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Church in Wales sees 15% decline in attendance in five years

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Statistics released at last month’s meeting of the Governing Body shows the Church in Wales in demographic freefall

Statistics released at last month’s meeting of the Governing Body shows the Church in Wales in demographic freefall, with only 0.8 percent of the Welsh population attending its services on Sunday.

Over the past five years Average Sunday Attendance for adults has fallen by 15 per cent, while over the past 13 years ASA has declined by 34.5 percent. A particularly troubling statistic has been the decline in confirmations. In 2017 only 559 people were confirmed in the Church in Wales, a decline of almost three-quarters over the past 13 years. The Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Rev. Andrew John told the Governing Body that he saw a ray of light in the numbers.

The bishop was encouraged by two of statistics: the increase in attendance at midweek services, which suggested that new kinds of Christian gathering were bearing fruit; and the increase in young people aged under 17.  “That mustn’t be a fitful figure, but a normal investment in young people to hear the good news,” he said.
 
A summary of parish expenditures showed 4 per cent of income was spent on outreach in 2017.

    2004 2009 2012 2017 13 year change 5 year change 13 year % change 5 year % change
Communicants Easter 74,779 65,251 56,063 48,540 -26,239 -7,523 -35.09% -13.42%
  Pentecost 41,482 35,605 32,469 27,138 -14,344 -5,331 -34.58% -16.42%
  Christmas 72,521 59,656 55,007 47,857 -24,664 -7,150 -34.01% -13.00%
  Trinity III 37,913 34,589 30,705 26,037 -11,876 -4,668 -31.32% -15.20%
Average Attendance Adults Sunday 41,771 36,836 32,187 27,359 -14,412 -4,828 -34.50% -15.00%
  Weekday 6,030 5,416 3,986 5,104 -926 1,118 -15.36% 28.05%
Youth Sunday 7,746 5,467 6,776 5,474 -2,272 -1,302 -29.33% -19.21%
Baptisms   8,595 8,076 7,497 5,487 -3,108 -2,010 -36.16% -26.81%
Confirmations   2,009 1,697 1,458 559 -1,450 -899 -72.18% -61.66%
Weddings   4,052 3,479 3,458 2,478 -1,574 -980 -38.85% -28.34%
Funerals   11,129 7,705 6,520 6,096 -5,033 -424 -45.22% -6.50%

Church in Wales 2017 Memberships and Finances by geoconger on Scribd

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