# Church finances strain as attendance and donations continue to fall

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/church-of-england-is-facing-financial-disaster-because-of-net-zero-targets-and-its-plan-to-spend-100m-on-slavery-reparations-report-warns/
- Published: 2026-10-23T10:23:44+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-23T10:38:07+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16232571/Church-England-financial-disaster-Net-Zero-slavery-reparations.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: UK, World

## Key points

- Report warns the Church of England faces worsening financial pressures.
- 37 of 42 dioceses are in deficit, up from 18 in 2019.
- Authors call for fewer dioceses and less administration.

## Summary

A report by Canon Robin Gill and Professor John Craven warns that the Church of England faces serious financial strain, linking it to falling attendance and donations, growing administration, and spending on environmental and social justice initiatives. The authors say the Church should prioritise parish communities and clergy, and argue that declining local support risks making its finances and attendance unsustainable.

The Church has a target to reach net zero by 2030 and set aside £190 million for environmental renovations, though it has acknowledged it will miss the deadline. Its £100 million Project Spire fund aims to address historical links to the transatlantic slave trade. The report says 37 of 42 dioceses now run deficits, compared with 18 in 2019, while diocesan staff numbers have risen from 1,300 in 2005 to 2,300; it proposes reducing dioceses and bishops, cutting administration and requiring independent reports on project spending.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.