Decreasing participation in collective religious worship

Decline in attendance at religious worship is a characteristic of a number of religions. The single most common reason given is perceived irrelevance to the life and problems faced by the individual. Other reasons include a feeling of being unwelcome and dislike of the leadership within the religion.

A survey of eight countries found that 54% of Americans visit churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, etc. at least once a month, 45% of Italians, 39% of Austrians, 28% of Dutch, 20% of British and 7% of Hungarians. So few people are entering the clergy that the average age of priests is now close to 60.

In the UK in 1995 it was reported that overall some 14% claim church membership, although this figure is higher in Scotland and Wales than in England and six times higher in Northern Ireland. 8 million people went to church regularly in 1975 but that this had fallen to 6.7 million in 1992; a further fall of a million was predicted by 2000. The report showed that the Church of England had lost 21% of its worshippers in that period, Roman Catholics lost 19%, Methodists 23%, and Presbyterians 24%. It was expected that the Church of England alone would lose 300,000 members and close nearly 600 churches by the year 2005. Despite this, nominal allegiance to the Church of England is high; almost half of the English claim to be Anglicans. As one sociologist put it, it is the Church from which most people choose to stay away.