FIVE per cent of the respondents to the most recent National Churches Trust (NCT) survey say that their church will either “definitely” or “probably” be closed as a spot of worship by 2030.
The findings of the survey of 3628 churches of all denominations across the UK were published on Tuesday within the report Giving Every Church a Voice. There are an estimated 38,500 churches, chapels, and meeting houses within the UK, about half of that are listed buildings, the report says.
One in ten respondents reported that their church constructing required urgent repair inside the following 12 months. Roof repairs, guttering, drainage, and heating were identified as essentially the most pressing issues.
The report warns that climate change is a contributing factor: with “heavier rainfall and more frequent storms, churches face having to anticipate weather extremes that speed up wear and tear on their buildings”.
Almost all respondents (90 per cent) reported that their constructing was “purpose-built for worship”, and 80 per cent said that their constructing held services “at the least once every week, if no more”.
Many had also adapted to modern needs. More than half of those surveyed in the primary half of the yr said that their church was utilized by other organisations at the least once every week. More than three-quarters (76 per cent) hosted community groups, 56 per cent distributed food, 49 per cent hosted youth groups, and 34 per cent offered mental-health support.
The survey also found that 85 per cent would expand community support for his or her church in the event that they had more resources.
One of the fundamental issues was a shortage of volunteers. Of all respondents, 83 per cent said that “the successful management of their buildings is dependent upon an energetic body of volunteers”. Yet 45 per cent said that a “lack of volunteer time” limited the power to supply more community activities. In the same NCT survey in 2010, this figure was 33 per cent.
Intrepid Media/NCTRepairs being undertaken at Newport Minster, on the Isle of Wight
The report says: “Volunteers are the hidden engine of church life, and without them so many points would grind to a halt. They are sometimes how doors are unlocked, choirs can sing, food is distributed and young people find secure spaces to belong, together with supporting the clergy in immeasurable other ways. The contribution of this unseen workforce is immense.”
The NCT reports that the typical congregation now relies on 265 hours of unpaid service every month. When questioned what practical assistance would help churches to expand, 70 per cent of respondents said that “more volunteers” could be the only most helpful type of support.
Writing within the foreword, the NCT’s chairman, Sir Philip Rutnam, said that the findings indicated “each the dimensions of what’s at stake and the hope that continues to shine through. Churches aren’t passive relics of the past; they’re energetic, living places, powered by volunteers and sustained by communities who depend upon them.”
He continued: “Without intervention the risks are high — we risk losing these buildings and all they embody — for good. Let us rise to that decision, in order that churches, chapels and meeting houses proceed to face as beacons of hope within the United Kingdom now and for a lot of generations to come back.”
The findings were presented at a “Great Expectations” conference to debate the longer term of the UK’s church buildings, held on the Victoria and Albert Museum. In attendance were the Archbishop of York, the actor and comedian, Hugh Dennis, and the Duke of Gloucester, in addition to church and heritage leaders from England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The deputy chief executive of the NCT, Karl Newton, who managed the survey, said: “Buildings are deteriorating ,with over a 3rd of church roofs in danger or in urgent need of repair, volunteers needed to run churches are briefly supply and for a lot of, money is running out.
“But the 2025 National Churches Survey also has positive news. The majority of churches provide vital support for local people, proceed to safeguard precious local heritage and most now have accessible entrances and lavatories and kitchens, making them user-friendly places of worship and community hubs.”
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