient to a political message. Sooner or later all anti-Catholic organizations are exposed as being anti-God as they loose the facade of Christianity they initially hide behind and openly serve their founding principles.

Interesting. The CofE is of course a government created church subservient to the Monarch of England. With that persepective, I would have to absolutely agree with you.

[LadyDoc]

The "church of England" might be dead: it's been moribund for years.

But there are enough Anglican immigrants from Africa that will keep Anglicanism alive.LINK