Oral Answers to Questions

Sheryll Murray Excerpts

Thursday 15th October 2020 Commons Chamber

[Dr Neil Hudson (Penrith and The Border) (Con)]

What plans the Church of England has to increase the number of regular church attendees during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Mrs Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con)]

What progress the Church of England is making on increasing participation in worship, weddings and other ceremonies.

[The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Andrew Selous)]

The “A Church Near You” website advertises 17,000 regular Church of England virtual services and events, and those are only a portion of all that is on offer. Weddings and funerals are also often livestreamed, as my own daughter’s was in the summer, and my hon. Friends will be pleased to know that Carlisle cathedral streamed ordinations earlier this month and that St Martin’s, Liskeard will have a drive-in carol service in Morrisons car park on 20 December, which will also be livestreamed.

[Andrew Selous]

I thank my hon. Friend very much indeed for what he said. Of course, I am delighted to do so. I am sure, in fact, that the whole House would like to thank clergy, staff and volunteers who have risen to the challenge of maintaining worship and meeting need in a magnificent manner. They have been astonishingly present throughout the pandemic.

[Mrs Murray]

Government guidance talks of including participation in livestreaming of services, as my hon. Friend mentioned with his daughter’s wedding. What technical help is being given to assist churches to allow them to include more participation?

[Andrew Selous]

I can tell my hon. Friend that the Church made a significant investment in a new digital communications team back in 2016. The training has been used by over 4,000 clergy. Over 7 million people have used our daily prayer apps. Nearly 3 million people have watched national online services, with about a fifth of those being people who rarely go to church or do not go at all. The good news is that the Church is reaching more people than ever before.