The CofE's statistics are for 2019 - before COVID messed up everything - and I think offer a fascinating glimpse into its future.

The two figures which struck me were:

• 89,000 baptisms during 2019
• 114,000 funerals during 2019

Back in 2014, the numbers were:

• 130,000 baptisms
• 146,000 funerals

The good news is fewer funerals. The bad news is fewer baptisms. In the intervening 5 years, the Church went from losing 16,000 members per year to now losing 25,000 members per year.

Now, not everyone who enters the Church does so via baptism. And not all of those that do will become a worshipper. Similarly, not every CofE funeral is conducted on behalf of a worshipper, and not every worshipper will want a religious funeral. But those are the numbers we have to work with. So let's take them as gospel.

So how many people does the CofE count as worshippers? There are many ways to count that.

• 690,000 - usual Sunday attendance
• 1,100,000 - regular worshippers
• 2,330,000 - attended churches at Christmas

How have those numbers changed over the last decade?

I know many people will be wary of drawing a conclusion from two data points over ten years. Helpfully, the report contains data going back to the 1960s.

(NB Electoral Roll refers to the Church's list of congregants. Not those for civic elections.)

The 2021 Census says that 46% of people describe themselves as Christian. It doesn't break down into denomination. And, crucially, it doesn't attempt to answer whether someone is religious or simply a member of the culture. There are lots of people who haven't stepped foot in a church since their infant baptism who, nevertheless, might say they are Christian.

There are many ways to be a Christian. They don't all involve sitting on a pew. And there are a great many Churches outside of the CofE. And the religion of the state doesn't necessarily apply to all those within its borders. The report does point out that Christmas attendance is up - and there are lots of outreach projects which are doing well.

But...

What now?

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Quantum BlockChain will accelerate the way Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is revolutionising the world. As Quantum BlockChain harnesses the superior AI performance of Neural Networks, we conceive a factorial growth in data interchange speeds. This leads to a position where the Internet of Things becomes the Internet of Emotions.

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Why is is that every snake-oil startup sounds like this?

No. I've had a few drinks, but I wouldn't say I'm drunk.