Church profligacy

SIR – Donald R Clarke (Letters, April 7) is right that parishes are desperately short of clergy and the income necessary to support them. One reason for this is that nearly 1,000 ordained clergy occupy administrative roles in the Church of England rather than being deployed as frontline vicars (of which there are only 6,550).

Another is that diocesan expenditure is running at roughly twice what it should be. This is in part due to the fact that dioceses are hiring costly administrative staff. The Diocese of Lichfield, for example, has a high vacancy rate (no vicar in post), and yet is advertising for a director of communications on £50,000 per annum for a 35-hour week.

The number of ordinands in training is down by 40 per cent, while the Church has known for well over a decade that 20 per cent of its clergy are due to retire by 2025.

Compounding this, as Emma Thompson wrote (Comment, telegraph.co.uk, March 19): “The CofE is facing an existential crisis, manifesting itself in fewer bums on seats and a chronic lack of volunteers.” Jonathan Baird

Member, General Synod (Laity) Conock, Wiltshire

SIR – Travelling by narrowboat, we visit many villages and their churches (Letters, April 7). One church decided to drop a note through the letterboxes of all the new homes that had been built, saying it appreciated that people may not be able to attend services regularly, but would surely wish the church to be there for christenings, weddings and funerals.

It asked if they would be able to make a regular donation. It also mentioned the forthcoming fete, and was overwhelmed by the number of donated items and visitors.

In another village, I was delayed crossing the road on my way to the church service by a large number of participants in a charity race. I realised that even though these people were not sitting in a pew, they were showing love for their neighbour by their great physical effort.

Helga Rushton

Harrogate, North Yorkshire