In the aftermath of seismic shifts in Hong Kong over the past five years, how is the church doing?
It’s a question we carry not as distant observers, but as fellow members of one body. At ChinaSource, we hold deep affection for the church in Hong Kong. Over the years, we’ve quietly witnessed its perseverance through seasons both seen and unseen—and we continue to lift it in prayer, especially in those quiet places where faith is refined.
This reflection by Pastor Nelson Leung offers a humble and honest glimpse into what local churches are facing: declining worship attendance, aging leadership, emigration, fatigue—and yet also creativity, resilience, and hope.
Rooted in both statistics and spiritual insight, his words invite the wider body of Christ to reflect, persevere, and rise again in hope—even when standing from the lowest place.
Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2, NIV)
Introduction
Looking back, the first comprehensive Hong Kong Church Census was launched in 1989 by “Hong Kong Gospel 2000.” After this movement merged with the Hong Kong Church Renewal Movement (HKCRM) in 1993, HKCRM officially took up the responsibility of conducting a church census every five years. The latest, the 2024 Hong Kong Church Census (hereafter referred to as “the Census”), is the eighth of its kind and was released on March 27, 2025.
What makes this round particularly noteworthy is the tremendous upheaval Hong Kong has experienced over the past five years. The church has faced multiple shocks and an uncertain future. There is a widespread hope that the data collected can reveal the true situation, help churches evaluate their current condition, and formulate future development strategies.
Due to the transitional phase the church is in, we encountered many difficulties in data collection, resulting in a response rate of only about 60% out of 1,318 churches. Nevertheless, through the advice of the research team and the efforts of colleagues, the data has been carefully estimated and interpreted. This enables us not only to understand the changes of the past five years but also to compare them with previous censuses to observe patterns of growth and decline across different eras.
Due to space limitations—and with more findings to be shared in the future—this article will focus on seven key areas to present and interpret the data. The goal is both to inform those who could not attend the Census launch event and to provide a comparison between the 2019 and 2024 censuses, along with some preliminary observations. For other areas of interest, such as church finances, evangelism strategies, and missions, please refer to the 2024 Hong Kong Church Census Briefing and related reports.
As for how to implement concrete action plans, each denomination and local church will need to assess and plan according to their own context. We must continue to connect with various stakeholders, gather collective wisdom, and work together for the future transformation of the Hong Kong church.
1. Declining Numbers and Growing Disengagement
Undoubtedly, the fluctuation in worship service attendance is a key indicator—one that helps us reflect on pastoral care, evangelistic strategy, and resource allocation.
This Census includes total attendance figures for worship services held Monday through Friday, on Saturdays, and on Sundays. It distinguishes between in-person and online formats (including live streaming). Reported numbers are 197,935 for in-person worship and 26,326 for online participation (across 955 views).
It should be noted, however, that the accuracy of online worship statistics is likely inflated.
Compared to 2019, attendance dropped significantly from 268,822 to 197,935—a decrease of 70,887 people (26.4%). Contributing factors include emigration, online-only participation, death, and general attrition. The total number of baptisms over five years was 46,487, lower than 81,004 in 2014 and 62,400 in 2019, indicating a continued decline in evangelistic momentum. The retention rate of baptized believers has remained low, with loss rates of 27.2% (2014), 34.1% (2019), and 27.4% (2024), revealing a consistent challenge in retaining new believers.
Youth participation is even more alarming. In the last two censuses, youth numbers dropped from 47,236 to 33,634—a 28% decrease—accounting for only 13.2% of worshipers. There is also growing polarization between churches composed mostly of second-generation believers and those with none.
Comparing the attendance in 2024 (197,935 across 1,318 churches) with 2014 (305,147 across 1,287churches), the drop of nearly 100,000 is staggering. Of course, factors like emigration and online alternatives over the past five years have significantly influenced this sharp decline.
Reflection: Since 2009, the Hong Kong church has been in decline. It has endured successive blows—fractured internal relationships, spiritual stagnation, and ineffective transmission of faith—leading to increased disengagement and dropouts. We need to revisit the essence and mission of the church, build healthy congregations, and renew our sense of community.
2. Emigration and Its Aftershocks
A 2021 HKCRM follow-up study found that 30,646 church members had already emigrated, and 30,377 more were preparing to do so—totaling 61,023. This reflected an estimated range of 30,000 to 60,000 emigrated believers. Given the intense atmosphere of the emigration wave at the time, it is not surprising that church estimates were on the high side. In the years since, as social conditions and personal considerations changed, the wave has gradually subsided. The percentage of churches with emigrated members rose from 60.5% (2021) to 85.1%. However, in the past five years, the actual number of emigrants totaled 45,999, while those planning to emigrate dropped sharply to 6,219. In other words, while the overall number of emigrants increased between 2021 and 2024, the rate of growth has clearly slowed in recent years.
