God’s church is growing again

All too often God’s church has a bad press. Many people outside the church are convinced that God’s church in the United Kingdom has no future. “There is no hope for the church”, people say. It is true that many Anglican churches in rural areas are closing. According to a report in The Times on 22^nd October 2025 one in 20 churches are at risk of closure in the next ten years. Many commentators have predicted that the Church of England may not survive another generation. Indeed, in 1833 the historian Thomas Arnold declared: “The Church of England as it now stands no human power can save”. However, in that same year John Keble launched what became known as the Oxford Movement, with the result that ‘high’ churches within the Anglican church saw amazing growth. Now almost 200 years later, many churches – not just Anglican churches – are growing and in particular attracting a large number of young people.

The evidence that God’s church is growing again is contained in The Quiet Revival (Bible Society, Swindon 2025) by Rhiannon McAleer and Rob Barward-Symmons. Based upon a survey of 13,000 people, in this study of churches in England and Wales there are ten key findings:

1. Church attendance in England and Wales is on the rise, with the most dramatic increase seen among young people, particularly young men. In 2018 just 4% of 18-24-year-olds said they attended church at least monthly. Today this has risen to 16%, with young men increasing from 4% to 21%, and young women from 3% to 12%. Overall, churchgoing Christians now make up 12% of the population, up from 8% in 2018, an increase of 58%.
2. In addition to growth in churchgoing, including among the white population, the church in England and Wales is becoming more diverse. Just under 1 in 5 churchgoers (19%) are from an ethnic minority; but among 18-54-year-olds this rises to 1 in 3 (32%). At the same time the growth of Roman Catholic churches has risen sharply and Pentecostalism has become the third biggest Christian tradition, with the share of churchgoers identifying as Anglicans dropping steadily.
3. Many churches are marked by vibrant faith. 67% of churchgoing Christians read the Bible at least weekly outside of church.
4. Churchgoing in England and Wales increasingly involves an active commitment rather than a passive cultural label, and there is a clear difference between churchgoing and non-churchgoing Christians.
5. Churchgoing young people show above-average levels of warmth to spirituality. They are also the group most interested in learning more about the Bible.
6. With much of the population, in particular young people, struggling with mental health, loneliness, and a loss of meaning in life, church appears to be offering an answer. Research shows that churchgoers are more likely than non-churchgoers to report higher life satisfaction and a greater feeling of connection to their community than non-churchgoers. They are also less likely to be anxious or depressed.
7. Churchgoers are more likely to desire social change and to engage in social activism activities, benefitting the community around them. Churchgoers are more likely to volunteer, donate to foodbanks and give to charitable causes, demonstrating the positive effect of Christian faith on their lives.
8. Young Christians report finding the Bible more challenging than older Christians. As a result there is a clear need for more discipleship courses and in this way help young people to understand the Bible and speak about it with others. Among young Christians, rates of Bible reading, Bible confidence, and interest in learning more are high. In this regard, SPCK reported that Bible sales are increasing – sales between 2019 and 2024 have increased by 87%.
9. The astonishing growth in churchgoing is matched by an openness to Christians and the Bible: 31% of non-churchgoers say they would attend church if invited by a friend or a family member, rising to 34% among 18-24-year-olds. Over half of non-churchgoers (56%) would be happy for a Christian friend to pray for them.
10. Finally, the tide of faith is coming in again, and the church needs to adjust to a new and strangely hopeful reality.

In my 55 years of being a Baptist minister I have first-hand experience of seeing churches grow again. My first book co-authored with Alan Wilkinson, entitled Turning the Tide: An assessment of Baptist Church Growth in England (Bible Society, London 1981) showed that of the 350 churches in our survey, 60% were growing. Indeed, my first church in Altrincham, Cheshire, quadrupled in size in the 13 years I was its minister. Similarly, in my second (and last!) church in Chelmsford, Essex, doubled in size and when I left after 21 years our church community had over 1000 people.

According to Michael Marshall, the Anglican bishop emeritus of Woolwich, in an article in The Times on 28^th October 2025, “After 50 years as a bishop, I believe revival is at hand”. He went on:

What drives this quiet return is not nostalgia for a fading tradition but disillusionment with false promises. The ‘tin gods’ of consumerism, careerism and technology, have failed to provide lasting meaning.

To sum up, God’s church is growing again. I have little doubt that in the next ten years churches in our country will be even stronger and making a much greater impact upon their local communities.