Simon Jenkins makes his annual impassioned plea for the Church of England to be disestablished, quoting the dreadful fall in attendance since 1990 (Even Prince William doesn’t attend church – it’s time for a new Reformation, 15 February). He states that “Lively [churches] are at least finding new uses” as pubs, clubs and post offices.
As a priest in charge of four growing churches in north Doncaster, I beg to differ. The more recent statistics that Mr Jenkins avoids show that in the Church of England, the “lively ones” are actually growing – growing younger, growing more faithful, growing in their service of their communities. In fact, growing at 5% to 10% a year.
New surveys show that the current generation of young people are far more likely to believe there is a God than their parents and grandparents. A tale of lamentable decline leading to the inevitable separation of church and state is a sad one, but sadly it is based on outdated evidence and current prejudice.
Rev Stephen Gardner
Doncaster
• Readers concerned that “Even Prince William doesn’t attend church” should take comfort from the fact that he regularly joins the faithful at Villa Park.
Paul R Baines
Bristol
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