Rising numbers of baptisms, growing chapel attendance and greater demand for Bibles are pointing to increased openness to Christianity among military personnel.
A former Army lieutenant colonel has spoken of a “clear increase” in interest in faith among Britain’s Armed Forces amid reports of recruits seeking meaning and purpose in their lives.
Dr Martin Gliniecki, executive director of the Soldiers’ and Aviators’ Scripture Readers Association (SASRA), said its workers had encountered greater spiritual engagement both at training establishments and established barracks.
“What we have witnessed is a clear increase in interest about spirituality, faith and the Word,” he said.
Gliniecki’s observations follow recent figures from the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department suggesting that Christianity is attracting growing interest among young recruits.
Although the Army does not keep comprehensive official statistics on conversions, baptisms or confirmations, chaplains have reported increases at several training centres.
At Army Training Regiment Winchester, Gliniecki said 26 recruits were baptised or confirmed in October 2025, including 16 on a single Sunday.
“Over the last 18 months, many recruits have shown a real desire to seek meaning and purpose in their lives,” he said.
“The work of the chaplain and our Scripture Reader there, sharing the gospel, has been transformative.”
At the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, dozens of officer cadets have reportedly been baptised or confirmed, including 11 baptisms last October.
Baptisms among recruits at Army Training Centre Pirbright rose by 37.5 per cent between 2024 and 2025, while growing interest has also been reported at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick and the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.
Gliniecki said the signs of growing interest extended beyond training centres.
“We are also witnessing renewed interest in barracks and stations beyond training,” he said.
“Our Scripture Readers report much less sarcasm and cynicism when participating in spiritual conversations than previously, and much more engagement, including one-to-one and group Bible studies, attendance at church, and Christian-led community events.
“Yes, we observe cynicism from some but we are seeing more lives changed by the gospel."
Other Christian military organisations have reported similar developments, he said, including the Naval and Military Bible Society, which distributed 75,000 Bibles and Christian books in 2025, and has already surpassed that amount this year, distributing 80,000 so far.
SASRA, which sends Scripture Readers into military communities to share the Christian faith and support personnel, has expanded its own workforce from 13 to 21 readers in two years, despite the number of Armed Forces personnel falling significantly over the last few decades.
Gliniecki believes the recent expansion has equipped the charity to respond to the increased spiritual interest it is encountering.
The observations come after the withdrawal of the Bible Society’s influential “Quiet Revival” report when problems were discovered in the YouGov data underpinning its claims of rising church attendance, particularly among young men.
The controversy has prompted greater caution around declarations of revival. However, Gliniecki said the experiences of chaplains and Scripture Readers suggested that something significant may nevertheless be taking place within the military.
“We have prayed for revival in our nation for many years now and, in SASRA’s case, revival in our Armed Forces too; something is happening,” he said.
“While our Armed Forces are the smallest in modern history, the harvest remains plentiful."
