The Church of England has announced a record investment of £1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) over the next three years to support clergy and struggling parishes, aiming to build on recent signs of

renewed church attendance.

The 2026–2028 funding plan marks a 36% increase from the previous period and is intended to strengthen local churches and community outreach. The move follows four consecutive years of growth in churchgoing across Britain.

According to a recent YouGov/Bible Society report, more young men in the UK are attending church compared to pre-pandemic levels—challenging long-standing trends of declining Christian participation in the West. In 2024, regular attendance at the Church of England’s 16,000 parishes rose by 1.2% to 1.02 million worshippers, out of a national population of around 68 million.

“Parishes and clergy are at the heart of everything we do,” said Archbishop Stephen Cottrell, the Church’s interim leader. “It is also vital that we prioritise support for churches serving the most disadvantaged communities.”

The spending includes a 10.7% increase in clergy stipends starting next year. This will be funded by the Church Commissioners, who oversee the Church’s £11.1 billion endowment fund, which grew by 10.3% in 2024.

The Church also confirmed a £30 million allocation for safeguarding efforts and £150 million for a redress scheme related to past failures in handling child abuse complaints. A report by the Church Commissioners acknowledged elevated reputational risks and warned of long-term consequences if public trust continues to erode due to these safeguarding issues. Photo by Motacilla, Wikimedia commons.