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The UK Christian Handbook which has been produced bi-annually by the Christian Research Association of the UK has now been divided into two volumes.
UK Christian Handbook 1998/99 is in its Silver Jubilee Edition. It is a large book, 672 pages, listing
• church groups
• evangelistic organisations
• Christian accommodation
• Christian book shops
• mission groups
• Christian media
• Christian services of all kinds
• training institutions.
This edition includes web sites. It is a very useful reference for groups which need to have contact with religious organisations in the UK.
The second volume is Religious Trends 1998/99. It includes sections on:
• World Christianity
• Christianity in the United Kingdom
• British missions overseas
• UK population statistics
• Books and Christian bookshops
• Recent research reports - a comprehensive list
• Statistics of each of the major religious groups.
It should be noted that, in terms of the statistics, the UK has to depend on sample surveys. It does not have the great advantage Australia has in having the question of religion in the Census.
Over two-thirds (67%) of the UK population identify with a denomination with a Christian heritage - slightly less than in Australia (71%). About 5% of the population belong to another religion, the largest of which is Islam (1.2% of the population), followed by Sikhs (0.6%), Hindus (0.4%), and Jews (0.3%). In this regard, the UK is similar in composition to Australia, although the UK has comparatively fewer Buddhists and a larger proportion of Sikhs.
About 27 percent of the UK population indicate on surveys that they have ‘no religion’, a little higher than Australia. However, it does not appear that that group is increasing in size as fast as it is in Australia. Between 1980 and 1990, it rose by 1 percent.
In terms of the numbers identifying with it, the Anglican church is by far the largest denomination in the UK, claiming 45 percent of the total population, a total of 26.1 million people in 1995. However, it is losing ground. In 1975, 50 percent of the population identified themselves as Anglican. The Catholics have also decreased in numbers. In 1995 they numbered 5.7 million, with about 10 percent of the population identifying with them.
The other major groups are
Presbyterians - 2.6 million (4%)
Methodists - 1.3 million (2%)
Baptists - 0.6 million (1%).
While the number of people identifying with a Christian group has not changed markedly in recent years, membership of churches has been dropping at a significant rate. It is estimated that between 1980 and 2000, membership will decrease from 7.5 million to 5.9 million, a decline of 21 percent.
Attendance is also falling. On a typical Sunday, it is estimated that 10.9 percent of the population of Great Britain (statistics are not available for Northern Ireland) attended church in 1980. In 1995, this had dropped to 8.7 percent. This is substantially lower than Australia in which there are a little over 11 percent of adults in church on a typical Sunday.
The Catholics saw a 10 percent decline in mass attendance between 1980 and 1990 and another 12 percent decline between 1990 and 1995. In England, a similar trend has been experienced by the Anglican church. Attendances dropped 5.2 percent between 1980 and 1990 and another 6.9 percent between 1990 and 1995.
Presbyterians, Methodists, and Independent churches have all experienced the decline. However, there has been growth among the Orthodox (mainly Greek), Free Churches, New (or House) Churches, and Pentecostal Churches. In England, the Pentecostal churches grew in numbers of attenders by nearly 12 percent between 1980 and 1990 and another 4.4 percent between 1990 and 1995.
The Christian Research Association of the UK estimates that at the present time just over half the children born in the UK are baptised in a church.
In 1995, 47 percent of marriages took place in a religious building. Again, the proportion is dropping gradually, at a similar rate to Australia.
In 1990, a survey indicated that 71 percent of the population believed in God, presumably including those who believed in a higher power rather than a personal God. The comparable percentage among Australians is 79 percent.
Overall, Britain is a little less 'religious' than Australia. While there are differences of degree, the trends in the UK are similar to those in Australia.
Philip Hughes
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