Battle lines drawn in fight to save churches
Church of England congregations fear they are being squeezed out of major decisions that affect their parish churches. In this comment piece, churchgoer warns a backlash is coming
PLANS to make it easier for Church authorities to close down individual churches and their parishes are, understandably, meeting with grassroots objections from congregations across the Westcountry and elsewhere.
The objectors say the move is the result of scheming by some bishops and their acolytes who want to shift decision-making power away from the parish and over to the diocese . . . and they intend to fight it all the way.
The device being used by the authorities is a church-closers’ charter, going by the name of GS 2222, currently undergoing public consultation – until the end of this month. It has already gone before the General Synod of the Church of England for a first reading. It goes back to the General Synod in February.
Many at the grassroots, people who are members of church congregations, on parochial church councils, or are other local officials, like churchwardens, feel that any reform should instead be aimed at topheavy diocesan bureaucracy, or even cutting the number of bishops. That is where the cash could be saved.
Without a shadow of doubt there are far too many petty officials at diocese level, duplicating work and doing activities which have been created simply as jobs for the boys – and girls. The result is a plethora of silly and time-wasting directives clogging the email systems of infuriated local volunteers, who frankly have better things to do to keep their parishes active.
Why, for example, do we really need suffragan bishops in each diocese, every one of them with an entourage of secretaries and advisers that cost a fortune? Meanwhile clergy on the ground are facing a mounting increase in the number of parishes they have to look after, virtually year on year taking on more. In my own village the vicar now has six parishes to work for and administer. How on earth can he (or she) be expected to get to know their flocks, care for them and give the sort of pastoral support they traditionally provide while being swamped by sheer numbers?
The purpose of GS 2222, it is claimed, is to provide a legal change that would simplify the process of closing parish churches, in fact tripling the rate of closure. But, say the opponents, the proposal goes a lot further than that, shrouding with non-transparent mumbo-jumbo a rule that would move decision-making away from local people to dioceses, which are then easily manipulated.
Church authorities are already very high handed. In my own Cornish parish the retirement of the resident vicar saw the removal of an onsite incumbent priest, and the subsequent sale of the modern vicarage – the proceeds not coming to the parish but to the diocese coffers, presumably to pay for yet more bureaucrats. There was absolutely no advance consultation process with the local parochial church council.
At the same time our parish was taken away from its long-term benefice, which had been a very happy arrangement, and placed in a neighbouring, much larger one – again without any consultation whatever. Totally unsatisfactory.
GS 2222 will make it much easier not just to close churches, but also to sell parish-owned properties, without parishioners having a say in the matter.
It is certainly true that church attendances have dwindled in recent years, with changing generations. A lack of religious education in schools I believe is to blame. But nonetheless local people look to their parish church for baptisms, weddings and funerals, as well as special events in the calendar, like Christmas carol services, harvest home and flower festivals And, of course, as somewhere to renew their spiritual wellbeing.
Even if they don’t attend services regularly, it is “their church” and they want and expect it to continue to be there for them.
The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York have both declared their support for the parish church and the parish concept.
So it is up to them to tear-up GS 2222, bringing a modicum of reassurance to their congregations and clergy.