A new survey of more than a thousand churches has concluded weekly attendance has dropped by about 22% on average since before the pandemic. Intriguingly, the research also suggested a large part of this decline was because churches had cut the number of services they offered during the lockdowns and not resumed all of these post-covid. What lessons can we draw from this for ministers and pastors struggling to build their congregations back after the lockdowns? What place does online streaming have now there are no restrictions on attending worship? And who are those who drifted away during covid and never came back, and should we mourn their absence in the first place?

This week we’re discussing church attendance post-pandemic and the rights and wrongs of counting success via bums on seats with Emma Fowle and Megan Cornwell from Premier Christianity magazine.

• The report about church attendance can be read here: https://oxford.anglican.org/post-covid-19-trends-patterns-and-possibilities.php