Reflection: As the emigration wave gradually subsides, the church must face the current crisis with honesty. It must create space for one another, foster mutual listening, and tend to the wounds of the past with care and healing. Only then can trust and relationships be restored.
3. Leadership Succession Weakens, Female Pastors Rise
The number of paid pastoral staff dropped from 4,252 to 3,492, a decrease of 760. Meanwhile, unpaid pastoral workers increased significantly from 261 to 711. Combined, the total declined from 4,513 to 4,203—a net loss of 310.
Among paid pastoral workers who left their positions, 1,435 did so for reasons other than emigration (down from 1,851 in 2019), while 525 left due to emigration. The number of retirements rose from 317 to 621. The number of pastors leaving due to emigration and those retiring were roughly equal. Many of these vacancies appear to have been filled by retired pastors—either as paid staff or in a voluntary capacity.
Leadership succession in Chinese churches has long lagged behind the times. The number of congregations without a paid lead pastor increased from 148 to 240. The proportion of lead pastors aged 41–60 declined from 69.5% to 56%, while those aged 61 and above rose from 16.7% to 22.5%. Among those with paid lead pastors, 71.3% do not plan to retire in the near future.
This reveals a clear gap in succession and an aging leadership structure. Increasingly, churches are seeing two extremes: senior pastors who should retire but cannot, and younger, less experienced pastors stepping up rapidly due to sudden transitions. Both groups require support and adaptation.
Encouragingly, the proportion of female pastors serving as lead pastors has risen significantly. Among pastors, the percentage of women increased from 21.0% to 24.5%; among preachers and missionaries, from 39.1% to 46.0%. The percentage of all pastoral staff who are women rose from 30.1% to 37.4%. This is a welcome development.
In recent years, full-time seminary enrollment has become a growing concern, with many seminaries reporting a significant decline. The number of local full-time students dropped from 929 to 716, while enrollment in church-run training institutes fell sharply from 54 to just 12. Overseas enrollment, by contrast, increased from 59 to 102. In total, the number of full-time students fell from 1,042 to 830—a 20.3% decrease. Compared to 2014 (1,211 students), the drop reaches 31.5%. Although this decline directly affects the development of seminaries, it still falls short of addressing the ongoing shortage of pastoral workers. In recent years, more pastors have begun serving in bi-vocational roles, but a clear trend has yet to emerge.
The number of core leaders and volunteers has also declined sharply, especially among those under 35 and those aged 35 to 44. Core leaders dropped from 21,828 to 10,612, and service volunteers fell from 103,468 to 80,602. While leadership continues to age, churches have increasingly invested in training elders and deacons—rising from 23.9% to 30.5%. Looking ahead, 24.3% of churches plan to continue this kind of training in the next three years. Among pastoral development priorities, leadership and management remains the third most selected focus area, at 30.9%.
Reflection: The Hong Kong church is facing an irreversible trend of aging and decline, and it is inevitably struggling to move forward. The missional community urgently needs to cultivate new talent and restructure its leadership in order to rejuvenate the church.
4. Downsizing and Struggling to Survive
As congregation sizes decline, smaller churches have seen significant growth in number. Churches with fewer than 50 people rose sharply from 191 to 308, and those with 51–100 attendees grew from 384 to 434. This growth among smaller churches appears to result from sharp declines in attendance at larger congregations. At the same time, mid-sized churches—both in the 101–200 and 201–500 range—have notably shrunk. Large and mega-churches were especially impacted by emigration, leading to even steeper drops in attendance.
Anticipating these shifts, the 2024 Census introduced a new question: “Has your church downsized its venue in the past five years?”
• 106 churches responded yes;
• 24 relocated to smaller spaces;
• 61 ceased renting or borrowing external venues;
• Others reported merging or selling church properties.
Looking ahead, 78 more churches anticipate downsizing in the next three years. Assuming no overlap, a total of 184 churches—or 14% of all churches—have downsized or plan to do so.
Reflection: Downsizing is no longer an exception but a widespread reality. Some small churches are merging, while unincorporated congregations are returning to their mother churches. Larger congregations are responding by relocating to smaller venues or reducing staff. The present reality urges us to rethink ministry strategies and reallocate resources with wisdom and courage.
