Anglican Resurgence: The Church of England in London

Abstract

This chapter sets the recent trend in the longer-term historical perspective of the development of the Church of England in London. In so doing it reflects thinking developed in a recent knowledge transfer project, 'Building on History: The Church in London', funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as a partnership between The Open University, Kings College London, the Diocese of London and Lambeth Palace Library. It draws on the research of Bob Jackson, who has during the last decade produced two reports for the Diocese of London, examining the reasons for recent Anglican church growth and drawing out consequent recommendations. The churchgoing resurgence following Billy Graham was not a turning of the tide in London –more a freak wave covering a long-term ebb tide that kept receding through to 1990. As recently as 1977 the London Electoral Roll had been 78,000.