Numbers that matter—on the annual parochial report and missing data

churches struggle to find footing in what we hope are the waning days of the pandemic, Anglican Watch has been rummaging around the mountains of statistical data from the church. And while there are heaps and piles of data in all directions, we see trends that point to some dangerous omissions in annual report data. Specifically, many parishes are being lured into existential danger by the siren song of incomplete data.

So what data does the annual parochial report include? The answer is a bit unclear, as definitions are a bit blurry. And many parishes wing it regarding data versus following the express guidelines sent with the annual report form.