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Church of England

Updated: Wikipedia source

Church of England

The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It was the initial church of the Anglican tradition. The Church traces its history to the Christian hierarchy recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain by the 3rd century and to the 6th-century Gregorian mission to Kent led by Augustine of Canterbury. Its members are called Anglicans. In 1534, the Church of England renounced the authority of the Papacy under the direction of King Henry VIII pursuant to laws passed by the Parliament, beginning the English Reformation. The guiding theologian that shaped Anglican doctrine was the reforming Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who developed the Church of England's liturgical text, the Book of Common Prayer. Papal authority was briefly restored under Mary I, before her successor Elizabeth I renewed the breach. The Elizabethan Settlement (implemented 1559–1563) concluded the English Reformation, charting a course for the English church to describe itself as a via media between two branches of Protestantism—Lutheranism and Calvinism—and later, a denomination that is both Reformed and Catholic. In the earlier phase of the English Reformation there were both Catholic and Protestant martyrs. This continued into the later phases, which saw the Penal Laws punish Catholics and nonconforming Protestants. Various factions continued to challenge the leadership and doctrine of the church into the 17th century, which under Charles I veered towards a more Catholic interpretation of the Elizabethan Settlement, especially under Archbishop Laud. Following the victory of the Roundheads in the English Civil War, the Puritan faction dominated and the Book of Common Prayer and episcopacy were abolished. These would be restored under the Stuart Restoration in 1660. Since the English Reformation, the Church of England has used the English language in the liturgy. As a broad church, the Church of England contains several doctrinal strands: the main traditions are known as Anglo-Catholic, high church, central church, and low church, the last producing a growing evangelical wing that includes Reformed Anglicanism, with a smaller number of Arminian Anglicans. Tensions between theological conservatives and liberals find expression in debates over the ordination of women and same-sex marriage. The British monarch (currently Charles III) is the supreme governor, and the archbishop of Canterbury (vacant since 7 January 2025, after the resignation of Justin Welby) is the most senior cleric. The governing structure of the Church is based on dioceses, each presided over by a bishop. Within each diocese are local parishes. The General Synod of the Church of England is the legislative body for the church and comprises bishops, other clergy and laity. Its measures must be approved by the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

Infobox

Classification
Protestant
Orientation
Anglican
Scripture
Protestant Bible
Theology
Anglican doctrine
Polity
Episcopal
Supreme Governor
Charles III
Primate
Stephen Cottrell (acting)
Fellowships
mw- Full communion Anglican churches in the Anglican Communion (since 1867) Old Catholic churches in the Union of Utrecht (since 1931) Philippine Independent Church (since 1963) Lutheran churches in the Porvoo Communion (since 1996) Partnership relations EKD (since 1991) Moravians (since 1995) EPU (since 2001) UEPAL (since 2001) Methodists (since 2003) CoS (since 2016)
Associations
Anglican CommunionPorvoo CommunionWorld Council of Churches
Region
England, Wales (cross-border parishes)Isle of ManChannel IslandsContinental Europe
Liturgy
1662 Book of Common Prayer, Common Worship
Headquarters
Church House, Westminster, England
Founder
Augustine of Canterbury (united the early English church under papal jurisdiction)Henry VIII (separated the church from papal jurisdiction)Thomas Cranmer (author of the first liturgical rites of the church during the English Reformation)
Separated from
Roman Catholic Church(1534, and again in 1558 after the brief 1554 reunion)
Separations
New traditions: Separatists (1534 onwards) Nonconformist Puritans (Congregationalists, Baptists & Presbyterians) (1662) Methodists (18th century) Plymouth Brethren (1820s) Anglican denominations: FCE (1844) CoE (Continuing) (1994) AMiE (2013) Reunited with Rome: Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham (2011)
Members
26 million (baptised; self-reported in 2024); 23 million (baptised; World Christian Database in 2020)
Other name
Anglican Church
Official website
churchofengland.org

