The pandemic and the feminisation of the Church? How male and female churchgoers experienced the Church of England's response to Covid-19

Article Religion

Shielding, but not Shielded: Comparing the Experience of the Covid-19 Lockdown for Anglican Churchgoers Aged Seventy and over with those under the Age of Sixty

Leslie J. Francis et al.

Summary: The study found that churchgoers aged seventy or over had less sympathy for the national leadership of the Church, viewed the lockdown of churches more negatively, had a less positive experience with online alternatives provided by the Church, and were more pessimistic about the longer-term sustainability of their churches.

RURAL THEOLOGY-INTERNATIONAL ECUMENCIAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES (2021)

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Article Religion

Impact of Covid-19 on Fragile Churches: Listening to the Voices of Lay People

Leslie J. Francis et al.

Summary: The study shows that while the fragile church thesis is more strongly endorsed by rural clergy, clergy and laity in other areas also support this view to some extent. The current research suggests serious investment in discipleship learning as a strategy to address the issues underlying the fragile church thesis, and calls on rural churches to rise to this challenge.

RURAL THEOLOGY-INTERNATIONAL ECUMENCIAL AND INTERDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES (2021)

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Article Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Exploring Affect Balance: Psychological Well-being of Church of England Clergy and Laity During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Andrew Village et al.

Summary: Psychological well-being during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 among clergy and laity in the Church of England was found to be associated with affect balance, preference for feeling over thinking in the psychological type judging process, age, religious denomination, and residential area. Mitigating effects of support were evident for both clergy and lay people, with lower-rated sources of support potentially having stronger positive effects on well-being, particularly for groups with lower well-being.

JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH (2021)

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Article Religion

Viewing the impact of Covid-19 through the eyes of retired clergy

Leslie J. Francis et al.

Summary: Despite being largely overlooked in the ministry statistics published by the Church of England, ministry-active retired clergy continue to make an effective contribution to liturgical and pastoral provision. The data from a study comparing ministry-active retired clergy and full-time stipendiary clergy suggest that retired clergy embrace the digital age with enthusiasm, while still holding on to an Anglican model of ministry that values local place and sacred space more strongly than their full-time counterparts.

THEOLOGY (2021)

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Article Religion