Earl Spencer highlights financial challenges facing historic UK churches

Historical author Earl Spencer recently addressed the precarious financial state of historic church buildings across the United Kingdom. Writing in the Financial Times, Spencer noted that many congregations are too small to cover the rising costs of maintaining aging structures. He highlighted that the situation is particularly severe in Scotland, where a significant portion of Church of Scotland buildings faced closure in 2023. Factors contributing to these difficulties include the expiration of heritage lottery funding and the recent introduction of VAT on repair work.

Spencer acknowledged that the Church of England’s endowment fund has grown to £11.6 billion, but argued that competing financial priorities—such as abuse redress schemes, net-zero carbon initiatives, and child sexual abuse inquiries—limit the resources available for building maintenance. While the government has launched a £23 million Places of Worship Renewal Fund, Spencer suggested that the application process is difficult for local volunteers to navigate and will only assist a limited number of sites annually.

Commentary from Christian Today noted that Spencer’s analysis omitted the Church of England’s £100 million commitment to slavery reparations, known as Project Spire. The publication questioned why this expenditure was excluded, noting that these funds could otherwise support frontline parish ministry.