The quiet revival: Are we ready?

Salvationist considers a recent report highlighting a rise in church attendance.

Earlier this year, a report was published by Bible Society titled The Quiet Revival. The optimistic research found that church attendance has risen by 50 per cent over the past six years, led by younger generations. Amid lots of discussion, there is one key takeaway: God is doing something.

The report highlighted that, in 2018, just 4 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds said they attended church at least monthly. Now, that has risen to 16 per cent.

Director of Research and Impact at Bible Society, Dr Rhiannon McAleer, says: ‘These are striking findings that completely reverse the widely held assumption that the Church in England and Wales is in terminal decline.’

While the report highlights growth in Roman Catholicism and Pentecostalism, it emphasises that the data doesn’t draw attention to a particular leadership style or way of doing church, but something much broader in how the public think about faith. There is a remarkable trend: over two million more people are attending church than six years ago.

That figure challenges us all to re-evaluate how we think about ourselves and public assumptions of, and attitudes towards, Christianity.

Attendance on the up

Naturally, the first instinct is to think about what it means for The Salvation Army. The most recent territorial attendance report, conducted by the Research and Development Unit, does show that attendance is on the up.

Based on programme diaries between March and May 2024, attendance to activities increased 7 per cent year-on-year. This was the third annual increase in a row, and only 3.7 per cent lower than pre-pandemic figures. The most prevalent activity was Sunday meetings, followed by corps charity shops, parent-and-toddler groups, residential centre programme activities and cafés. The two most-attended activities were corps charity shops and Sunday meetings.

The activities attracted existing members of faith communities (44 per cent), but notably reached out to friends (88 per cent) and people on the fringes of corps (59 per cent).

The value of data

These are positive green shoots in the years since the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s more nuanced than that. The attendance figures measure volume not reach – the data reflects the number of engagements, not the unique number of people engaged. Nonetheless, it shows Army expressions becoming more active in recent years and therefore opening up to more people.

The data, however, isn’t the full picture: the return rate was 79 per cent, which means there are still pieces of the jigsaw to fill in.

Similarly, although formal membership numbers have technically decreased over the years, there are several factors impacting that data

‘We think formal membership is lower than the formal numbers of soldiers and adherents we report, partly because there is a lag in updating corps rolls. We would encourage corps to regularly update their rolls whenever possible,’ explains Director of Research and Development Olly Thorp.

However, there are many active members of corps who have not formalised their membership, which means they are hidden behind the statistics.

‘These valued people are giving, serving, worshipping and participating in church life,’ adds Olly. ‘This spring, the territory has added an additional category of “discipleship” to its membership database so we can more accurately measure them in the future.’

‘Data helps us learn more about who we are and what we’re doing,’ he adds. ‘For example, one division recently found their highest point of contact was through charity shops, so they encouraged more corps members to volunteer in charity shops as it was such a high-contact mission field.’

Nurturing disciples

One of The Quiet Revival’s key findings is that discipleship is a significant mission opportunity. The report shows 37 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds are curious to learn more about the Bible. It also found that one third of churchgoers say they lack confidence in navigating or understanding the Bible and speaking about it. Compared to older churchgoers, young people were more likely to say that media and culture shake their faith in the Bible – there is a clear appetite to grapple with what the Bible is saying, and a need for good discipleship.

Territorial Youth and Children’s Secretary Lieutenant Kat Whitmore comments: ‘What we’re learning about this generation is that they want what they believe to impact their day-to-day lives. If they’re attending church, they’re likely to be reading the Bible during the week and they want to be making a difference in the world, too. They are also seeking authentic relationship and connection with others.’

Seeking belonging

This intentional curiosity in Christianity is caused by a wide range of factors, including our increasingly intercultural society. It occurs at a time when people are particularly seeking belonging, connection and purpose – for something that helps address problems such as inequality and the climate crisis, but also provides a countercultural alternative to a materialistic, individualistic society.

‘In previous generations, there was a sense that, if you work hard, you can get a good job, build a family and own a home,’ observes Territorial Youth and Children’s Secretary Lieutenant Jonny Whitmore. ‘In today’s world of uncertainty, there isn’t that foundation. Young people are asking, “What is the purpose of my life? What difference can I make?”

‘They receive the message from society that they are not good enough, for example on social media. We hope that young people can find, in the Church, a community where they discover that they are accepted, they are loved and they have something to give.

In a post-pandemic, increasingly digital world, people are also seeking third spaces – spaces outside of home, work and school – to find community and belonging.

‘In the Army we have all sorts of ways that people can connect, belong and participate with people of all cultures and generations. It can be a safe place to ask questions, explore and learn, going deeper in faith and discipleship together.’

The report emphasises the enduring power of a simple invitation: 31 per cent of non-churchgoers said they would be open to attending a church service if invited by a friend or family, with 18 to 24-year-olds more open (34 per cent) than any group other than over-65s (35 per cent).

What God is doing

Ultimately, whichever dataset you analyse, it is an encouraging reminder to be looking outward to others – and to what God is doing. The Quiet Revival gives us a glimpse of the Spirit moving in today’s world. Young people are more spiritually active. Christians are practising their religion more intentionally. More people are reading the Bible.

‘We should celebrate what God is doing,’ says Olly. ‘We have a role to play joining in with that.’

But the revival is quiet for a reason – this isn’t about being complacent, but being attentive and responsive.

‘Something is happening,’ comments Jonny. ‘It’s exciting! But if we focus on a revival happening, the focus becomes on that rather than the thing that’s helping the revival to happen. Let’s keep our eyes on what God is doing.

Kat adds: ‘There are green shoots emerging. Part of our role is to be present to what the Spirit is doing, nurture those shoots and see what God is growing. It’s not saying the Church has it sorted but, if the soil is right, growth will happen. Let’s provide space for that.’

‘We can’t predict what will happen,’ she concludes. ‘But the question is: are we ready? Are we ready to welcome and engage with a generation that is open to God and hungry for authentic community?’