The Church of England’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) has published its annual review for 2025, outlining the results of its investment into mission and church growth activities.
The SMMIB said it had distributed £98 million to Church of England dioceses and £5.9 million to mission partners in a bid to “revitalise” parish churches and fund ministry, youth work, renovation and other mission projects.
As a result of the funding the Church says it expects to train 6,000 new leaders, 100 of whom will be curates.
The church pointed to a number of case studies, showing the impact of its funding.
One such was All Saints Hove in the Diocese of Chichester. Five years ago the church had just five children coming for Sunday worship. Additional funding allowed the church to support a children’s and youth minister and to keep the church open for mission activities during the week.
The church now has a playgroup and a community café and has gone from just five children to 140 children, parents and carers. Last year 17 children were baptised, the highest figure for more than a decade.
Another example was St Luke’s Blackburn, which has gone from a small aging congregation to a gathering of over 100 worshippers every Sunday.
The SMMIB said that to date programmes supported by national funding for strategic investment have led to the creation of 7,600 new leaders and the launching 1,500 new worshipping communities. It is believed such programmes have also accounted for 46,000 people joining the Church.
Carl Hughes, Chairman of the SMMIB, said, “We are delighted to share our annual review for 2025, and to see that strategic investment in local ministry is bearing fruit. There is much to celebrate and praise God for in the stories of thousands coming to know the love of Jesus Christ, and we look forward to continuing our partnerships with parishes, dioceses and mission organisations.”
