Great Expectations: Conference on the future of churches

St Peter's, Mattishallburgh, Norfolk ICN/JS

London's Victoria and Albert Museum is hosting a high profile conference 'Great Expectations' about the future of the UK's historic churches, chapels and meeting houses, on Tuesday October 21, 2025.

Historic churches are among our most treasured buildings and our most beautiful heritage.

They contain the UK's largest collection of art, sculpture and stained glass and in England make up around half of all buildings listed as Grade I - with the most significant heritage. They are also key community buildings, helping to make life better for local people through support services such as food banks, are key venues for music and cultural events and witnesses to the faith of many generations.

Great Expectations, organised by the National Churches Trust together with the Churches Conservation Trust and the King's Foundation, will examine how these remarkable buildings can continue to stay open, continue to serve their communities, and how their world class heritage can be made safe for the future.

The conference is being held almost 50 years since the 1977 'Change and Decay' conference at the V&A about the future of churches.

Key speakers at the Great Expectations conference will include:

- HRH The Duke of Gloucester KG, GCVO, GCStJ.
- Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, English academic and historian.
- Dame Fiona Reynolds, former director-general of the National Trust
- Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York.
- Hugh Dennis - comedian, actor, and writer. He is currently starring as the Reverend Canon Chasuble in The Importance of Being Earnest at the Noël Coward Theatre in London
- Ian Morrison, director of policy & evidence at Historic England.
- Oliver Cox, head of academic partnerships at the V&A.
- Alice Loxton, historian, bestselling author, broadcaster and @history_alice across social media.
- Luke Sherlock, author of Forgotten Churches: Exploring England's Hidden Treasures and @englishpilgrim on Instagram.

'Great Expectations' will include the release of the 2025 National Churches Survey of church buildings. This major nationwide survey examines the use of churches for worship, community use, their role as custodians of nationally and locally significant heritage and the challenges they face such as a shortage of volunteers, funding and climate change. The Survey includes data and case studies from historic buildings in all four nations.

"We invite all those who care about the future of our churches, chapels and meeting houses to join us either in person or via the free livestream for a day of discovery," Sir Philip Rutnam, Chair, National Churches Trust.

Full details of the agenda can be found on the National Churches Trust website:
www.nationalchurchestrust.org/GreatExpectations