National Ministry Survey - Reach Ministries UK

Section 01

Who Responded — Demographics

Profile of church leaders responding to both surveys. The 2026 cohort is slightly smaller — 393 versus 584 respondents in 2021 — but comparably structured across most demographic categories.

Gender

% Male / Female respondents

Age Groups

Distribution across surveys

Years in Leadership

Experience levels of respondents

Role in Church

Which of the following best describes your role?

Section 02

Church Growth & Mission

Has your congregation grown? A direct comparison shows significantly more positive trajectories in 2026 than during the COVID shadow of 2021.

74%
Churches grew (2026)
↑ from 35% in 2021
8%
Churches decreased (2026)
↓ from 31% in 2021
17%
Remained same (2026)
↓ from 31% in 2021

Congregation Size Change

2021 (since COVID) vs 2026 (last 3 years)

Conversions in Last 3 Years

Adults joining who were previously unchurched

Returnees & Revivals in Last 3 Years

Adults who were previously lapsed or nominal attendees

First-Time Guests per Month (2026)

How many first-time visitors would you generally see in a month?

New Christians

Big figures show the average number of new Christians per church, per year — calculated by dividing each church's 3-year total by 3. The 3-year total itself is shown below in smaller type. Figures run from 2021 (orange) to 2026 (green).

👤
1.6 → 2.6
Avg. unchurched conversions per church, per year
3-yr total: 4.9 → 7.9

👤
1.0 → 2.7
Avg. lapsed/nominal returnees per church, per year
3-yr total: 2.9 → 8.1

👤
2.6 → 5.3
Avg. total new Christians per church, per year (combined)
3-yr total: 7.8 → 16.0

Because churches vary greatly in size, the figures below instead express new Christians as a percentage of each church's adult attendance — a fairer comparison, since a small church can be just as fruitful as a large one.

📈
1.7% → 2.3%
Unchurched conversions, annualised growth rate
% of adult attendance, per year

📈
1.1% → 2.3%
Lapsed/nominal returnees, annualised growth rate
% of adult attendance, per year

📈
2.4% → 4.6%
Combined annualised growth rate
% of adult attendance, per year

Section 03

Training & Development

How well are leaders being equipped? Coaching and external assessment compared across both surveys.

What Help Is Most Needed — 2026

Areas where leaders feel most in need of support — all structured options (% of 393 respondents, multi-select)