The 1851 Census of Religious Worship was the only such exercise ever conducted on a national basis in Britain. The returns submitted by individual congregations in England and Wales offer a snapshot of the religious landscape of that time.
For Brethren, they represent the only statistical information available from the first few decades of the movement, and show that the official report under-estimated the number of Brethren congregations. Coming just after the division into Open and Exclusive, the census allows us to assess the relative strength of each wing. It also shows us how early Brethren saw themselves, and the extent of their outreach through Sunday schools and gospel meetings.
Tim Grass will lead us through his research into the census, exploring the development of the movement’s ‘denominational’ identity and ethos.
For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.brethrenhistory.org/webinars/