Church of England spends £35m on school evangelism projects

In 2025, the Church of England (CofE) invested around £35 million in projects to evangelise young people in schools. The CofE’s spending is detailed in the annual review of the Church’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board, which funds programmes intended to further the Church of England’s ‘Vision and Strategy’. This includes the Church’s aim of doubling the number of children and young people who are ‘active Christian disciples’ by 2030.

Humanists UK said the new figures revealed a continued push by the CofE to use schools as part of its wider mission and recruitment strategy among young people, and state-funded schools should not be used to target pupils for evangelism.

Of the eleven Diocesan Investment Programme projects funded in 2025, six of these included a focus on schools. These were:

• £10.8 million for the Diocese of Rochester to support the ‘development of missional churches’, including by increasing parish engagement with children and schools.
• £7.6 million to the Diocese of Liverpool to support mission activity, including new worshipping communities ‘in and out of schools’.
• £6.8 million for the Diocese of Carlisle to create 90 new Christian communities, including through collaboration with schools.
• £5.1 million for the Diocese of Lichfield to establish new worshipping communities in churches and schools.
• £2.3 million for the Diocese of St Albans for outreach to children, young people, and young adults across estates, schools, universities, and other communities. 
• £2.2 million for the Diocese of Salisbury to support mission hubs, including work with schools.

Previous CofE publications have set out the Church’s agenda to evangelise young people through the school system. In 2023, the CofE’s publication, Our Hope for a Flourishing Schools System, revealed plans for a ‘Growing Faith Foundation’, which involved:

‘the creation of new models of church in schools, which provide opportunities for children and adults to develop their journey of faith, through well planned pathways to discipleship.’

In 2024 the annual report from the Church Commissioners for England, the charity that oversees how Church of England funds are spent, detailed how millions of pounds had been directed towards increasing youth ministers and ‘discipleship pathways’ in schools.

Commenting on the report, Humanists UK Policy and Campaigns Manager Lewis Young said:

‘These figures further expose the Church of England’s agenda to evangelise young people through the school system, with tens of millions being directed into projects involving schools and children.

‘Schools should be inclusive of all pupils regardless of their faith or belief, and provide a balanced education that supports young people to think critically and make their own choices about religion and belief. They should not be used to bolster church numbers or convert children to a particular faith.’