THE Church 2024 survey has been taken by some 4000 people, and there is still time to take part and make your opinions known before the survey closes. A lot has happened in the ten years since the last Church Times survey, and now is a good time to hear the voice of people in the Church on a wide range of issues (News, 12 April).
The two previous surveys, in 2001 and 2013, showed how opinions had changed, or remained stable, on issues that filled the Comment section of this newspaper for many years. We are encouraged by the way in which people have engaged with the project, and thank those who have taken part in the research. We want to ensure that as many people as possible take part and have their say.
Initial looks at the data so far suggest that there will be some important insights into a wide range of issues facing the Church. One of those is assisted dying, which has featured in public debates in recent months, and which may be subject to a change in legislation (News, 2 August).
This is yet another instance where the changing mores of society will make an impact on long-held practice and doctrinal understandings in the Church. We are keen to see where opinion on this issue rests among people in the Church at a point of inflection in attitudes in wider society. If previous experience is anything to go by, the Church does not always handle change well, not least because it does not always understand what is happening among the diverse groups that affiliate with the Established Church.
The survey has several questions related to assisted dying. There are currently responses from about 2500 from people in the Church of England, and fewer than one third (29 per cent) said that they were in favour of allowing assisted dying.
Opposition may have practical and theological reasons: 65 per cent agreed that there was too much risk of abuse, and 52 per cent agreed that only God could give and take life. While we cannot be sure whether the sample is truly representative of the whole of the Church of England, it does suggest a broadly conservative stance that is resistant to change. We hope that the survey will offer a baseline for understanding how opinion moves, or does not, in the coming years.
ONE of the important things about the sort of detailed surveys that we do is that they allows us to get behind the broad overview to try to understand what is going on. The really interesting questions are about the reasons that differences in opinion exist. Are they because people are different, or because they belong to different theological traditions, or both?
The data on assisted dying are beginning to show how opinion varies across different groups. For example, among the traditions in the Church of England, 32 per cent of Anglo-Catholics and 35 per cent of Broad Church are in favour of allowing assisted dying, compared with only 15 per cent of Evangelicals.
There are also differences between the sexes and with age. So, while a third of the women were in favour of allowing assisted dying, only a quarter of the men were. Similarly, one third of the over-50s were in favour of allowing assisted dying, compared with only about one fifth of the under-50s.
A full analysis must wait until everyone who wants to take the survey has done so. We can then look at other factors, such as personality or family circumstances, which may also be important. This example shows the importance of collecting a wide range of information in one go, and analysing it carefully to ensure that ideas are tested rigorously before they are used to shape policy.
Besides assisted dying, other questions in the survey look at contemporary issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), the environment, racial justice, and sexuality.
THE survey will run for a few more weeks; so now is the time to take part if you want your opinions to be recorded. The final results should enable decisions about doctrine, worship, ministry, and mission to draw on evidence from ministers and congregations.
Participation takes about 15-20 minutes, depending on the part that you play in your church.
Most responses involve ticking boxes to indicate various things about you (such as denomination, country of residence, age, etc.), your church life (are you ordained or a licensed minister? do you belong to groups? how often do you attend church? etc.) and whether you agree or disagree with a range of ideas. No information held from the survey will link records to particular individuals.
You can see more details on the website yorksj.ac.uk/the-church-24-survey and you can take the survey by following this link: tinyurl.com/CTSurvey24 or scanning the QR code with your smartphone.
Please do all you can to spread the word about this survey. If you are writing a parish newsletter, please include the link. If you are writing a diocesan bulletin, or an update for clergy, please include this invitation. We would like to double the participation over the next few weeks.
The Revd Andrew Village is Professor of Practical and Empirical Theology, and Canon Leslie J. Francis is Visiting Professor of Theology and Religious Studies, at York St John University.