Royal Marine recruits are increasingly turning to Christianity – and are even using their assault course’s water tank to perform baptisms, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Commando fledglings attempting to earn the coveted green beret are now regularly attending Sunday services at the training centre in Lympstone, Devon.
In the last 18 months church attendance at the base has risen rapidly and now often exceeds the on-site chapel’s 150 capacity.
And at least 26 recruits underwent a full immersion baptised earlier this year in the training centre’s Regain Tank – a 4ft deep tank with ropes suspended above which candidates have to traverse.
The increase in church attendance appears to be prompted by young men looking for meaning and direction rather than fears of deploying to a combat zone or a future war with Russia, recent studies by the Bible Society suggest.
Details of the new-found interest in Christianity were revealed in an article entitled The Quiet Revival for the Globe And Laurel magazine – a Royal Marine publication.
In the article, Royal Naval chaplain Reverend A Gascoyne wrote: ‘Many recruits drop into the bible session on Thursday nights bringing their questions and sharing their experiences.’
Royal Marine recruits are increasingly turning to Christianity – and are even using their assault course’s water tank to perform baptisms, The Mail on Sunday can reveal
Commando fledglings attempting to earn the coveted green beret are now regularly attending Sunday services at the training centre in Lympstone, Devon. Pictured: Recruits undergo training at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines on December 01, 2014 in Lympstone, United Kingdom
He stated that all of the recruits he had spoken to about their interest in God and baptism said they were searching for a new moral code.
He continued: ‘My impression from talking with recruits is that many are unimpressed by the ‘fridge magnet’ slogans and philosophies that litter social media feeds.
They are looking for a lived experience and a moral code that is both coherent and can stand up under pressure.
‘Many have had little to no opportunity to explore the teachings and mindsets of Jesus Christ and when introduced, find there is a bedrock there that they feel they can build a strong life upon.’
Mr Gascoyne also suggested that part of the attraction of the church and being baptised was the chance of starting life afresh.
Elsewhere in the Armed Forces, the number of troops attending church services is also increasing.
It is part of a growing trend among young people, especially men aged between 18 to 24, who have started regularly attending services – up from 4 per cent in 2018 to 16 per cent in 2024.
