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MPs launch Faith in the Future report

May 2009

Despite unprecedented levels of financial security and good health, Britons are no happier today than fifty years ago.

This is the key finding of a report on well-being launched today by a cross-party group of MPs. Faith in the Future has been written by Gary Streeter, Steve Webb, Andy Reed, Alistair Burt and Caroline Spelman after a two-year process of consultation with church leaders and policy experts.

In the foreword, the MPs state that "Given all the advances of recent years, we seek to understand why a sense of human wellbeing – happiness if you like – is not more widespread."

Speaking ahead of today's launch, Steve Webb MP explained: "Our analysis led us to conclusions that it was the erosion of certain key values that was undermining our potential for individual and corporate flourishing.”

Instead of new legislation or further funding, the MPs have proposed a five-fold test to be used in assessing future action and policies.

“The evidence presented to us during the eighteen months of our inquiry has led us to identify some guiding principles for what it means to flourish as a human being,” they explain. “We have formulated those principles into a number of defining questions to be asked of society’s various ‘stakeholders’.”

The questions are:

• Does my action encourage people to develop positive relationships in their families and communities?
• Is my action socially and globally responsible?
• Does my action promote a climate of trust and hope?
• Does my action promote self-esteem and respect for others?
• Does my action encourage people to fulfil their God-given potential?

The questions arise from their shared faith-perspective, but the authors believe that the principles are ones that people of all faiths and of none can agree to.

They consider this to be a hopeful report, and believe it provides a vision of a future that is not only brighter, but within our reach.

Steve Webb MP commented:

"This is an optimistic report full of faith about what the future of the country could be. We invite the church in this country to be more positive and to advocate for the widespread application of these values."

Download full report

Church is where the heart is

Churchgoing is not in decline, according to figures released by Tearfund on 30 January 2009 which show that one in four adults in the UK attend church at least once a year.

According to research carried out by Tearfund, 12.8 million adults in the UK attend church at least once a year, of whom 7.3 million attend at least once a month.

Christian relief and development agency Tearfund regularly interview 7,000 members of the public about their churchgoing habits, as part of wider research about perceptions of society and world issues, and have identified an upward trend in church attendance.

‘We have noticed that in the last year, there has been a significant increase in monthly attendance, bringing the figure for autumn 2008 to 15 per cent after a number of years of reported decline,’ says Matthew Frost, Chief Executive of Tearfund. ‘Similarly, the proportion of UK adults attending church at least once a year has increased from 21 per cent in 2007 to 26 per cent in 2008, which is an increase from around one in five adults to around one in four.

‘Our understanding is that more people are attending now than before, even if that is only a couple of times a year rather than every week. This might mean going to church at one of the high points in their family’s year, such as Christmas or Easter, or attending Sunday services or midweek events.

‘This is of course immensely encouraging, because it shows that people are associating church and a belief in God with hope and joy, and a positive way to spend their time.’

The research questions were framed deliberately to exclude attendance for weddings, baptisms, funerals and other invitation-only events so as to concentrate on voluntary attendance.

Groups showing a larger increase in attendance than the average between September 2007 and September 2008 included 25-34 year olds (up 7% from 15% to 22%), 65-74 year olds (up 6% from 27% to 33%), and over 75 year olds (up 10% from 29% to 39%). Geographically, the highest increases were found in Wales (up 12% from 12% to 24%), South East England (up 8% from 19% to 27%), Scotland (up 8% from 19% to 27%) and Northwest England (up 7% from 21% to 28%).

Tearfund’s work around the world is delivered primarily through local churches and community organisations working on the ground in 64 countries, to tackle spiritual and material poverty. The research, compiled of 7,000 interviews with adults around the UK, takes place twice a year and identifies trends in awareness of faith and world issues in order to influence the organisation’s development and communication.

Link to Tearfund