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

Introduction

Each year parishes complete a standard questionnaire to provide information on key trends in attendance, income and expenditure across the Church inWales. The proportion of parishes responding to this annual survey is extremely high – 98.3% this year – and as a result it is possible for the Church to rely on this data for its planning both at a provincial and diocesan level. This report is intended to be a summary of the provincial picture; significantly more detailed reports are produced for diocesan use.

Provincial Summary of Parish 'Membership' for 2005 and 2006

* calculated from data collected for the seven years 2000-2006
	2005	2006	2007	2005 +/-	2006 %	Annual Trend*
Communicants
Easter	66,954	68,120	68,837	1,166	2	-2617
Pentecost	38,853	38,384		-469	-1	-990
Christmas	74,182	72,885		-1,297	-2	-1193
Trinity III	37,012	36,386		-626	-2	-773
Average Attendance - over 18
Sunday	40,436	39,490		-946	-2	-1030
Weekdays only	5,924	5,396		-528	-9	-20
Average Attendance - under 18	7,195	6,780		-415	-6	-573
Electoral Roll	70,353	68,373		-1,980	-3	-2216
Baptisms	8,160	8,045		-115	-1	-248
Confirmations	1,967	1,876		-91	-5	-171
Weddings	3,901	3,779		-122	-3	-3
Funerals	10,461	10,378		-83	-1

‘Membership’

Table 1 and Figures 1 and 2 provide a summary of data collected to provide an idea of parish ‘membership’ for 2005 and 2006. The figures for 2006 show:

• A small but continuing decline in attendance in most categories, with the Easter communicants figures for 2006 and 2007 providing a “correction” to the unexpectedly large drop in that category in 2005.
• As in previous years, attendance figures for young people and those occasional offices most related to young people continuing to decline. However, the rate of decline is not as pronounced as in recent years, although there is no immediate evidence to suggest that, at a provincial level,“the corner has been turned”.

Finances

Parish Income

Table 2 and Figures 3 and 4 provide a slightly mixed picture of parish finances.

Table 2: Provincial Summary of Parish Finances for 2005 and 2006

Income	2005	2006	Expenditure	2005	2006
	£(000)	£(000)		£(000)	£(000)
Planned Direct Giving	10,141	10,815	Maintenance of Ministry	13,738	14,798
Other Direct Giving	3,342	3,339	Maintenance of Churches	4,533	4,840
Total Direct Giving	13,483	14,154	Maintenance of Services	1,291	1,329
Income Tax Refunds	2,375	2,608	Mission - Home	1,044	1,067
Grants	3,588	3,095	Mission - World	938	642
World Church	683	468	Clerics' Expenses	1,575	1,579
Money Raising	3,559	3,424	General Parish Expenses	1,957	2,039
Other Income	10,114	9,939	Maintenance of Property	2,365	1,995
Investment Income	2,031	2,391	Cost of Money Raising	546	576
			Capital Expenditure	5,383	5,854
TOTAL	35,833	36,078	TOTAL	33,370	34,720

• Overall parish income is down slightly in 2006 from 2005. However, decline is concentrated in less dependable categories of income, whilst planned direct giving – and the associated income from tax relief – continues to increase.
• Direct giving per Sunday attender increased by 7.4%,with additional giving by members compensating for the smaller membership base and RPI inflation. The 2006 figure for weekly direct giving per Sunday attender (£6.86) represents 2.4% of the average Welsh gross income of £286.14 (the same proportion as in 2005).
• The significant drop in parish expenditure onWorld Mission may be a correction following last year’s dramatic increase in this category – thought to be a response to the December 2004 Tsunami in Southeast Asia.

 

The Provincial Picture

Table 3: Provincial Income & Expenditure in 2005 and 2006

	Parishes		Diocesan Boards		Rep. Body		TOTAL
	2005	2006	2005	2006	2005	2006	2005	2006
INCOME	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Direct Giving	13.5	14.1	-	-	-	-	13.5	14.1
Other Income	20.3	19.2	-	-	-	-	20.3	19.2
Investments	2.0	2.4	0.4	0.4	15.9	17.3	18.3	20.1
	35.8	35.7	0.4	0.4	15.9	17.3	52.1	53.4
EXPENDITURE	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Ministry	13.7	14.8	-	-	13.0	12.8	26.7	27.6
Running Costs	17.7	18.1	0.4	0.4	2.9	3.1	21.0	21.6
Outreach	2.0	1.7	-	-	0.6	0.5	2.6	2.2
Reinvested	2.4	1.1	-	-	-0.6	0.9	1.8	2.0
	35.8	35.7	0.4	0.4	15.9	17.3	52.1	53.4

• Measures put in place by the Representative Body Review agreed by the Governing Body in April 2005 have helped the Representative Body to eradicate its annual deficit, thus safeguarding its ability to provide continuing support to the Church in the long-term.
• Parishes now provide two-thirds of the total income of the Church in Wales. However, the proportion of the Church’s total income derived from direct giving (26.4%) is still considerably lower than the average for faith-based charities (56% - Charity Trends 2007). But the year-onyear growth in giving by committed Church members represents an important factor in helping to provide a sustainable financial future for the Church.

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 2005 have been updated since the production of last year’s report. Consequently this report contains the revised figures for 2005.