The Baptist Union of Great Britain has seen an increase in church attendance along with a decline in church membership. The figures are likely to fuel debate about the relationship between participation in a church and formal membership.
The latest local church attendance figures from the Church of England have shown further falls, despite initiatives such as Back to Church Sunday, and a focus on Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas.
Campaigners for the reform of church schools have warned that the anticipated boost that the Church of England will get to church attendance this Christmas will come at a cost to children.
It is hoped that some twenty thousand people will return to church with a friend this weekend (Sunday 30 September 2007) as part of a major co-ordinated effort by the Church of England to pack the pews in around 2,000 participating churches.