“Save the Parish” manifesto urges financial shift to support parish ministry

Call for Reallocation of Church of England Funds Sparks Debate

The Church of England faces a crossroads as Save the Parish advocates for a redirection of financial resources towards parish ministries, challenging the current centralized funding model. With a manifesto launched ahead of the General Synod elections, the group emphasizes the urgent need to preserve the essence of the Church amidst financial pressure and declining congregations.

Save the Parish, established in 2021, has highlighted an “existential crisis” within the Church, stressing the importance of channeling the Church Commissioners’ £11.6bn fund towards stipendiary parish ministry. The group’s chairman, Rev Marcus Walker, warns that without this shift, the Church risks losing its foundational identity.

The manifesto criticizes the diversion of funds from parish to central programs, noting a significant reduction in support for frontline parish ministry. Rev Walker expresses that the priority should be to “rebalance the Church of England’s finances,” a change he anticipates will face resistance.

“That’s the big one. It’s the one that people are going to fight hardest because nobody whose nose is firmly in the trough likes the taps at the top of the trough being turned off,” Rev Walker said, emphasizing that the funds belong to the parishes and not central entities.

Concerns over church closures are underscored by research from Church Action on Poverty, which indicates that 40% of closures occur in the most deprived parishes. In contrast, churches in wealthier areas are more likely to remain open, highlighting what the manifesto describes as the “abandonment of the poor.”

Rev Walker critiques the Church’s strategic grant funding model, referring to an independent review by Sir Robert Chote. The review found that a £176m investment aimed at increasing attendance by 89,000 worshippers only resulted in approximately 12,700 new attendees.

Moreover, the formation of “mega-parishes” is criticized for overwhelming clergy with responsibilities across extensive church groups. Rev Walker cites a case in Wigan where consolidating 29 parishes into a single benefice led to declines in attendance and financial stability.

The manifesto also highlights a rise in diocesan spending, particularly on staffing, which has increased by nearly 30% in three years. Rev Walker questions the sustainability of these costs, suggesting that cuts to parish ministry are not a viable solution for revitalization.

Save the Parish proposes a Clergy Charter of Care, advocating for an end to stipendiary cuts and a shift away from performance-based success metrics. The group points to the Church of England’s Living Ministry survey, which reveals concerning levels of depression and loneliness among clergy.

The manifesto encourages a renewed legislative commitment to the parish, proposing a cap on the number of parishes within benefices and urging members to stand for the General Synod elections.

Rev Walker concludes with a call to action: “Our manifesto is just the start of a campaign that needs to run through every parish and every diocese; to renew hope in how this church has a future – a future which honours its past, and loves the people that make up its present.”