The UK is one of the last western democracies with a state religion: the Church of England.
The Church's entanglement with the state is bad for both.
Join our campaign to disestablish the Church.
CAMPAIGN ALERT: Support the disestablishment bill
In November 2023, a private member's bill to disestablish the Church of England was selected in the ballot.
Please write to your MP and urge them to support this bill, to make the UK are more equitable and democratic country for people of all religions and beliefs.
Since our founding in 1866, one of our primary objectives has been disestablishment of the Church of England: its formal separation from the state.
More than 150 years later, census figures show most people in England and Wales are not Christian. Surveys consistently reveal a similar picture in Scotland. The case for disestablishment has never been stronger.
Disestablishment means the Church would no longer have privileged input into government - but also that government could not involve itself in the running of the Church. Both sides would gain autonomy. This is why support for Church-state separation can be found within the CofE itself.
There have been many proponents, religious and non-religious, for church-state separation, and there are a wide variety of motivations for supporting this reform.
The existence of a legally-enshrined national religion privileges one part of the population, one institution and one set of beliefs. Removing all symbolic and institutional ties between government and religion is the only way to ensure equal treatment to citizens of all religions and none.
The Church of England has enjoyed significant privileges relating its established status for many centuries. These privileges have remained largely unchanged despite the massive and continuing reduction in support for the Church in the UK. It is highly likely that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future, making the Church of England's continuation as the established church unsustainable.
- Christians are a minority in Britain. In Wales and Scotland the majority have no religion.
- Just 1% of 18-24 year olds say they belong to the Church of England.
- Less than 1% of the population regularly attend Church of England church services.
The Church of England is also out of step with the UK public on several key issues: it remains opposed to same-sex relationships and allows parishes to reject women as bishops and priests. These discriminatory positions cannot be reconciled with the Church's status as part of the UK state.
And no institution with the shameful historical record of the Church of England safeguarding and abuse should retain its privileged role in the British establishment.
The existence of a legally enshrined national religion privileges one part of the population, one institution and one set of beliefs. Removing all symbolic and institutional ties between government and religion is the only way to ensure equal treatment of citizens of all religions and none.
Take action!
1. Write to your MP
Ask your MP to support the separation of church and state
2. Share your story
Tell us why you support this campaign, and how you are personally affected by the issue. You can also let us know if you would like assistance with a particular issue.
3. Join the National Secular Society
Become a member of the National Secular Society today! Together, we can separate religion and state for greater freedom and fairness.
Latest updates
Church of England continues to shrink according to official figures
Posted: Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:34
Provisional statistics released this week by the Church of England show the Church continuing to shrink. Average Sunday attendance in 2010 continued in a downward trend, falling by two per cent to 923,700 or around 1.5% of the UK population. Average weekly attendance fell to 1,116,100 (1.8% of the population) from 1,130,360 in 2009.
London, one of the largest dioceses in the Church of England, and one which in the past has claimed growth, saw declines in both average Sunday attendance (down four per cent) and average weekly attendance (down two per cent).
Infant baptism figures showed continued decline (by one per cent to 83,260) but both child baptism (43,850) and adult baptisms (11,160) were each up by one per cent.
Funerals in church and crematoria were down by two per cent and four per cent respectively.
Electoral roll figures, which are probably the nearest the Church of England comes to figures for active members, stood at 1,214,100 in 2010, up from 1,196,900 in 2009 – but still only 2% of the UK population or less than one in fifty.
Easter services were attended by 1,394,700 in 2010 and Christmas services by 2,298,400. All-age attendance at Christmas services was down by five per cent, a figure blamed on bad weather conditions. Attendance at Easter services was down by one per cent.
The 2010 statistics have been compiled by the Research and Statistics Department of the Archbishops' Council
Time for the Church of England to distance itself from these bigots
Posted: Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:27
It is nearly half a century since this country stopped treating gay people as criminals, but the seething undercurrent of homophobic hatred is still present.