5. More Extensions, Creative Models
In the past five years, only 18 churches planted new congregations—the lowest number recorded, compared with 71 in 2009, 43 in 2014, and 35 in 2019. Looking ahead, the number of churches with no plans to plant has increased from 436 to 620. Meanwhile, those planning or considering church planting dropped from 758 to 622, with only 77 churches currently showing active interest. This marks a significant decline in church planting momentum.
Over the past two decades, church planting often took place through school-based or social service ministries. Today, that model is no longer the mainstream. Churches are increasingly turning to more flexible approaches—such as campus expansion, missional spaces, and Fresh Expressions of Church (FxC). In the past five years, 17.6% of churches (232) expanded their physical footprint, up from 11.3% (148) in 2019—a 56.7% increase. The majority of these expansions involved renting new venues.
Reflection: Rather than planting new congregations, many churches are choosing to expand existing ones—by enlarging, repurposing, or innovating with new forms of gathering. These efforts deserve recognition. They reflect a deeper desire among missional communities to reimagine the nature of the church and generate renewed energy for transformation.
6. Inter-Church Collaboration and Ministry Networks
Despite the many challenges facing churches, it is encouraging to see that participation in inter-denominational networks and regional pastoral fellowships has remained steady.
In fact, collaboration between churches has increased—from 825 in the previous census to 976 in this one. These partnerships primarily focus on evangelism (44.5%, 586 churches), prayer (27.5%, 363 churches), and youth ministry (23.7%, 312 churches).
A new question in this year’s survey asked about church partnerships with social welfare organizations. The top three areas of collaboration were elder care (47.1%, 612 churches), poverty alleviation (44.7%, 490 churches), and community outreach (42%, 554 churches).
As for how churches collaborate with local congregations and gospel organizations, the three most common methods were:
• venue sharing or borrowing (77.2%, 1,108 churches)
• sharing of personnel and volunteer resources
• Provide referrals for members in need
Reflection: Inter-church networks and pastoral fellowships—many of which were formed in the 1970s and 80s—continue to play a vital role today. As churches navigate a season of downturn, deeper collaboration, stronger connections, and mutual care will be essential for moving forward together.
7. Persistent Shepherding and Poverty Ministry
The church’s focus on social concerns has shifted noticeably in recent years. The top five areas of concern are now: family issues, poverty, mental health, emigration, and global affairs. The issue of student suicides has become more pronounced, with reported concern rising from 15.8% to 25.4%.
Increasingly, pastors report that the most common issues they handle involve emotional and mental health challenges. Evangelistic strategies have also shifted—placing greater emphasis on relational ministry, care, and contextualized message-sharing.
Social concern ministries have grown more diverse. Many churches have stepped up efforts in poverty alleviation, support for new immigrants, and door-to-door visits to the marginalized.
Spending on poverty-related ministries has noticeably increased, particularly in response to pandemic-related economic pressures on families. Still, 30.2% of churches reported zero spending in this area (up from 28.3%), suggesting either financial limitations or insufficient motivation.
Reflection: In the face of shrinking teams and tight budgets, many churches still strive to reach out to their neighbors. Amid adversity, their quiet persistence is seen in practical actions—like home visits and tangible care. These humble efforts reflect a commitment to shepherd faithfully, even when the road is hard.
Conclusion
From these seven areas, we gain a preliminary understanding of how the Hong Kong church has changed over the past five years. The 2024 Hong Kong Church Census Briefing offers rich data for further reflection and deeper insight into the evolving church landscape.
To close, I’d like to share a passage from Church Ecology, in the chapter “Withering Trees in Winter—The Church in Reform,” which includes a striking metaphor from John Calvin. Though the church may at times appear feeble or in decline, in God’s hands it can still bud, grow, and be renewed.
In the bleakness of winter, trees wither and appear lifeless. But when spring comes, they shed their hardness and become tender, making way for new growth. The church is like this too. What looks like decline is not true decay. As life spreads through the branches, they soften and break forth in new growth. Likewise, through what appears to be human corruption, the Lord brings full restoration to His people. In short, one should not judge the church by its fragile appearance but hope for the imperishable glory prepared by God through the suffering of the cross.1
May the Lord lead the Hong Kong church to fix its eyes on Christ amid a suffering world, to run with renewed strength, and to rise again—standing firm even in the lowest place.
This article was originally published in Chinese and published by the Hong Kong Church Renewal Movement and is translated and republished here with permission.
*Pastor Nelson Leung is the General Secretary of the Hong Kong Church Renewal Movement.
