THE greatest reduction in the Church of England’s church-building stock since the 16th century is under way, a new report warns.

Since 1969, just under 2000 church closures have taken place: about ten per cent of the estate. The analysis notes that churches in the most deprived parishes are much more likely to close — “the very places which may be missional priorities”.

The report, Struggling, Closed and Closing Churches, has been produced by Guy Braithwaite for the Church Buildings Council (CBC), which advises churches and dioceses on care, conservation, and development of church buildings. It looks at the Council’s casework between 2004 and 2018.

Click here to see the full report.