The Diocese of Portsmouth witnessed a remarkable surge in church attendance in 2025, outpacing national growth trends. Newly released data highlights this significant increase, with weekly adult attendance rising by 3.3%, compared to the national average of 0.7%.
Children’s participation also saw a notable rise of 7.4%, marking the third-highest growth among Church of England dioceses. This comes amid a broader trend as the Church of England marks its fifth consecutive year of attendance growth nationwide.
Preliminary figures from the Statistics for Mission reveal that the Church of England had 1.023 million regular worshippers last year, reflecting a 1.4% increase from 2024. Weekly attendance grew by 0.7% to approximately 707,000, while Easter and Advent services saw attendance spikes of 7.8% and 2%, respectively.
In Portsmouth, the growth was even more pronounced, with Easter attendance climbing 11% over the previous year and Advent attendance experiencing an unprecedented surge of nearly 38%, the highest among all dioceses.
The diocese reports that this growth spans various church traditions and worship styles, with positive trends observed in both financially supported and independent parishes. Fareham deanery emerged as a standout performer, with nearly every parish reporting growth in attendance and adult baptisms, despite not receiving diocesan strategic funding.
Tim Pike, the strategic projects manager for the diocese, highlighted that churches fostering worship, fellowship, and discipleship have observed promising results. He emphasized the role of children’s and youth ministries and the importance of providing clear pathways for individuals exploring Christianity to become active disciples.
However, extended clergy vacancies continue to pose challenges to church growth, with attendance often dwindling between incumbencies. Efforts to shorten these vacancy periods appear supported by the latest data.
Interestingly, growth is not solely tied to planned mission initiatives. Many individuals are attending services without any prior church involvement or invitation. One such individual, Will Limburn, discovered Christianity through platforms like Instagram and TikTok before joining St Faith’s Church in Lee-on-the-Solent.
Similar stories are unfolding elsewhere. At St Mary’s Church in Portchester, younger men with little previous church background have started attending regularly. Churches like St John’s in Locks Heath, Hope Church in Whiteley, and the churches in Clanfield and Catherington have baptized individuals who initially sought spiritual answers or received free Bibles.
In response to this growth, the diocese has launched various initiatives, including establishing new congregations in Ryde, Gosport, and Paulsgrove, as well as training programs for both lay and ordained leaders.
The Rev Andrew Hargreaves, Director of Ministry and Discipleship for the Diocese of Portsmouth, remarked on the significance of these attendance figures, noting they offer encouraging signs amidst prevalent discussions on church decline. He stated, “God is present in the detailed work to analyse where to place resources and how our churches can grow in numbers and in depth of discipleship. And it also appears that he is working in other places, entirely independently of our efforts – by bringing people into church unexpectedly. All we ask is that our churches are ready and willing to react to what God’s Spirit is already doing.”
The full Statistics for Mission report from the Church of England is anticipated later this year.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
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