“That vision of the Anglican Church as an inclusive institution, open to everyone and the priest’s cure of souls extending to everyone in his or her parish, no matter what their faith or lack of it, is increasingly under threat in Britain. This is partly through pastoral reorganisation and partly Read more…
Well done. What has been achieved in this year is very inspiring and hopeful. People do care passionately about their local churches and local ministry based in the parish church is very often the most effective manner in which we can provide pastoral care and share the Good News of Read more…
How Village Churches Thrive: A Practical Guide. Church House Publishing, 2022, £9.99. ‘So, if anything, I think many rural churches are rather like spring bulbs, ready for the right conditions to release all the potential they hold, and to thrive.’ Those are the words of comedian Hugh Dennis, a vicarage Read more…
My local parish is undergoing significant changes. For a long time, our local church in Roos, East Yorkshire has been without a priest and we rely on a rural dean who travels to all of the different churches in South Holderness. Roos church relies on support from the Diocese of York to survive but due to the proposed funding changes, it is unlikely that we will be able to afford to pay for the employment of the clergy.
“The Save the Parish movement, born a year ago this month, has seen its leaders chided as “rascally voices” by Archbishops, and roundly condemned by certain more excitable bishops (generally the ones closing parishes). They have, in their turn, received their share of brickbats too. But something happened on the Read more…
Postlebury has 5 churches and a fantastic vicar, Anthony Dickson. All 5 churches have enthusiastic and effective churchwardens, engaging with new people moving in to the villages, offering both BCP and modern language services, both Matins and Holy Communion so that congregations average between 18 and 25. Fundraising is regular Read more…
“So, the CofE picked up on the social damage done by closing railways (churches), but hasn’t picked up on the underlying causes of why the railways (churches) weren’t being used, nor has it picked up on the fact that once the railway as been ripped out (church closed) then you can’t put it back again. I do not know if I wasn’t clear, or whether there is willful or accidental blindness on the part of the CofE hierarchy.”
“What we vicars need is a bishop who, like an elder sibling will swoop into our parishes and help sort out nonsense, and if required (safeguarding rules permitting) give us a hug. Bishops should be able to hang around in a parish for a few days, not just a few hours. In my mind a bishop should be to the vicarage family like a grandparent who says to the vicar and his wife, “You are overworking, so tonight I’ll look after the kids so you two can go off to the cinema.””
“[The archbishops] must also follow up on their commitment to consider what I think is fundamentally wrong with the parish system: there are too many dioceses. It is impossible to justify the present 42 when, 200 years ago, in the Church’s heyday, there were 26.”
Ahead of expected details about the upcoming Triennial Budget to be published by the Archbishops’ Council, campaigners from the grassroots group Save the Parish say they are looking forward to the budget reflecting the Archbishops’ statements in support of the parish system.