Church of England Clergy Numbers Hit Historic Low as Resignations Outpace Retirements

The Church of England has just 6,295 stipendiary clergy, the lowest figure on record, according to a new report released in September 2026 by the campaign group Save the Parish.

The report, titled "Parish Ministry: Addressing the Crisis in Stipendiary Clergy Numbers in the Church of England," warns that without a significant increase in ordinations, the clergy workforce could collapse to 5,400 by 2033. That would represent a 40 percent reduction from the year 2000.

The numbers tell a stark story. After reaching a peak of 591 new ordinands in 2020, the number of people entering training dropped to 370 by 2024. In 2026, 442 people began training, still well short of the 630 new clergy the Ministry Council says are needed each year to meet the church's Vision and Strategy targets.

Making matters worse, resignations now outpace planned retirements. In the past year, 379 clergy resigned while only 278 retired as planned. Active ministry increasingly depends on retired ministers, who now outnumber those in paid, full-time positions.

The report identifies several causes. It points to a loss of confident theological identity for the Anglican priesthood, poor clergy wellbeing, and financial pressures that have pushed dioceses to cut stipendiary posts to balance budgets. Approximately 71 percent of ministry leaders say poor clergy wellbeing is a major barrier to attracting candidates. Data shows that 29 percent of all priests, and 35 percent of incumbents, show signs of clinical depression.

Many clergy also report that their roles have shifted away from spiritual leadership toward managing buildings and finances, a change the report describes as "utilitarian" training that prioritizes skills over theological formation.

The report calls for a halt to cutting stipendiary posts, a "Covenant of Care" to provide better mentorship and job security, limits on the size of benefices to ensure manageable workloads, and the removal of mandatory retirement ages to retain experienced ministers.

The Archbishops' Council has acknowledged the crisis and said it intends to work with dioceses to address the decline.