Majority of Christians in the UK believe everyone should be involved in missions, survey finds

Most Christians in Britain believe that everyone should be involved in evangelism, not just the professional missionaries, a new survey has found.

The study, which was conducted by Church Mission Society (CMS) to uncover the nation's attitude to mission, showed that nine out of 10 Christians in the U.K. said they believe that "everyone is called to mission," and vicars and full-time Christian workers should not be the only people who should engage in evangelistic activities.

However, the findings of the study also indicated that 27 percent of Christians are deterred from spreading the Gospel out of fear, and 17 percent are held back from being involved in missions due to lack of training.

Thomas Fowler from CMS said that the issue needs to be addressed by churches. "You see people going all over the world and coming back and telling these amazing stories and you think, 'gosh, how could I do that?' but actually...God has presented people in front of us to speak with and to connect with," Fowler told Premier.

Philip Mounstephen, Executive Leader of Church Mission Society, noted that many Christians have struggled with being involved in evangelism.

"Most Christians know mission is for them and have a clear sense that it embraces all of life. But while many people have a strong sense of call, just as many struggle with it, and know they need help," he said.

"Churches and mission agencies must work together to set Christians free from the fear and uncertainty preventing them getting involved and equip the 90 per cent of Christians who believe that mission is their calling," he added.

The findings also revealed that half of the Christians said they were putting their call to mission into action, but 46 percent either do not know what their call is or are struggling to put it into practice.

The survey of more than 2,000 respondents was carried out by CMS as part of its "Mission Is" campaign, which seeks to renew people's confidence in the mission.

Mounstephen said that the findings show that Christians want to take part in evangelistic activities and are willing to "take up the challenge" if they are given adequate support and opportunity.

A recent survey conducted by ComRes has found that 13 percent of British people between the ages of 11 and 18 made the decision to become a Christian after visiting a church or cathedral.

The findings, which were released in June, suggested that new methods invested in by the church, such as youth groups, are less effective in attracting children to the church. Senior Church of England figures said that the survey results highlight the importance of keeping churches and cathedrals accessible.