The Church of England has undoubtedly dominated the cultural makeup and history of Britain for centuries with churches shaping generation after generation.
With attendance peaking at over 10 million members in the 1930s, one feels a sense of bittersweet melancholy when looking at the increasingly unpopular and derelict state of the Church, with a membership of just over 5 million in 2015.
Undoubtedly, one contributor to the escalating dissent against the church is the number of scandals that have rocked the church in recent months, with John Smyth’s systemic abuse recently coming to light, prompting much criticism over Justin Welby’s handling of abuse cases in the church.
Former Archbishop of Canterbury Welby made matters worse when he implied he would likely forgive serial abuser Smyth. Smyth – a British Barrister – is alleged to have abused over 100 young boys in Christian camps which was covered up by the Church. A 2024 report concluded that opportunities to investigate Smyth were neglected, with Welby himself being indicted for his failure to act in 2013. When asked by the BBC if he would forgive Smyth, Welby stated: “Yes. I think if he was alive and I saw him, but it’s not me he’s abused… He’s abused the victims and survivors. So whether I forgive or not is, to a large extent, irrelevant” which, unsurprisingly, caused significant backlash.
The scandal surrounding Smyth and Welby is only part of recent allegations of misconduct surrounding the church – with an independent inquiry finding that between 1940 and 2018, 390 Church of England clergy members and “people in positions of trust” were convicted of child sex offences.
These scandals serve as continued bad press for the Church, promulgating an increasingly negative view of the church among the British public – which unfortunately undermines the beneficial works local volunteers and Church members do within their communities.
For an institution that supposedly represents the spiritual heart of the nation, the Smyth scandal, therefore, represents a watershed moment in Anglican history, forcing us to question the credibility and integrity of the church – if the establishment actually practices what it preaches.
However, the upsurge in abuse scandals cannot solely account for the failings of the church; declining numbers of churchgoers pre-date the Smyth scandal and even COVID-19. While damaging to its reputation, churches have long been struggling to retain the numbers they once commanded, with many village churches shutting down or running reduced services.
The church is not simply just the pews, altar, and pulpit within the building, but the people who regularly attend eucharist, mass, and daily prayers. Yet for the Church, this framework proves annoyingly incompatible with British citizens’ growing indifference to Christianity – they’re happy to adorn their houses with Christmas lights or participate in Easter egg hunts, yet attending weekly meetings feels too demanding to sustain necessary numbers. This growing indifference is the main reason for the Church’s falling numbers, with the Smyth scandal demonstrating the growing failures and increasing disengagement with the Church.
For an institution that has survived Civil Wars, Darwinism, and Interdenominational Strife, the chances of survival being tainted by the Smyth abuse scandal are minimal and the total eradication of the establishment is still an inconceivable prospect. Yet, undoubtedly, the Smyth-Welby scandal evidences the growing failures of the church and demonstrates the need for a forward-thinking strategy, which would address the Church’s internal failings rather than the preferred method of avoiding the issue.
“Westminster Abbey London 900px” by Gordon Joly is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.