Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Thousands of UK Churches Face Closure Amid Financial and Demographic Pressures
by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – Thousands of churches across the United Kingdom may close within the next five years as financial hardship, maintenance costs, and declining attendance continue to erode the viability of many congregations, according to a new nationwide survey.
The National Churches Trust (NCT) warned that as many as 2,000 churches could shut down by 2030, marking one of the steepest declines in active worship sites in modern British history. The findings were drawn from a May–June survey of 3,600 congregations across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The survey revealed that nearly 70 percent of churches expressed confidence they would remain open through 2030, while another 26 percent said they were “probably” secure. However, about 5 percent—roughly one in every 20 churches—were uncertain about their future. Rural congregations appeared especially vulnerable, with 7 percent expecting closure compared to 4 percent in urban areas. Among denominations, Methodist churches faced the greatest risk, with 12 percent doubting their long-term survival, followed by 9 percent of Presbyterian congregations expressing similar concern. Although Anglicans reported a comparatively lower closure risk of 4 percent, their large national presence means that figure could still translate into as many as 700 closures across the United Kingdom.
The study found that historic status played a role in determining outlook: Grade I listed buildings were more optimistic about remaining open, while unlisted or poorly maintained properties faced the greatest uncertainty.
“This is an existential moment for the U.K.’s church buildings,” the NCT said in June as it launched the Future of the U.K.’s Church Buildings initiative to develop strategies for preservation and reuse.
In Wales, the decline has already taken a heavy toll — roughly 25% of churches have closed over the past decade, mirroring falling attendance and population trends.
The financial squeeze is compounded by policy changes. While churches can claim up to £25,000 per year in government repair grants, the requirement for each claim to exceed £1,000 limits smaller parishes from receiving support for minor repairs.
Cathedrals, by contrast, remain confident in their long-term stability due to tourism revenue and institutional backing, while smaller local churches increasingly face difficult choices between merging, repurposing their spaces, or closure.
According to The Brierley Research Consultancy, the total number of active worship sites in the U.K. fell from 42,000 to 39,800 in the last decade — a trend accelerated by post-pandemic attendance drops and rising repair costs.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
At least 44 people have died in Hong Kong after a massive fire engulfed several residential apartment blocks at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po on Wednesday afternoon, with authorities confirming that three men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Dozens more are in critical condition, and another 279 people are missing, city leader John Lee has said.
Local Christians and other sources say rescuers have found more bodies in the search for dozens of people buried under landslides or swept away after torrential rains unleashed flash floods and triggered landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island, increasing the death toll to 23 and leaving more than two dozen people missing.
Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki says his country “will not succumb to the terror of rainbow rulings” after the European Union’s highest court ruled that Poland and other member states that ban same-sex marriages must recognize such partnerships if they were “lawfully concluded in another member state.”
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is widely expected to travel to Moscow on Friday for high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the war in Ukraine, according to several Ukrainian, European, and Hungarian sources.
Two West Virginia National Guard members were critically wounded Wednesday afternoon in an ambush-style shooting just two blocks from the White House, triggering lockdowns, heavy police presence, and an immediate expansion of federal troop deployments in Washington, D.C.
Four Christian brick-kiln workers have been abducted in Pakistan’s Punjab province after demanding the payment of their lawful wages from their Muslim employer, investigators told Worthy News Wednesday.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump claims Russia is “making concessions” in talks to end the Ukraine war and says Kyiv is “happy” about progress toward a possible peace agreement after nearly four years of fighting.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com