The National Secular Society (NSS) has called on the local government minister to ensure that the “great wealth” of the state church is taken into account when deciding whether taxpayers’ money should be given for the upkeep of its buildings,
The NSS said that money should be given to religious groups only if there was “financial necessity” and not automatically.
A scheme of financial assistance for church premises was extended for a year in January and allocated £23m. Since 2010 religious organisations have had £350 through the scheme.
However the Church of England (CoE) state church has its own endowment of £20bn endowment. Billions of pounds are also held by CoE diocese, cathedral and parish councils.
In 2023 this religious group allocated only £9.2m of its own money for repair of its churches. But £38m was found for evangelical work to bring in new followers of its religious philosophy. And millions more were paid were available for housing and offices for its bishops and archbishops.
The NSS reports that there has been an increase lobbying by religious interest groups for more taxpayers’ money to maintain their premises while they keep their own often considerable resources for the recruitment of more followers.