Church Times
Church Times is an independent Anglican newspaper founded in 1863, publishing weekly news, theology, and book reviews for UK clergy, PCC members, and ordinands via print, digital, mobile apps, and a historical archive.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1863
- Headquarters—
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Church Times does
Church Times is an independent Anglican news publication founded in 1863 in London, United Kingdom, operated as a subsidiary under parent publisher Hymns Ancient & Modern. The company produces a weekly newspaper covering Church of England and global Anglican Communion news, theological commentary, book reviews, features, interviews, and parish resources. Its core product is the weekly print edition, supplemented by a digital subscription (website, mobile apps on iOS/Android, and digital edition hosted via 3dissue), a searchable online archive stretching back to 1863, and a regular podcast. Adjacent revenue lines include a dedicated jobs board (jobs.churchtimes.co.uk) for church and charity recruitment, ticketed events including the Festival of Faith and Music (joint with RSCM at Southwark Cathedral) and the Festival of Preaching (Cambridge), and bundled discounts on religious books via the parent company's Church House Bookshop.
The business operates on a subscription-recurring model with three primary tiers - print (introductory £10/10 issues), digital (£10/2 months), and combined print + digital - plus a discounted PCC member tier at £65 per six months and free access for Anglican ordinands and readers-in-training. Non-subscribers can register for up to four free articles per month, providing a freemium funnel. Marketing channels are predominantly organic: the website as a content hub, email newsletter, podcast, social media, and live events, with community-led growth through clergy word-of-mouth and parish networks. Geographic focus is primarily the United Kingdom, with print subscription pricing tiers for Europe and Rest of World indicating some international reach, though digital distribution is global. The publication maintains 16 employees and operates under the Hymns Ancient & Modern corporate umbrella, sharing authentication infrastructure (login.hymnsam.co.uk) and book retail operations with its parent.
Church Times firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Church Times
- Legal name
- Church Times
- Website
- https://churchtimes.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1863
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Church Times is an independent Anglican newspaper founded in 1863, publishing weekly news, theology, and book reviews for UK clergy, PCC members, and ordinands via print, digital, mobile apps, and a historical archive.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Church Times industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Religious News Publication
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters) (MPAJAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)
Keywords
Church Times business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Print Subscription: Weekly print edition delivered to subscribers. Primary revenue stream with introductory offers of 10 issues for £10.
- Digital Subscription: Full website access, weekly digital edition, iOS/Android app access. Priced at £10 for 2 months introductory offer.
- Print + Digital Bundle: Combined print and digital subscription at introductory pricing of 10 issues for £10, offering best value tier.
- Advertising: Job listings and display advertising through jobs.churchtimes.co.uk and website ad placements.
- Events: Festival of Faith and Music, Festival of Preaching, and other events generating ticket revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Print edition with book discounts |
| Subscription | Annual | Best Value - Print + Digital combined |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Digital-only access |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PCC Members discounted subscription |
| Freemium | Annual | Free for Anglican ordinands |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Church Times product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Church Times is an independent Anglican weekly publication founded in 1863 that delivers UK and world church news, theological commentary, faith features, interviews, and Christian book reviews across print, digital, and mobile channels. Its core offering is a tiered subscription product (print, digital, or combined) bundled with access to a comprehensive online archive dating back to 1863, supplemented by a podcast, a church and charity jobs board, an annual A3 wall-planner, and ticketed events such as the Festival of Faith and Music and the Festival of Preaching.
Product overview
Church Times is a single-product publication (print, digital, and app-based religious newspaper) founded in 1863, offering a unified subscription model across Print, Digital (website access + digital edition), and Mobile App channels. The core product is the weekly print edition, supplemented by digital access, the Church Times App (iOS/Android), Archive access, Podcast content, Events (Festival of Faith and Music, Festival of Preaching), Jobs Board, book discounts, and an annual wall-planner.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Church Times
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Church Times technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Church Times partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RSCM (Royal School of Church Music)coreJoint event partnership for Church Times Festival of Faith and Music 2026, a one-day symposium at Southwark Cathedral celebrating church music. Marks ongoing collaboration between the two church music organizations.
