Church of England 'defunct in 60 years', warn traditionalists

The Church of England will be dead in 60 years if its current decline is allowed to continue unabated, according to a new report.

The authors claim that liberal experiments within the Church, especially within the liturgy, are principally to blame, and are calling for an "audit".

"The Church of England's love affair with modernity has been unrequited," writes Rev Robbie Low, the vicar of All Saints in Bushey Heath, Middlesex. "The liberal experiment is dead. Unfortunately it is in danger of taking the Church of England into the grave with it."

The report, Called to Account, written by clergy and laity, is likely to cause concern for the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who is enthroned this week. In it, the Social Affairs Unit, a right-wing think tank, highlights 27 areas in which the Church is failing, from lower baptism figures and fewer church weddings to a decline of influence within the armed forces.

The think tank hopes that the evidence provided will force Dr Williams into a full, independent review of the Church's current state.