A new survey is underway, gathering information about the beliefs and values of Anglican clergy in the UK for the purpose of academic research, and to support a forthcoming debate series on the Future of the Church of England. Designed by Professor Linda Woodhead at Lancaster University, the survey is being administered by the professional market research agency YouGov among a random sample of UK clergy. It is carried out anonymously so that individuals can complete their answers and express their views with the guarantee of confidentiality.
The research is gathering opinion on different aspects of the Church of England and its future direction from the people who serve it and know it better than anyone. As well as seeking views on the operation and priorities of the Anglican Church itself, the survey also asks for responses to questions on various moral, social and political issues. Findings will be made available on the Westminster Faith Debates website in due course.
These findings will also inform a series of free debates to be held at the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford this autumn, which will bring distinguished speakers and experts together with an open public audience to consider how the Church of England can flourish in the future. Panellists include Sir Tony Baldry MP, Vicky Beeching, Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch and the Bishop of Oxford, and the debates will be made available online afterwards as podcasts. The events are being organised by the Westminster Faith Debates, with the support of Ripon College, Cuddesdon and the Church Times.
Any clergy willing to respond to additional short surveys in the future, including those not among the random sample polled by YouGov on this occasion, are invited to register their details with the Westminster Faith Debates by emailing [email protected] with the word ‘panel’ in the subject line. Respondents will be contacted in due course with further details.
Watch this site for the full YouGov survey data and analysis, which will be featured here throughout the autumn.
I had the joy of being one of the random Anglican clergy.
To be honest, I was disappointed with the wording of the questions. Several of them felt as though they were angling for a particular response rather than giving us the freedom to truly express our perception of the Church of England and its future.
It will be interesting to see what data is produced and how it is analysed.