Press Release: Disregarding Harvest traditions in Britain’s growing churches dishonours God’s creation and disrespects farmers, warns Green Christian
3 October 2025
A survey of over 600 regular churchgoers in Britain has revealed that although over two-thirds of churches normally hold Harvest Festival services, the practice varies markedly across denominations.
While nearly all respondents from Church of England and Methodist churches, most Presbyterians and the majority of Roman Catholics indicated that their churches normally hold Harvest services, the practice is far less common in some of the churches that have seen the greatest growth in recent years. Barely a quarter of respondents from New Churches (e.g. Newfrontiers, Vineyard) and less than one-half of respondents from Black Majority, Independent and Pentecostal churches indicated that their churches normally hold Harvest services.
The findings are released at a time when harvests are becoming more unpredictable due to the impacts of climate change. After an exceptionally dry Spring, this year’s harvest in the UK is predicted to be among the worst since detailed records began; last year’s was the second-worst.
Tim Cooper, Emeritus Professor of Sustainable Design and Consumption at Nottingham Trent University, who led the research, expressed concern:
“While Harvest Festival remains a mainstay in the Church of England calendar, it is worrying that the practice is less common in churches which have been expanding in recent years.
At a time when the effects of climate change and loss of biodiversity are increasingly apparent, Harvest services provide an opportunity for Christians to reflect on God’s provision, show gratitude, think about our food choices and farming practices, and act to reverse the harm that we are causing. The tradition also serves as a reminder to respect and pray for the vital work of farmers.
The promise of heaven doesn’t allow Christians to opt out of our human responsibilities while on this earth. Churchgoers of all backgrounds and traditions claim to care for God’s creation. But if we make choices in our food and farming practices that are not sustainable, we lack environmental integrity and dishonour the creation that God loves.”
Predictably, Harvest services were found to be most common in village and rural churches: 84% of respondents from such churches indicated that they are normally held, compared with around two-thirds in suburbs and towns, and 58% in cities.
The survey also asked respondents how frequently, if at all, their churches hold a Harvest Supper, another longstanding tradition. Around 40% of respondents indicated that their church holds a Harvest Supper ‘every year’ or ‘most years’. The practice was most common in Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, United Reformed and Presbyterian churches. By contrast, the majority of respondents from Independent and Brethren churches, New Churches and Pentecostal churches were unaware of Harvest Suppers having been held in their churches.
Professor Cooper, a Trustee of Green Christian, suggested that churches could use Harvest Suppers to demonstrate ethical food and farming practices:
“Harvest Suppers are an ideal opportunity for churches to provide meals based on LOAF principles – using ingredients that are Local, Organic, Animal friendly and Fairly traded – and thereby encourage Christians to put the principle of caring for God’s creation into daily practice.”
The findings are the latest to be released from a survey of over 600 regular churchgoers in the UK. The survey explored a range of issues relating to food from a Christian perspective. Green Christian is using the findings to promote a more mindful and sustainable approach to consumption among Christians and within churches.
Notes:
- Many churches hold a Harvest Festival this coming weekend. The modern tradition of celebrating the end of the harvest season through special services and meals in churches has been traced to an initiative by the Rev. Robert Hawker in Morwenstow, Cornwall in 1843. In recent years Harvest has been associated with the Season of Creation, an ecumenical initiative ‘to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation’: https://seasonofcreation.org/about/
- The evidence for the harvest prediction is at: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/uk-on-course-for-fifth-worst-harvest-after-drought-hits-staple-crops-new-data
- Green Christian is a charity formed in 1981 to offer insights into ecology and the environment to Christian people and churches, and Christian insights to the Green movement. It provides resources, campaigns and events to help people relate environmental issues with their faith, including various Harvest resources: https://greenchristian.org.uk/introduction/seasonal/harvest/
- The research was designed to understand food practices among Christians and within churches. A questionnaire was completed by 605 respondents who described themselves as Christians and had attended a church service at least once a month, on average, during the previous year. The survey sample was representative of regular churchgoers by age, gender, and type of church attended. Examples of the latter were given to respondents – Pentecostal (e.g. Assemblies of God, Elim); New Church (e.g. Newfrontiers, Vineyard); Black Majority Church (e.g. New Testament Assembly, NTCOG, RCCG, Kingsway, ARC Network, Ruach).
- Asked ‘Does your church normally hold a Harvest Festival service?’ over two-thirds of respondents (68%) indicated that their church normally holds a Harvest service (53% Always, 15% Sometimes). Just over a quarter (27%) responded No and 4% Don’t know. Harvest services are most common in Methodist (94%), Church of England (92%) and Presbyterian (82%) churches. They are less often held in Roman Catholic churches (55%). In many non-conformist churches they are not normally held: 28% of respondents from New Churches, and less than one-half of Black Majority churches (39%), Independent and Brethren churches (46%) and Pentecostal churches (49%). Harvest services are most common in village or rural churches: 84% of respondents from these churches indicated that they are normally held (66% Always, 18% Sometimes), compared with 58% in cities, 67% in suburbs and 68% in towns.
- Asked ‘How often has your church held a Harvest Supper, if ever, in the past decade?’, 40% of respondents indicated that their church holds a Harvest Supper ‘Every year’ or ‘Most years.’ Harvest Suppers are most common in Church of England, Methodist, Baptist, United Reformed and Presbyterian churches. More than one half of Church of England respondents (52%) indicated that they are held ‘Every year’ or ‘Most years’.
Comments on "Press Release: Disregarding Harvest traditions in Britain’s growing churches dishonours God’s creation and disrespects farmers, warns Green Christian"
Judith Russenberger:
My local parish in suburban southwest London continues to celebrate harvest in each of its three churches together with harvest suppers/ lunches or a barbecue. Non perishable food is collected and distributed to three local charities to stick their food pantries.However it is a celebration that doesn’t reflect the risks to future harvests caused by accelerating climate change, nor the struggle farmers face in producing food with the uncertainties of will these be the hot dry year or the wet cool one, nor does it reflect the systemic inequalities that mean some take too big a portion of the Earth’s resources whilst others starve.So my worry is that celebrating harvest can be a green wash that says we’re doing the right thing and see, all is well!
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