Video: Census 2011 results: Church of England must 'engage people more' The Office for National Statistics is set to release findings from last year's census widely predicted to show a sharp fall on the 72 per cent who described themselves as Christians in 2001. Some estimates, accepted by senior figures within the Church of England suggest that Christians could become a minority for the first time, with less than half of the population of England and Wales describing themselves as such. Theo Hobson, a Christian theologian, says that the Church of England should take the census results as a sign that they should "actively engage with people more."