The archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who chairs the church's evangelical taskforce and has made mission work central to his leadership, said evangelism was "not a survival technique out of concern at the latest figures on church attendance", but a "commitment to renew the church".

Philip North, the bishop of Burnley, said the church centred its resources too heavily on the middle class and said it must step up its presence among poor communities. "The battle for the Christian soul of this nation will not be won or lost in Kensington or Cobham or Harrogate [but] out on the estates where life is hard and church life is fading fast," he said, adding that the church was least present in "the poorest [communities], the outer estates of our towns and cities".

According to an analysis presented to the synod meeting in London:

The church spends significantly less per head of population in social housing estates -- £5.09 per year -- than the £7.90 average.
Church attendance among people living on estates is less than half the national figure: -- 0.8% compared with 1.7%.
The speed of decline in churchgoing is almost four times faster on estates than the national figure.
Clergy felt isolated, lonely and forgotten and buildings were cold, leaky and unfit for purpose, said North. "The church on our outer estates is dying, and it's dying very quickly. The conclusion is an obvious one: we are all leaders of a church that has taken a preferential option for the rich." A church "that abandons the poor has abandoned God", he said.

The evangelical taskforce is to hold a conference next month at Bishopthorpe Palace, the home of the archbishop of York, to discuss the potential for expanding its presence among the poor and on estates.

The synod was also warned that the church faced an urgent challenge in engaging with young people. More than half of parishes had fewer than five people under the age of 16 in their congregations, said Mark Russell, a member of the taskforce. He cited a study which found that only 1% of Christians come to faith after the age of 45, and said: "It is crucial [to] understand the seriousness of the situation we face; the situation remains critical."

Dioceses and parishes should invest in more paid posts dealing with children and youth work, the taskforce recommended in its report, which was endorsed by the synod. The church plans to appoint a national officer for evangelism with young people.

The report also said that black and minority ethnic people were under-represented in the church. Many said they were "made to feel different in church, opening questions about where someone is from and where they live. The focus is on emphasising cultural differences."

Churches should "create a culture that welcomes cultural diversity into the church and will actively address unconscious bias", the report says.

The taskforce highlighted significant issues about the willingness of some clergy to engage in evangelism. "For many clergy, their vocational understanding was firmly focused on a pastoral ministry that found its fullest expression in the exercise of liturgical duties, prayer, preaching and pastoral ministry ... intentional outreach was of relatively less importance," the report says.

Existing and future clergy needed to be equipped "as leaders of mission and witnesses"; evangelism was central to ordained vocations "not an optional extra for some". Applicants for ordination should be selected on the basis of their willingness to engage with non-Christians, says the report.

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