Executive Summary: Giving every church a voice

The National Churches Survey is a comprehensive study which explores buildings across nations and denominations, from medieval churches and Nonconformist chapels to Catholic parishes and vibrant Pentecostal spaces. Similar in size and scope to our 2010 Survey, it shows that churches are not only spiritual homes, but vital partners in social care, wellbeing, and cultural life. They are places of sacred sociability – where foodbanks, youth groups, choirs, warm spaces, counselling, and community events flourish side by side.

They also hold extraordinary treasures such as stained glass, woodwork, memorials and records, connecting generations and anchoring local identity. Often the oldest, most recognisable building in any village, town or city, churches could be considered the single most widespread community and heritage asset in the United Kingdom. 

The Survey also shows how churches are deeply invested in managing their buildings – adapting layouts, becoming more sustainable, adding toilets, installing heating, and creating new digital and accessible spaces, often funded and delivered by volunteers to meet local demand. Caring for churches is not simply about maintenance; it is a form of stewardship which honours the past, sustains the present and secures resilience for the generations to come.

Yet only two–thirds believe their church will ‘definitely’ be open in five years’ time. Confidence is far weaker in rural areas where just over half share this certainty. We hear that volunteer time is stretched, finances remain a barrier, and maintenance issues are becoming costly crises. The strain on volunteers, congregations and clergy, who shoulder the burden of fundraising, governance, bid writing, and day-to-day upkeep, cannot be underestimated.

So, far from being peripheral, church buildings remain at the very heart of local life. But for how much longer? Without urgent action, we risk losing buildings, heritage, and community support that cannot be replaced.

This report explores what is at stake, setting out the benefits churches bring to community and heritage, the threats they face, and the urgency of support required. Churches are doing all they can but, without coordinated investment and partnership, this vast resource is in danger of disintegrating before our eyes. 

The National Churches Survey also contains within it a message of hope. 

Thousands of churches have come together to tell us about their extraordinary commitment, but also their fears for the future. We have seen that where government and funders have stepped in, the results have been transformative. If we rise to the challenge, churches can continue to stand at the heart of communities as beacons of belonging, resilience, and social care. If we fail, we risk losing not only bricks and mortar but the immeasurable value that churches contribute every day.