Closing Churches can cut worship numbers, new opinion poll finds

In person church attendance can fall by almost a third (29%) if a local church closes, a new opinion poll shows, with 22% of churchgoers who currently attend religious services in person unwilling or unable to worship in a different church and a further 7% saying they would only attend services online. A further 7% said that they would attend less often than at present.

Churchgoers in the North East and North West of England are the most likely to stop going to church at all (30% and 31% respectively) whilst those in London were least likely to stop going to church at all (14%).

The poll, which interviewed 2667 UK adult Christians online, also shows that there is little appeal amongst Christians for new forms of church, such as worship or alternative style services held in a cafe, community centre, school or a mission hub.

The National Churches Trust, which commissioned the poll says that the increasing cost of repairs and maintenance is a key reason churches are under threat of closure.

It is calling on the new Government to guarantee the future of the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, which allows churches to claim back the VAT on church repairs, but which is only guaranteed until March 2025.

Claire Walker, Chief Executive of the National Churches Trust, the UK’s church building support charity, said:

“ Many church closures take place as the money cannot be found to carry out urgent repairs. Fixing a roof can cost over half a million pounds. The backlog of repairs for the Church of England’s churches alone is at least £1 billion, and the annual need is estimated to be £150 million a year.”

“Some churches are currently helped by the Listed Places of Worship Grants Scheme, which allows historic churches to claim back the VAT on repairs. But this scheme is due to expire in March 2025.”

“We  therefore urge the new Government to extend this scheme, first introduced by Gordon Brown in 2002, in the forthcoming Budget.  This will allow those running churches to plan for the future safe in the knowledge that they will be able to claim back 20% of their costs.”

Pace of church closures accelerating

The opinion poll’s findings come at a time when an increasing number of churches face closure. Over 3,500 churches have closed in the UK in the last 10 years.

1. The Church of Scotland – guardian of many of the country’s most important buildings – is actively planning the closure of as many as 40% of its churches.
2. In Wales, about a quarter of historic churches and chapels have closed in recent years, with just as many now at risk.
3. In England over 900 churches are on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register, with many facing an uncertain future.

Key findings of the opinion poll

1. When asked ‘What would you do if your local church building closed?’ just under a quarter (22%) of church going Christians say they would no longer attend church services at all, while a further 7% say they would attend services only online. The same proportion (7%) said they would attend services less often than at present.

2. Older people are most likely to stop going to church at all, with only 19% of those over 65 saying they would find a new church to attend as often as they do currently, if their local church were to close. Younger Christians (18-24s) appear to have greater resilience when presented with the possibility of church closures, with 28% saying they would find a new church to attend as often as they do currently, if their local church were to close.

3. Churchgoers in the North East (30%) and North West (31%) of England were the most likely to stop going to church at all whilst those in London were least likely to stop going to church at all (14%). 28% of Christians in Scotland,29% in Wales and 24% in Northern Ireland said they would no longer attend church services at all if their local church building closed.

4. There are considerable variations between the attitude of different Christian denominations. Pentecostals were the denomination most likely to say they would find an alternative church building to attend as frequently as they do at present, at 32%, with only 5% saying they would stop attending church. Comparatively, 32% of Presbyterians said they would no longer attend church services at all.

5. Alternative forms of worship do not appear to have much appeal. Only 7% of churchgoers would attend church services online only if their local church were to close. 3% of churchgoers said that they would attend services in a ‘new form of church’ such as a cafe, a community centre, a school or a mission hub.

6. There appears to be a correlation between current church attendance and propensity to seek out a new church. 33% of those who attend church at least monthly said they would find a new church building to attend as often as they do currently, compared to just 12% who attend less than monthly.

The Reverend Alisdair Laird, Area Dean, and vicar to the twenty rural parishes of South Holderness deanery in East Yorkshire, and who has recently experienced the closure of a local historic church said:

“Once a church building is closed, especially in villages and county towns, in many ways the thing that represents the historic heart of that place has been abandoned, for everyone, not just those who share a Christian faith.”

“Last year, All Saints Church in Burstwick, a Grade 1 listed church in East Yorkshire in the area I serve, had to close and many worshippers felt a deep sadness at the loss of their local historic church.”

“When the pub, the shop, the school, and finally the church are all gone what is actually left? What does it say about ourselves as human beings, our values and our willingness to be responsible members of a lively society?”

“Traditionally people, not surprisingly, tend to be very focussed on ‘their church’, especially in villages, and are reluctant to be involved beyond that. The good news is that we are finding that people here are making more effort to ‘go down the road’ to a neighbouring church, even more so where people provide lifts for those who don’t drive. “

“Helping people to worship at a new church does of course mean that they need to feel welcomed by clergy and other worshippers, but it does represent an opportunity for community and growth.”

“Our parish churches are a huge and glorious treasury of shared history, celebrations, creativity and hopes. Regardless of faith and beliefs we have a shared responsibility to our ancestors, our descendants, and to each other to recognise that treasure and to play our part in caring for it and helping as many churches as possible stay open.”

Eddie Tulasiewicz, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at the National Churches Trust added:

“The dramatic impact of church closures is made clear in our opinion poll; it cuts the number of people going to church by a third. Older people, many of whom live alone and for whom attending church helps combats loneliness, are the most likely to be negatively affected by the closure or their local church.”

“Keeping local churches open allows local people to worship in a building they know and love. It also keeps local heritage alive for future generations and means that local people can continue to benefit from support services, such as foodbanks, warm spaces and youth clubs and access cultural activities such as concerts and exhibitions.”

“Last year, the National Churches Trust was able to help over 250 urgent church building and repair projects with funding of almost £2 million, in the process keeping churches open and safeguarding over 72,000 years of history. Church repairs help create jobs and develop specialist skills of value to the wider construction and heritage sectors.”