The Religious Beliefs and Attitudes of Rural Anglican Churchgoers: Weekly and Occasional Attendees

Abstract

This study uses quantitative methods to compare and contrast the beliefs and attitudes of weekly and infrequent churchgoers in the English countryside, using the data provided by 326 occasional and 775 frequent churchgoers drawn from a sample of 1,454 respondents to a survey conducted in 27 rural parish churches in Worcestershire in autumn 2007. Four main areas are explored: believing in God and the Bible; believing in Christianity; religious identity; worship preferences. Whilst occasional churchgoers are found to sit more loosely to formulations of Christian affiliation, both groups are equally strongly attracted by traditional language and hymns. Two further characteristics are identified which unite them: a clear preference for building on traditional concepts and formulations of faith as opposed to finding new ones; a reluctance to affirm absolute truth claims and demands. In each case this is more pronounced among occasional churchgoers. Some practical suggestions for church mission and ministry are made. The paper concludes that the rural church can and should work with the flow of contemporary culture in order to engage effectively with its parishioners.