Our friends at Anglicans Online have drawn our attention to this survey that the Church of England is about to carry out in a representative sample of parishes.
Everyone Counts 2014: Growing the church for all
Everyone Counts is a congregational survey with a focus on diversity. In October around one in six churches will take part in the survey, answering a few simple but important questions about how they identify and their connection to the church.
Currently, volunteers across the dioceses are getting ready for the survey. This page provides additional information for the churches and coordinators involved. Later we will post updates on the project, additional materials and interim findings.
These papers are available.
Everyone Counts 2014 Information for Churches
Everyone Counts Coordinator FAQs
Celebrating Diversity in the Church of England [a background paper presented to the Archbishops’ Council]
So disability makes it into a questionnaire on diversity in 2014 where it didn’t in 2007. That’s progress, I suppose.
But guess what is completely unmentioned in the “Celebrating Diversity in the Church of England”, and which therefore will not be surveyed. Yup.
Everyone does not count. Not yet. An opportunity missed.
I do hope that nobody is injured squeezing round the elephant they are all ignoring.
‘Celebrating Diversity’ indeed! What a joke.
It’s not a joke, even if they ignore us, any attempt to get a better understanding of the actual state of the church is welcome, as far as I’m concerned, even if it falls short. Disappointing as it may be.
Wholeheartedly agree with Jeremy and Laurence. Either ‘these people’ have cloth ears or ‘celebrating diversity’ is almost a sneer. I do despise them,
John Moles.
Well they can count me out as a disabled (two hearing aids) trans woman, I have tragically left the Anglican church, taken my little trunk elsewhere.
They still don’t get it, do they? It makes me despair of any progress within the CofE when a flagship survey ignores the most pressing issue of the day. People who bury their heads in the sand deserve all the kicking they will get.
Before I get shot down in flames for suggesting that lgbt equality is the most pressing issue of the day I should make it plain that I am refering solely to the CofE diversity questionnaire and not to the appalling things happening in the wider world.
I understand Lorenzo’s practicality ….. But, it’s really not good enough that we are relieved that the CofE is considering diversity at all! Or, is the point that we think all LGBT people either want to hide themselves away as members, or have already left! I don’t think it’s possible to support a diversity questionnaire that ignores orientation, particularly given the present debates with the Church!