Part 2, Creationism in churches in the UK
Notes to the research in Part 1
(1) Methodology: BCSE does not have the resources to undertake a systematic survey of the beliefs about creationism of all 45,300 individual churches in the UK. Indeed, we have some severe doubts as to whether it could be achieved.
The purpose of this research is to identify in which denominations and groups of churches belief in creationism is most widespread. It is, in effect, a sampling approach. However, we have made no attempt whatsoever to extrapolate from the sample and state how many churches overall believe in young earth creationism. The approach we used does not allow for this to be done with any degree of accuracy.
The biggest issue we faced is that we relied very heavily on searches of the web sites of churches we believed might be creationist. However, many, we found, lacked web sites altogether or the links were lost. Moreover, it looks clear that quite a number may have endorsed young earth creationism but were not declaring it in public on their web sites.
We also point out that the approach is based on a definition which excludes many churches from our analysis. In effect, we have only included individual churches in our list where 1. The church has hosted a creationist event, such as a speaker from Answers in genesis, 2. Openly endorsed young earth creationism on their web site (including providing URL links to creationist organisations) or 3. The pastor has publicly proclaimed he (all were male, btw) was a young earth creationist.
That means where a denomination is publicly young earth creationist, we have not assumed that all individual churches in that denomination are YEC. We think that had we done so, the results would be highly skewed to a handful of denominations, such as Seventh Day Adventist or the Pentecostal Assemblies of God and include churches where neither the pastor nor the congregation are happy with YEC pseudo-science.
In practice, over half all of the churches we identified as endorsing young earth creationism came from the speaker lists of the main creationist organisations in the UK – Answers in Genesis, Biblical Creation Society and the Creation Science Movement) – plus a few from Creation Research or from a systematic trawl through church lists – by affiliation and by denomination. Indeed, that turned out in practice to identify churches that were FIEC or GraceNet affiliated. What it didn’t turn up was much in the way of Pentecostal churches endorsing creationism. This as a surprise. We went through the complete lists of Elim and AoG churches as well as smaller Pentecostal movements such as Newfrontiers so it wasn’t through a lack of trying.
The only denominations we did not systematically trawl through are what would be described as the mainstream churches – Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist (Union), United Reformed Church and the Church of Scotland. Had we done so, we believe it would have thrown up only a handful of churches that endorsed YEC. We also didn’t trawl through a number of smaller denominations because they appear either to not be YEC at all (Jehovah’s Witnesses) or ambiguous (Mormons) or disinterested (Salvation Army).
(2) Words of Caution: We know that some churches have endorsed young earth creationism by other methods such as distributing Answers in Genesis pamphlets and literature. For example, Stockbridge (Hants) CofE church has had AiG pamphlets on display. We have no way of identifying how many such churches AiG has got to do this.
In general, we believe that the total number of churches that endorse YEC beliefs is considerably higher that the number we have identified. Anthony Bennett has suggested on the BCSE forum that there are about 3,000 YEC churches in the UK but has failed to properly substantiate his claim. He seemed to base it on the assumption that all FIEC and GraceNet churches are YEC and added a whole load of Pentecostal churches too boot.
However, we think it overstates the case. A very large percentage of the churches we identified as YEC were this because they had invited speakers from AiG and other creationist organisations. That, in itself, does not add up to an awful lot of numbers in absolute terms. It seems that the creationist organisations can only get round about 120-140 churches a year between them and this includes repeat visits.
There doesn’t seem a vast demand for their speaking services. Many of the churches we identified as hosting their speakers were tiny and frequently located in the back of beyond (Highlands and Islands of Scotland and Northern Ireland, for example). Many lacked web sites and a few we have been unable to find any trace of whatsoever.
There was also the lack of visits to such mainstream denominations such as Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, United Reformed Church, Church of Scotland and mainstream Baptist (Union). This rather strongly worded article, by a YEC pastor, Geoff Thomas, in Aberystwyth, suggests that Anglican clergy are not basically interested - http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?646 (“One of the committee of the Biblical Creation Society told me of their frustration in getting any Anglicans interested in the pro-creation and anti-evolution movement.”)
(3) According to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Alliance) the Evangelical Alliance counts about 7,000 churches affiliated to it but its web site list of affiliated charges only counts about 3,270. The Evangelical Alliance is regarded as siting on the fence when it comes to YEC pseudo-science.
We also must point out that we have no evidence to suggest that the majority of GraceNet and FIEC affiliated churches endorse young earth creationism. Most may endorse it but we have no evidence to prove so and, indeed, from anecdotal evidence, doubt it. FIEC was formed as far back as 1922 (when it was called A Fellowship of Undenominational and Unattached Churches and Missions) and we doubt whether most affiliated churches have suddenly become young earth creationist.
On the other hand, according to this web site - http://nrhansen.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ch4.htm - FIEC endorses creationism and consists of churches that do not want to be associated with Baptists; FIEC represents about 22,000 members (30,000 people) or its affiliated churches. We have no such similar figures for GraceNet but suggest that they are about the same.
There is a small Wikipedia article on FIEC at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fellowship_of_Independent_Evangelical_Churches and its associated organisation, Affinity (formerly the British Evangelical Council) at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_%28Christian_organisation%29.