- Southwark CathedralminorVenue partner for Church Times Festival of Faith and Music 2026. Provides the location for the one-day symposium.
- St John's College CambridgeminorSponsor at Public Faith Common Good symposium. Church Times listed as sponsor for the event held at St John's College Cambridge.
- Hymns Ancient & ModerncoreParent organization owning Church Times. Provides publishing infrastructure, website authentication (login.hymnsam.co.uk), subscription management, and book retail operations (Church House Bookshop). Founded the publication and continues to support its operations.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Church Times competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Premier Christianity: UK-based Christian media outlet covering news, theology, and culture with a magazine and digital platform; targets a broader evangelical and charismatic audience but overlaps on clergy and engaged Christian reader segments.
- Christian Today: Digital-first global Christian news platform covering UK church affairs, theology, and faith commentary; competes for the same general Christian reader segment with a primarily online model.
Direct peers
- Methodist Recorder: Weekly denominational newspaper serving Methodist clergy and laity in the UK with similar subscription, news, and theological content model.
- Baptist Times: Denominational publication serving Baptist churches in the UK with news, features, and reviews delivered on a similar subscription/newsletter model.
- The Tablet: UK-based weekly religious newspaper serving a similar clerical and educated lay readership; offers comparable print + digital subscription model covering Catholic affairs, theology, and book reviews.
- Catholic Herald: Catholic weekly newspaper with subscription model analogous to Church Times, targeting clergy, religious professionals, and engaged laity with news, comment, features, and reviews.
- The Church of England Newspaper: Historic Anglican newspaper directly competing with Church Times for the same clergy and lay reader audience in the UK; covers similar Church of England news, comment, and parish coverage.
Others
- Church House Publishing: Publishing arm of the Church of England producing official liturgical, theological, and ministry resources; complementary rather than competitive, sharing the same parent ecosystem (Hymns Ancient & Modern relationship) and audience.
Regional players
- Anglican Journal: Official national publication of the Anglican Church of Canada, structurally analogous to Church Times as a denominational periodical serving clergy and laity with news, comment, and features — though serving a different national market.
Broad incumbents
- Church Life (CofE digital resource): Official Church of England digital resource providing news, liturgy, and parish support — represents the institutional incumbent against which Church Times' independent editorial positioning competes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Church Times social profiles
Digital presenceChurch Times financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Church Times leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Church Times funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Church Times M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Church Times
What does Church Times do?
Church Times is an independent Anglican weekly publication founded in 1863 that delivers UK and world church news, theological commentary, faith features, interviews, and Christian book reviews across print, digital, and mobile channels. Its core offering is a tiered subscription product (print, digital, or combined) bundled with access to a comprehensive online archive dating back to 1863, supplemented by a podcast, a church and charity jobs board, an annual A3 wall-planner, and ticketed events such as the Festival of Faith and Music and the Festival of Preaching.
Is Church Times a public or private company?
Church Times is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Church Times founded?
Church Times was founded in 1863. It employs 11 to 50 people.
How does Church Times make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Print Subscription is the primary driver. The others are digital Subscription, print + Digital Bundle, advertising and events.
Who are Church Times's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Premier Christianity and Christian Today. Direct peers are Methodist Recorder, Baptist Times, The Tablet, Catholic Herald and The Church of England Newspaper. Church House Publishing is listed as an others. Anglican Journal is listed as a regional player. Church Life (CofE digital resource) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Church Times have an API?
No public API is recorded for Church Times.
What industry is Church Times in?
Church Times's product category is Religious News Publication. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAHAI, Denominational & Community Periodicals (Church Magazines, Diocesan/Temple Newsletters), with a secondary code of MPAJAHAD, Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources). Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2711.