The new edition of Religious Trends (Christian Research) gives details of all the 275 denominations now constituting the Christian scene in the UK. It lists the number of members, churches and ministers for each of the years 2000, 2002-2006 with an estimate for 2010. The information was provided by each denomination, or estimated on their behalf. It also forecasts the overall figures ahead for 40 years to 2050. The basic figures are more interesting than they might look at first glance!
More buoyant: more people!
The figures published previously for 2005, revised in this new volume, were 5.6 million for the UK and 5.2 million for 2010. What has happened to cause these previous estimates to change so much? In a single word, immigration! We all know that thousands upon thousands of immigrants are coming to the UK at this time, the majority from the EU. Unlike other countries in the EU, the UK allowed citizens from Poland and other countries which joined in 2005 to be eligible for entrance to the UK immediately. Many of these immigrants came from Christian countries, both Protestant and Catholic, and have joined local churches wherever they have settled in the UK. More seem to have settled in England and Scotland than Wales and Northern Ireland.
The consequence is that the membership figures need to be revised upwards. The changes are seen especially in the Catholic, Orthodox, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and the Protestant Overseas Nationals churches — many of which are small but which collectively add up!
