[1] By the middle of the 20th century, the fabric of many British church buildings was in a poor state of repair.

This had followed socioeconomic changes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including population changes, followed by neglect during the Second World War.

About this time the Pilgrim Trust declared that it was ceasing to give grants for repairs to individual churches.

This resulted in the creation of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, which was registered as a charity in 1953.

Money was raised in a variety of ways, including appeals on radio and television, exhibitions, concerts, individual and corporate donations, and a benefit dinner.

In 1960 the Bridges Commission recommended that "a new fund be set up under a new Pastoral Measure to preserve churches of acknowledged historic or architectural worth".

[1] A government scheme, The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme, also assists in essential work to listed religious buildings, giving grants of £346 million from 2010 to 2023, mainly to cover the VAT on repairs.

The full definition of its objectives and activities are "to promote the conservation, repair, maintenance, improvement, and reconstruction of churches (to mean any recognised Christian places of worship, chapel or meeting house in the UK), and of such monuments, fittings, stained glass, furniture, organs, bells, in such churches and to promote the building, development of churches in the United Kingdom".

[7] In the year ending 31 December 2009 its income was £1,895,258, of which 87.4% came from voluntary sources, and it spent £2,712,564, of which 89.4% was used for its charitable activities.

[12] In July 2017 the trust launched an online competition, Sacred Wales – Cymru Sanctaidd, to find the favourite church or chapel in Wales from a list of 50 buildings suggested by religious and heritage organisations.

[15] It was the gift of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia (1795–1861) to the Incorporated Church Building Society in 1857.