The Archbishop of Canterbury has said that "There is every reason to be hopeful about the future of the Church of England" as new research reveals churches across the country showing signs of growth in a variety of areas of church life from newly established congregations and churches to ancient cathedrals and parishes.

The Faith in Research Conference was held in London to publish and disseminate the executive summary of an 18 month systematic multi-method study into church growth in the Church of England.

The research is published against a backdrop of decline of 9 per cent in church attendance over the last decade and identified factors associated with growth as well as identifying factors in churches which are showing numerical decline.

Archbishop Justin said: "There is every reason to be hopeful about the future of the Church of England, and, indeed, all the churches in this country. There are many signs of growth, huge areas of development, and the church is - more than it has been for the last 60 years - demonstrating how essential it is to hold together our society.

"Over time there has been a decline in the percentage of the population that attends church. We need to listen to the message that comes through this research in order to develop our own strategies and stop doing things that help accelerate decline and focus on things that develop growth.

"The turnaround of the church is fundamentally in the hands of God. God is faithful. He has shown that in Jesus Christ, and He shows that to us every day in our lives - and in the lives of our churches together. But He calls on us to be his feet, his hands, his mouth, his eyes, his hears, who listen to and serve and love the people around us, who above all witness to the reality of the love of Jesus Christ."Key Findings

Key findings of the research include:

• Significant growth in Fresh Expressions of Church (new congregations and new churches) with around 21,000 people attending in the 10 surveyed areas of the 44 Church of England dioceses.
• Significant growth in cathedrals, especially in weekday attendance. Overall weekly attendance grew by 35 per cent between 2002 and 2012.
• Declining numbers of children and young people under 16 - nearly half of the churches surveyed had fewer than five under 16s.
• Amalgamations of churches are more likely to decline - the larger the number of churches in the amalgamation, the more likely they are to decline

The report and more information can be found at www.churchgrowthresearch.org.uk.