Where we are: the Methodist Church's digital landscape

One of the first things the Digital Transformation Programme set out to do was understand where we are now. If we are going to improve the Church's digital tools and presence over the next two years, we need to be honest about the starting point - otherwise we have no way of knowing whether we have made a difference.

So we mapped the digital presence of every Methodist District, Circuit and church. We looked at websites, social media, the Church Finder on methodist.org.uk, and Google Business Profile listings. This is the first time this has been done across the whole Connexion.

The headlines

79% of our churches have some form of web presence - but 1 in 5 have none at all. That is around 775 churches that someone searching online simply cannot find. For a church trying to connect with its community, being invisible online is a real barrier.

93% of circuits have a website, but they are spread across more than 35 different platforms. WordPress, Wix, Chrestos, tm-web, Google Sites, Squarespace, and dozens more. This makes it very difficult to provide shared training, templates or support. Every circuit is solving the same problem from scratch.

Facebook is our strongest social media platform - but only half of circuits use it. Beyond Facebook, adoption drops sharply. Just 3% of circuits are on Instagram, which is where younger demographics spend their time.

85% of our churches show up on Google Maps - but most of those listings are unclaimed. That means the information people see - opening times, contact details, photos - is often auto-generated and wrong. Claiming a Google listing is free and takes about 10 minutes.

The gap between our most and least digitally confident areas is significant. Some parts of the Connexion have dedicated digital roles, active social media and modern websites. Others have no digital presence at all. This is not about blame - it is about understanding where support and investment are most needed.

What the numbers do not show

The audit tells us what exists. It cannot tell us how confident people feel using digital tools, what they actually need, or what is getting in the way.

That is coming through in other ways. Through our district listening conversations, we are hearing about the volunteer who maintains six church websites because there is nobody else. The church that closed a 50-person fortnightly activity because the one person who could use the projector moved away. The administrator who updates data faithfully but loses confidence when nothing changes at the other end.

These stories matter as much as the statistics. They are shaping how we prioritise the programme's work.

What happens next

This baseline gives us a foundation. We will use it to target investment where it is most needed and we will publish updated figures as things change so the Connexion can see the progress being made.

If you are involved in managing a church or circuit's online presence - whether that is a website, social media, or just keeping information up to date - we would value hearing from you. Please consider taking 10 minutes to fill out our short survey.

You can also join the Champions Network to stay connected with the programme, or express interest in the Stakeholder Reference Group to help shape what we build.