Nominally GraceNet appears to endorse Young Earth Creationism – it has a link on its web site to the Biblical Creation Society - http://www.grace.org.uk/links/index.html. However, we would preach caution in taking this as an endorsement. GraceNet appears to be a much, much looser organisation than FIEC. Indeed, it is usually described as no more than a resource for UK-based Reformed Evangelical Christian organisations and churches. It provides a variety of Reformed resources but includes a faith statement of the general position of the churches affiliated to it. It does not appear to have any full time staff, or organisational structure or a postal address.
FIEC, in contrast, has paid time staff, a council and formal structure. It also has a president (Pastor Paul Mallard of Woodgreen Evangelical Church) and offices. It is also closely tied to Affinity (until recently called the British Evangelical Council)
GraceNet affiliates appear to have indirect close connections to the London Theological Seminary – close in that a significant number of its Pastors have been trained there. However, a number of GraceNet pastors we have identified have come from the Evangelical Theological College of Wales where the head is also head of FIEC. However, neither should be considered as exclusive tied to either GraceNet or FIEC or vice versa. Jonathan Stephen, formerly head of FIEC, is now head of the Evangelical Theological College of Wales. He is a young earth creationist.
(4) The 2002 Scottish Church census counted 4,144 local churches as at May 2002 when the population of Scotland was estimated to be 5,054,800 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Scotland). That suggests one church for every 1,220 people. The 2005 English Church census counted 37,501 and an average of one church for every 1,340 people. The 2001 National census estimated that the population of Wales was 2,903,000. Assuming the same ration of churches to people as Scotland, this suggests about 2,380 churches in the principality. A similar calculation of Northern Ireland is more problematical. The estimated population of the province as at 2004 was 1,710,00 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland). Using the English ratio, this suggests 1,276 churches in the province. Thus there are about 45,300 churches in the UK.
However, some 44% of the population is Catholic. Unlike the Protestant movement, the Roman Catholic Church is not noted for schisms and the average size of congregations in Catholic churches is much higher than the average of Protestant Churches. In other words, the Catholics have much fewer churches to serve the same number of people. In England, this has dramatic results.
According to the 2005 English Church Census there were 3,656 Catholic churches in England and 16,247 Anglican churches. Yet both had about the same number of people regularly attending church service. As a result the average size of a congregation in Catholic churches was 244 and Anglican just 54. We suspect that there are several reasons for this, partly tied to history, but the main one being that the Catholic Church has a serious problem in attracting people to the priesthood. It requires both high standards of education and celibacy.
Moreover, there is a second problem in extrapolating figures for the mainland to Northern Ireland in that church attendance there is much higher. It literally can support more churches than the mainland.
(5) The research was undertaken in December 2006 and January 2007. The author would like to thank Peter Henderson of the BCSE for guidance on the issues in Northern Ireland and the Rev Michael Roberts on theological matters regarding inerrant or infallible interpretation of the bible. We also received assistance for members of the DebunkCreation Yahoo group and drew heavily on postings to our own forum by both creationists and anti-creationists.
(6) One of the other Anglican evangelical movements, Reform, in which the YECer George Curry is involved, is not, as has sometimes been described, young earth creationist. However, some of its members are.
(7) We systematically searched the church lists of the following organisations as part of our research: Abundant Life, Affinity, Apostolic Church , Assemblies of God Pentecostal, Associated Presbyterian Churches, Association of Baptist Churches in Ireland, Association of Grace Baptist Churches, Association of Vineyard Churches, Brethren (private list), Church of England (Continuing), Church of God , Church of Nazarene, Congregational Federation, Congregational Federation of Wales, Congregational Union of Ireland, Countess of Huntingdon Connexion, Elim Four Square, Elim Pentecostal, Evangelical Movement of Wales, Evangelical Presbyterian Church in England and Wales, Fellowship of Churches in Christ, Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, Fellowship of Independent Methodist Churches (Ireland), Free Church of England, Church of Ireland (Traditional Rite), Free Church of Scotland (Wee Frees), Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Free Methodist Church, Free Presbyterian Church (Ireland), Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland (Wee Wee Frees), Grace Baptist Church, GraceNet, Ichthus, Independent Fundamental Baptist Church in Scotland, Independent Methodist (UK) (merging with the BU), Nazarene, Newfrontiers , Old Baptist Union, Open Episcopal Church, Pioneer, Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Presbyterian Church of Wales, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Reformed Presbyterian Church (Ireland), Reformed Presbyterian Church (Scotland), Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ireland, River Network, Salt and Light, Seventh Day Adventist, Traditional Anglican Church (England), Union of Evangelical Churches. We also sampled the list of church members of the Evangelical Alliance and the Baptist Union (in England).
Others we wanted to check but couldn’t (because lists of member churches were not readily available) were the United Free Church of Scotland (not believed to be sympathetic to YEC), Evangelical Fellowship of Congregation Churches, Union of Welsh Independents, Fellowship of Northern Particular Baptist Churches, Gospel Standard Strict Baptists, Free Church of England Evangelical Connexion and the Methodist Church in Ireland.
(8) Here is the list of the 463 churches we identified as endorsing creationism:
This list has been removed from the website pending review.