Tables

· History › Impact of COVID-19 pandemic
Worshipping community
Worshipping community
Col 1
Worshipping community
Estimated change, 2019 to 2020
−7%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2021
−13%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2022
−12%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2023
-10%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2024
-9.4%
All-age average weekly attendance (October)
All-age average weekly attendance (October)
Col 1
All-age average weekly attendance (October)
Estimated change, 2019 to 2020
−60%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2021
−29%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2022
−23%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2023
-20%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2024
-19%
All-age average Sunday attendance (October)
All-age average Sunday attendance (October)
Col 1
All-age average Sunday attendance (October)
Estimated change, 2019 to 2020
−53%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2021
−28%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2022
−23%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2023
-20%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2024
-19%
Easter attendance
Easter attendance
Col 1
Easter attendance
Estimated change, 2019 to 2020
N/A
Estimated change, 2019 to 2021
−56%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2022
−27%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2023
-20%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2024
-19%
Christmas attendance
Christmas attendance
Col 1
Christmas attendance
Estimated change, 2019 to 2020
−79%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2021
−58%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2022
−30%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2023
-16%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2024
-20%
Estimated change, 2019 to 2020
Estimated change, 2019 to 2021
Estimated change, 2019 to 2022
Estimated change, 2019 to 2023
Estimated change, 2019 to 2024
Worshipping community
−7%
−13%
−12%
-10%
-9.4%
All-age average weekly attendance (October)
−60%
−29%
−23%
-20%
-19%
All-age average Sunday attendance (October)
−53%
−28%
−23%
-20%
-19%
Easter attendance
N/A
−56%
−27%
-20%
-19%
Christmas attendance
−79%
−58%
−30%
-16%
-20%
Church of England participation figures (half-decade intervals) · Membership
Worshipping Community
Worshipping Community
Category
Worshipping Community
2001
N/A
2006
N/A
2011
N/A
2016
1,138,800
2022
984,000
All Age Weekly Attendance
All Age Weekly Attendance
Category
All Age Weekly Attendance
2001
1,205,000
2006
1,163,000
2011
1,050,300
2016
927,300
2022
654,000
All Age Sunday Attendance
All Age Sunday Attendance
Category
All Age Sunday Attendance
2001
1,041,000
2006
983,000
2011
858,400
2016
779,800
2022
547,000
Easter Attendance
Easter Attendance
Category
Easter Attendance
2001
1,593,000
2006
1,485,000
2011
1,378,200
2016
1,222,700
2022
861,000
Christmas Attendance
Christmas Attendance
Category
Christmas Attendance
2001
2,608,000
2006
2,994,000
2011
2,641,500
2016
2,580,000
2022
1,622,000
Category
2001
2006
2011
2016
2022
Worshipping Community
N/A
N/A
N/A
1,138,800
984,000
All Age Weekly Attendance
1,205,000
1,163,000
1,050,300
927,300
654,000
All Age Sunday Attendance
1,041,000
983,000
858,400
779,800
547,000
Easter Attendance
1,593,000
1,485,000
1,378,200
1,222,700
861,000
Christmas Attendance
2,608,000
2,994,000
2,641,500
2,580,000
1,622,000

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  159. The New York Times
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  165. The Times
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  188. LGBTQ Nation
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  189. BBC News
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  190. Church Times
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  200. Church of England
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  205. Premier
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  206. "About Church Urban Fund"
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  208. Church of England News
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  209. BBC News
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  210. BBC News
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  211. The Times
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  212. A House for the Future
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  213. The Daily Telegraph
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  214. Reuters
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  215. CNN
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  216. The Washington Times
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  217. Journal of Anglican Studies
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  218. Christian Today
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  219. Episcopal Cafe
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  220. The Living Church
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  221. Growth and decline in the Anglican communion: 1980 to the present
  222. www.crockford.org.uk
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  223. www.churchtimes.co.uk
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  224. "Anglican Church around the world"
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  225. "Anglican Church around the world"
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  226. Reuters
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  227. legacy.biblesociety.org.uk
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  228. Betelsmann-Stiflung
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  229. The Telegraph
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  230. La croix international
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  231. The Living Church
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  232. See the pages linked from the Life Events page on the Church of England website Archived 22 November 2010 at the Wayback
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  235. Growth and decline in the Anglican communion: 1980 to the present
  236. Reconciling science and religion: the debate in early-twentieth-century Britain
  237. The Empty Church Revisited
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  239. Christian Research, Religious Trends (2008), cited in Ruth Gledhill, "Churchgoing on its knees as Christianity falls out
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  242. "Statistics for Mission 2016"
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  243. "Statistics for Mission 2022"
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  248. "Irish Church Act 1869"
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  249. Church in Wales website
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  250. Scottish Episcopal Church website
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  251. Cross, F. L. (ed.) (1957) Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church; p. 1436
  252. An Introduction to English Canon Law
  253. "Faculty Office : Special Marriage Licence – Marriage Law Information – School, College and University Chapels"
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  254. "Faculty Office : Emergency Marriages in Hospital, Hospice or At Home (England and Wales)"
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  256. BBC News
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  257. New York Times
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  258. Catholic Encyclopedia
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  259. The Archbishop of York
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  260. "Bishoprics Act 1878, s. 5"
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  261. Church and state in 21st century Britain : the future of church establishment
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  262. Church of England website
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  265. Isle of Man Online
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  266. Guernsey Deanery
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  267. iicsa.org.uk
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  268. religionmediacentre.org.uk
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  269. religionmediacentre.org.uk
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  270. BBC News
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  271. The Guardian
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  272. BBC News
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  273. BBC News
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  274. The Guardian
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  275. The Times
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  276. BBC News
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  277. outgoings Archived 12 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Cofe.anglican.org.
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  278. "Citing ethics, Anglicans sell stake in News Corp" by Eric Pfanner, The New York Times, 8 August 2012.
  279. achurchnearyou.com
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  280. achurchnearyou.com
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  281. facultyonline.churchofengland.org
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  282. The Church of England
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  283. facultyonline.churchofengland.org
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  284. The Church of England
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  285. "The Association of Festival Churches"
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  286. facultyonline.churchofengland.org
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  287. facultyonline.churchofengland.org
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  288. facultyonline.churchofengland.org
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  289. Friends of Friendless Churches
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  290. Also part of the Global South
  291. Also part of the GAFCON
  292. Not in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches
  293. Part of the Porvoo Communion
  294. Not in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches
  295. Part of the Porvoo Communion
  296. Part of the Porvoo Communion
  297. Not in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox Churches
  298. Part of the Porvoo Communion
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