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
Census: Christians oldest main religion group in England & Wales
Posted: Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:24
Christians are the oldest main religious group in England and Wales while the nonreligious are among the youngest, Census data shows.
Data on age and religion or belief collected in the 2021 Census, published today, has revealed the average Christian is 51 years old, compared with 40 years for the overall population of England and Wales. This is older than any of the other main religions recorded.
The age of Christians has increased by six years since the 2011 census.
The average age of those without a religion is 32. This is the second youngest of the main religion or belief groups recorded by the Census, after Islam. The average Muslim is 27 years old.
Data published last year showed that for the first time, less than half the population of England and Wales are Christian. Those with no religion are the second largest group.
Church of England attendance figures released in December revealed just 0.9% of England's population attend Sunday services – considerably smaller than the 46% of people who said they were Christian in the Census.
The archbishop of York recently stated the average age of CofE congregants is "61 — that is 21 years older than the average age in the population".
NSS: Church must be "dislodged and disestablished"
The National Secular Society has repeated calls for the Church of England to be disestablished in the wake of the Census data.
NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "The Census data continues to lay bare the unsustainability of Christian privilege in England and Wales.
"Not only are Christian populations dwindling; they're getting older.
"Meanwhile, we're seeing a steady rise in the nonreligious – one of the youngest groups, considerably younger than the population average.
"It is more ludicrous than ever for Christianity, and the Church of England in particular, to remain lodged in our constitution, our parliament and our schools.
"It must be dislodged and disestablished."
The NSS is hosting a free online discussion on February 15th on the future of Church and state with Anglicans who support disestablishment. Find out more and book your place.
MPs grill CofE over same sex marriage stance
Posted: Wed, 25 Jan 2023 12:43
Members of parliament have criticised the Church of England's continued refusal to hold same sex marriages.
Yesterday Ben Bradshaw asked the Church's representative in the House of Commons to explain how "continuing to discriminate against lesbian and gay Anglicans in England is compatible with the unique duty of the established Church to serve everyone".
Last week CofE bishops proposed that the church continue its refusal to hold same-sex marriages, but allow prayers and blessings for those already in a same-sex civil marriage or partnership. The proposals have been widely criticised by equality campaigners, including LGBT Christians.
The bishops also apologised to LGBT people for the "rejection, exclusion and hostility" they have faced in churches.
Bradshaw asked how meaningful this apology can be "when that discrimination continues".
The Second Church Estates Commissioner Andrew Selous acknowledged that these proposals "do not go far enough, and that for others they will have gone too far". But he added: "We do not want to be in a position where churches are forced to follow the directives of Government or Parliament on matters of doctrine".
Many other MPs across parties, including Christians, criticised the Church.
Cat Smith, herself a Christian, said "because we have an established Church in this country, it falls on all of us to take an interest and to speak out on the issues of the Church".
Peter Bottomley warned that the House of Commons "will not put up with being held up by one third of one part of the General Synod".
Chris Bryant said the bishops' proposals displayed "cruelty" and "hypocrisy", while Peter Gibson said the Church's "two-tier system" on relationships "labels gay people as second-class citizens".
Wes Streeting said that the Church's teaching on sexuality made it harder than anything else to come out as a gay Anglican and that he "made the choice that I think many young gay Anglicans did – choosing to be myself and not to go to church".
"I would never cast my vote in a way that compelled any place of worship to perform same-sex marriage, because I believe in freedom of religious belief, but surely permissive legislation that enables places of worship, churches and priests to make that choice for themselves would be a different matter", said Streeting.
UK law currently prevents Church of England clergy from carrying out same-sex marriages. To change this, the Church would have to alter canon law, which prohibits same-sex marriage, and primary legislation would need to be amended.
The Church's General Synod, a devolved body of parliament which can bring forward legislation relating to the Church, will consider the bishops' proposals next month.
NSS: "It's high time the Church stopped having its cake and eating it."
National Secular Society head of campaigns Megan Manson said: "As the established religion, the Church of England has for too long enjoyed a cosy relationship with parliament, in which it benefits in terms of finance and power from its uniquely privileged position while being given free rein to teach homophobic beliefs and treat gay people as second-class citizens.
"It is therefore encouraging to see MPs pointing out the unfairness and unsustainability of this relationship. A Church which excludes LGBT people has no place in the heart of a state which believes in equality and inclusion.
"It's high time the Church stopped having its cake and eating it. Disestablishment would release parliament from this increasingly archaic, awkward and embarrassing institution, while freeing the Church from any attempts to control its doctrine."
The NSS is hosting a free online discussion on February 15th on the future of Church and state with Anglicans who support disestablishment. Find out more and book your place.
Read NSS chief executive Stephen Evans' recent commentary on the bishops' proposals.
Watch the debate:
