Parish Share – a typical story

This is a fairly typical story. Unfortunately we had no return address so we could not answer.

Questions rather than a story? We have a new incumbent A who is keen to introduce change; he is one of two Clergy, B, ministering a Benefice of 5 Parishes, covering a wide area. Clergy B leaves in October.

Goosnargh Parish has not been paying its full Parish Share since the beginning of the year in order to retain some reserves. One of the other Parishes is also paying part of their Parish share; between the 5 Parishes we are probably paying enough PS to warrant two Clergy for the Benefice, but we have no figures to substantiate that. At that point we are told that we will have a vacancy rather than an interregnum and we must not assume that a second member of the Clergy will be appointed.

We are being encouraged to appoint lay persons to run services but not able to administer communion unless a fully trained Reader; also to read the Gospel and take the Prayers, which we have done for a number of years. We have an early communion service at Goosnargh, the only one in the Benefice, followed by a morning service at which there is usually a Eucharist. We have no evensong service in the Benefice.

We have also been told that there is a probablity that weddings will be held without fees, although charges may be made for bells, heating etc. There is also discussion going on, we understand, about not charging fees for funerals. We have the opportunity to extend our graveyard, using Glebe land adjacent to the existing, but would require assistance with the financing as the Diocese demand a fee from us to procure same, and the costs of preparation would also be considerable. We are told that many Parish graveyards have been closed, and we should think about closing ours when it becomes full in the next 5-10 years.
We have a CoE primary school next to the church, with 202 pupils. Two families only attend church, with their four children; These are the only children that attend regular services. We are discussing ways to make closer contact with the school and children/parents, making services more child friendly, looking at changing service times/days, and creating a more fun arena.

The PCC are discussing how to increase giving, via Stewardship, the creation of a ‘Friends of St Mary’s’ group made up of people from the Village, which is expanding at a fast rate and other ideas. In this way we hope to demonstrate our intentions to pay back the deficit now increasing exponentialy.

All the above will be familiar to you. To the PCC and wardens, the task before us is immense as most of us are over 70 and a number over 80. However the two Wardens and four Deputy Wardens are enthusiastic and maintain the church’s interests to a high standard; however with a congregation probably averaging over 70, it will be an uphill task and the energy required to rebuild our finances and engage with our Village community, run Fayres and Coffee mornings etc., and also be expected to step in as Quasi Clegy, whilst not impossible, might exhaust the cast before the Play is ended?

Many of our fears portrayed above may never come to pass. However:

Question: Should the retiring Minister not be replaced by Ordained Clergy, what authority does our PCC have in rejecting any alternative proposal, should it be unacceptable to the Majority of the PCC? If no Laity will take the service and no Clergy possible, sounds like a recipe for people to either stop going to church, find an alternative church, and end financial support?

Does the Diocese have an absolute right to refuse to appoint a replacement on the grounds that the Parish Share contributions from the 5 Parishes in the Benefice do not meet a required sum: i.e. enough to support two Clergy, although enough to cover the cost of more than one? We understand that the cost to the Diocese to maintain a Priest is about £70,000.

Is it the case that there are not now enough people putting their name forward for Ministry, and therefore the CoE have to spread the number of Clergy thinner, and probably favour penalising Rural Parishes more than Urban? What are your views on the encouragement to have Laity take over the running of church services?