TV series about clergy in lovely rural surroundings who nevertheless live interesting lives always seem to be popular. Father Brown and Granchester top ratings figures. Father Brown is a Catholic, but his church situation and parish life seem to be very similar to how people think of a traditional Anglican parish. There never seem to be money worries either. Never mind. It is a good series. I wonder how this serial, supposedly set sixty years ago corresponds to the situation the church is in now.
We are blessed in the North East with some beautiful places of worship, from Durham Cathedral onwards, but how is the actual church on the ground faring today, and what is its future?
Church attendance overall has fallen from over ten million in 1930, to less than five million now. Although 45% of the population still identify as Christian, 6.5% identify as Muslims. There is a bigger percent of Catholics (25%) than Anglicans (21%) according to the latest statistics available. But we still have a state sponsored church for good or ill, and that needs thinking about.
The Anglican Church
The Anglican Church as an institution plays a unique role in our national life. It is an inclusive organisation, open to the whole population, and still strives to have a presence in most communities in England. As an organisation it has a considerable estate, which is both a blessing and a curse. It has assets of £8.7 billion which generate the income to pay the clergy, staff and their pensions. But it also has many old buildings. But because of the way the church is organised, individual parishes still have to pay towards the upkeep of their churches. This is something it is very difficult to communicate to the public if you are fundraising to repair your church. (Full disclosure – I am a Church of England member).
A consequence of needing to maintain the fabric of the church is that it distracts clergy and active parishioners from devoting themselves to parochial duties such as looking out for the sick and needy. Some grants are available for historic churches, but not enough to cover costs. If the church happens to possess a historic building which is visited by more tourists than worshippers, it seems fair that the government should help maintain it.
“Disenchantment of the world”?
What of the future? We live in a secular age, a concept originally developed by the sociologist Max Weber over a hundred years ago that as society becomes more rational and scientific religious belief will decline. He called it the “disenchantment of the world”, and predicted religious beliefs would eventually die out. An alternative view might be that religion is staging a good holding operation. I am not talking about where doctrines are used to justify acts of violence, but ordinary people’s desire for some meaning in their lives when there is a crisis. I am not sure we are always so rational after all. It was a church which opened its doors and provided comfort to people after the Southport shootings when people needed somewhere to turn after the seemingly mindless murders.
The Church of England was intended to be there for everyone in each community, and I still believe that this is a valuable function. Some people still want a church wedding and to have their children baptised. The church of England has also been instrumental in starting foodbanks and other social projects in poor communities, often when there is little other social infrastructure available.
Speaking out
But the church has another role too, as well as providing comfort, sacraments such as marriage, and care for the poor. It also has a duty to speak out when there is a moral issue. The last archbishop of canterbury sometimes found this difficult when he represented a large organisation with different interests, but it is something the church must do if it is to have any relevance at all. The previous bishop of Durham often spoke up for the refugees and homeless, using his platform in the House of Lords to do it. He once commented to me that other church groups, including Muslims, used to approach him to speak on their behalf because of the unique platform he had. We all remember Bishop Jenkins’ advocacy for the miners of course.
The Bishop of Newcastle, Helen-Ann Hartley is not afraid to speak her mind. This seems to me a justification for having a national church.
A national church is an asset
I do not think trying to disestablish the church would be very productive exercise. It would cause a considerable amount of noise and leave the church with the same problems it has now. A national church is an asset. It provides a place for refuge and comfort to those who are not a member of a church or faith group. It is there in many deprived and marginal communities. It provides a focus for many worthwhile social projects. Perhaps it should be less concerned about bricks and mortar. If the government wishes to concern itself with church affairs, it could subsidise ancient buildings which are more tourist attractions than places of worship. Churches could meet in community centres where they would be better able to be community hubs.
What is important though is that the Church of England should speak out on moral issues which are important for the nation. That is what a national church is for.
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