The Henson Journals

[55]

Wednesday, May 16th, 1923.

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I walked to Lambeth, & spent the morning in the meeting of Bishops. The Archbishop distributed a statement of the 'number of qualified Electors on Church Rolls'. The total is 3,186,886 for the whole of England, but as 1181parishes made no return, the number may be supposed not to fall far short of 3 1/2 millions. The population of England & Wales in 1881 was 37,885,142. Wales (2,206,712) must be deducted, leaving a total of 35,678,430. There cannot be less than 20,000,000 persons above the age of 18 in England: a proportion of ^one in every^ 5.174 are prepared to register themselves as members of the National Church. Five sixths of the people 'have no use for' the Church of England ! The 'Official Year Book' gives the number of communicants as 2,171,619: but very many of these would be under 18. It would certainly be fair to say that nine tenths of the English people do not communicate in the Church of England .

Headlam produced the 'Terms of Intercommunion suggested between the Ch. of England & the Eastern Orthodox Church', which he & Brightman had drawn up. I pointed out that they went far beyond the standards of the Church of England, & demurred to giving them any kind of official sanction. Finally we agreed to a cautiously worded motion of the Abp. of York giving a modified approval. Then I raised the question of the proposed Conference on Economics, & there was much discussion.

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