Church of England Sees Fourth Consecutive Year of Attendance Growth

Church of England Witnesses Steady Growth in Worship Attendance

The Church of England has announced a rise in worship service attendance for the fourth consecutive year, indicating a gradual recovery from the declines experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a recent statement, it was disclosed that the number of regular worshippers reached about 1.009 million last year, marking a subtle 0.6% increase from the previous year.

For the second year post-pandemic, the Church’s combined congregation membership surpassed the 1 million mark. Moreover, average Sunday attendance climbed by 1.5% to roughly 581,000, reflecting sustained growth trends in recent years.

When considering all services, not just Sunday gatherings, worship attendance saw a 1.6% rise, totaling just over 702,000 participants.

In terms of sacraments, the number of adult baptisms grew from approximately 7,800 in 2023 to around 8,700 in 2024. Confirmations also saw an increase from about 10,700 in 2023 to nearly 11,300 the following year.

However, the overall number of baptisms declined, with fewer infant baptisms compared to prior years. The Church attributed this drop to a slowdown in the post-pandemic “catch up” as families gradually resumed baptizing their children.

Colchester Bishop Roger Morris commented, “Our church communities have continued to work imaginatively and enthusiastically in order to recover after the pandemic.” Bishop Morris also noted, “Although not everywhere, nor to the same degree in each place, we are seeing more and more people engaging with their local church, attending enquirers’ courses, seeking baptism and confirmation and playing an active role in the church community.”

The Church of England, historically the established religion in England, has faced significant membership declines over recent years, while other religious affiliations like Islam, atheism, and Evangelical Christianity have gained traction. Despite this, recent efforts have contributed to modest attendance growth and heightened online engagement.

Notably, the Church’s online church finder service, AChurchNearYou.com, experienced a substantial surge in page views, escalating from 128.1 million in 2023 to 198.6 million in 2024.

Amaris Cole, the Church of England’s Head of Digital, remarked on these statistics, emphasizing, “The public are more interested than ever in connecting with one of our communities, whether for a service, an event, a family activity or one of the amazing projects our churches run.” Cole further stated, “Our churches regularly report newcomers who have found them through the site, so the rise in page hits is giving our editors confidence in inviting the public into one of our 16,000 spaces.”