Can a Diocese make threats using Parish Share?
For example, can a diocese say that a parish or benefice will not receive a priest unless they pay a certain amount of parish share, or if it does not agree to a diocesan plan such as for minster communities?
When a benefice becomes vacant the procedure for filling it under the Patronage (Benefice) Measure 1986 comes into play. This gives procedure to be followed and sets out certain time limits for things to happen. The bishop cannot normally delay the start of these processes (the start date) more than three months after the vacancy occurs.
In the initial period before the start date and after the processes have started there may be discussions about the financial situation or other issues affecting the viability of the parish(es) and the advisability of appointing a priest. This is reasonable since the diocese must balance its books. However, it must be borne in mind that the Church of England is not a congregational church where each parochial unit funds its own priest. There has always been the possibility of support for poorer parishes from the Church Commissioners or from richer parishes through the parish share system.
The diocese ought not to make threats to parishes. If the diocese comes to the conclusion that the parish or benefice is not financially viable it should not simply keep the parish ‘hanging on’ for years without a priest. It should stop the appointment process by suspending the right to present, after the required consultations with the patron and PCC. It must then bring proposals for pastoral reorganisation which go through the full consultation process under the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.
The diocese ought not to short-circuit the pastoral re-organisation process by forcing parishes to agree to a minster model or other proposal with a threat that if they don’t they will not receive a priest. If the diocese wants to move to a minster model it should bring forward proper pastoral re-organisation proposals. The fact that the diocesan synod has approved a minster model does not bind the parishes to agree to it.
To challenge the actions of a diocese would need specific details of the case.
