What is this?

The Membership and Finance Report is presented to the Governing Body each year.

It is a statistical overview of the key factors in the Church in Wales.

There are three main sections:

1. Membership
2. Finances
3. The Provincial Picture

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membership and finance report 2005

Introduction

The statistics represented in the following tables and charts are based on information collected from parishes in Wales. Collected annually in a standardised format, the figures give a general picture of the Province, Church attendance and giving. The data is used to help plan the work of the Church in Wales both provincially and at diocesan level.

Provincial Summary of Parish 'Membership' for 2004 and 2005

* calculated from data collected for the seven years 1999-2005
	2004	2005	2006	2004 +/-	2005 %	Annual Trend*
Communicants
Easter	74,779	66,954	68,632	-7825	-10	-2800
Pentecost	41,582	38,853		-2729	-7	-1007
Christmas	72,521	74,182		1661	2	-845
Trinity III	37,913	37,012		-901	-2	-743
Average Attendance - over 18
Sunday	41,771	40,436		-1335	-3	-1086
Weekdays only	6,030	5,924		-106	-2	36
Average Attendance - under 18	7,746	7,195		-551	-7	-667
Electoral Roll	72,203	70,353		-1950	-3	-182
Baptisms	8,595	8,160		-435	-5	-298
Confirmations	2,099	1,967		-132	-6	-133
Weddings	4,052	3,901		-151	-4	20
Funerals	11,129	10,461		-668	-6

‘Membership’

Table 1 and figures 1 and 2 provide a summary of data collected to provide an idea of parish ‘membership’ for 2004 and 2005.  The figures for 2005 show:

• Despite fluctuations in the number of communicants at the main festivals, average attendances have continued to fall for both Sunday and weekday services at a relatively small but steady rate, but once again the rate of decline amongst members under the age of 18 is considerably steeper.
• A fall in the number of all occasional offices, with the decline in the number of baptisms and confirmations of particular concern in the light of a similar decline in the number of young people coming to church generally.

Finances

Parish Income

Table 2 and figures 3 and 4 show a heartening increase in parish income in practically all sectors.

Table 2: Provincial Summary of Parish Finances for 2004 and 2005

Income	2004	2005	Expenditure	2004	2005
	£(000)	£(000)		£(000)	£(000)
Planned Direct Giving	9,705	10,141	Maintenance of Ministry	12,723	13,738
Other Direct Giving	3,183	3,342	Maintenance of Churches	4,098	4,533
Total Direct Giving	12.888	13,483	Maintenance of Services	1,215	1,291
Income Tax Refunds	2,213	2,375	Mission - Home	986	1,044
Grants	4,000	3,588	Mission - World	700	938
World Church	479	683	Clerics' Expenses	1,610	1,575
Money Raising	3,504	3,559	General Parish Expenses	1,873	1,957
Other Income	7,803	10,114	Maintenance of Property	2,020	2,365
Investment Income	1,803	2,031	Cost of Money Raising	497	546
			Capital Expenditure	5,200	5,383
TOTAL	32,690	35,883	TOTAL	30,922	33,370

• Direct giving per Sunday attender has continued to increase – by 8% from 2004 to 2005, compared with RPI inflation during that period of 2.2%.  The 2005 figure for weekly direct giving per Sunday attender (£6.38) represents 2.4% of the average Welsh gross income of £264.80 per week.
• The tax reclaim figure (some £2,375,000 in 2005) – claimed via Gift Aid and direct debit systems such as GWADD – once again played a key part in ensuring that parishes more than met their outgoing costs.
• Significant increases in the amount of money raised and distributed for outreach, and particularly world mission, demonstrate the parishes’ willingness to look beyond their own immediate and local concerns in their Christian witness.

 

The Provincial Picture

Table 3: Provincial Income & Expenditure in 2004 and 2005

	Parishes		Diocesan Boards		Rep. Body		TOTAL
	2004	2005	2004	2005	2004	2005	2004	2005
INCOME	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Direct Giving	12.9	13.5	-	-	-		12.9	13.5
Other Income	18.0	20.3	-	-	-		18.0	20.3
Investments	1.8	2.0	0.4	0.4	15.0	15.3	17.2	17.7
	32.7	35.8	0.4	0.4	15.0	15.3	48.1	51.5
EXPENDITURE	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Ministry	12.7	13.7	-	-	12.5	13.0	25.2	26.7
Running Costs	16.6	17.6	0.4	0.4	2.2	2.2	19.2	20.2
Outreach	1.7	2.0	-	-	0.7	0.7	2.4	2.7
Reinvested	1.7	2.5	-	-	-0.4	-0.6	1.3	1.9
	32.7	35.8	0.4	0.4	15.0	15.3	48.1	51.5

• Parishes are playing an increasing role in providing the income for the work of the Church, both in terms of supporting ministry and in the maintenance of our church buildings. 
• Eradicating the ongoing annual deficit between the Representative Body’s income and the expenditure it is required to meet is a priority for the Representative Body to ensure that it is able to continue to provide significant financial and other support for the Church in Wales.
• The RB still meets 45% of the total cost of the Church’s ministry; indeed the proportion of its expenditure allocated for clergy benefits actually rose in 2005 to 85% (from 83% in 2004).

The information represented above gives a ‘snapshot’ of the Province. Detailed statistics are prepared for each Diocese and are available on request. Thanks are extended to all who contributed to the preparation, collection, analysis and production of the annual statistics. Further copies or information can be obtained from:-
The Representative Body,
39 Cathedral Road,
Cardiff CF11 9XF. 
Tel: 029 2034 8200 or information@churchinwales.org.uk

Figures for 2004 have been updated since the production of last year’s report. Consequently this report contains the revised figures for 2004.