nes , ▁( 1 8 7 4 ▁– ▁ 1 9 5 3 ) ▁Ang lic an ▁Bishop ▁of ▁B irmingham , ▁was ▁a ▁highly ▁visible ▁modern ist ▁opposed ▁to ▁Ang lo - C atholic ▁practices ▁and ▁rit uals . ▁ ▁He ▁pre ached ▁Dar win ▁and ▁rid ic u led ▁many ▁Christian ▁belief s , ▁especially ▁the ▁Sac r ament ▁of ▁Holy ▁Comm union ▁and ▁the ▁bod ily ▁Res urre ction ▁of ▁Christ . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁calls ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁res ign ▁as ▁a ▁bishop ; ▁he ▁refused , ▁but ▁David son ▁made ▁a ▁gentle ▁attack ▁on ▁Bar nes ▁in ▁an ▁open ▁letter . ▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁overall ▁population ▁was ▁growing ▁stead ily , ▁and ▁the ▁Catholic ▁membership ▁was ▁keeping ▁pace , ▁the ▁Protest ants ▁were ▁sli pping ▁behind . ▁Out ▁of ▁ 3 0 - 5 0 ▁million ▁adult s , ▁they ▁dropped ▁slowly ▁from ▁ 5 . 7 ▁million ▁members ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁and ▁ 5 . 4 ▁million ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁to ▁ 4 . 3 ▁million ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 . ▁The ▁Church ▁of ▁England ▁decl ine ▁was ▁parallel . ▁Method ism , ▁the ▁largest ▁of ▁the ▁Non con form ist ▁churches ▁reached ▁a ▁peak ▁of ▁ 8 4 1 , 0 0 0 ▁members ▁in ▁Great ▁Britain ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁sli pped ▁to ▁ 8 0 2 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁ 7 9 2