Save The Parish - Cornwall

Locked out Merrymeet villagers sing carols in rain... Bishop delivers his Christmas message from his armchair Villagers in Merrymeet, east Cornwall, braved rain and freezing temperatures to hold carols on a local drive this weekend after Truro's Bishops closed their church this autumn and changed the locks. As they sang in the cold and wet, the Bishop of Truro recorded an upbeat Christmas message from the comfort of his front room. Under a hastily-built shelter, villagers gathered around a sound system in a garage for their Christmas celebration - yards from the church which was closed in mid October and the locks changed despite strong local opposition. Last year, due to Covid, they sang carols outside the church. This year, they had hoped to be inside. This was not to be. "Even though the weather was far from ideal our carol service still went ahead and was well attended," said Residents' Association chairman Peter Luck. "Approximately 30 turned up to sing an...

The Diocese of Truro's major restructuring and clergy-cutting exercise On The Way is felt nowhere more keenly in Penwith, one of the first deaneries to vote through an unpopular and challenging restructuring plan.  The Episcopal College recently failed to recruit a Rural Dean responsible for a new 'split' deanery into East Side and West Side and oversee parish re-organisation : only one application was received. What are the proposals on the table? How and why has this situation developed? Our Bishops, sadly, share the view of others in the hierarchy of the Church of England that there is little future for parishes as a means of delivering the Gospel. Key to this has been a national paper called the 'Mission and Pastoral Measure' which argued that congregations with an average congregation of 20 or fewer were unviable. A way forward was proposed - concentrating clergy and financial resources in 'Transforming Mission hubs in some cities and towns. (In Cornwall,...

Last Christmas villagers in Merrymeet, east Cornwall, gathered around their village church porch for joyous carol-singing – glad to be together after the Covid lockdowns, even if still outside. This year – no such luck. They’ll be gathering on the concrete driveway of one of the village’s 60 houses to try and raise Yuletide cheer. It was the same for last month’s Remembrance Sunday - they were reduced to standing in the road and decorating the church gates with poppies to honour local war dead. Why? Because Cornwall’s Bishops and Archdeacons shut the church in October and changed the locks so no-one could enter, whatever the reason. Menheniot’s media savvy priest in charge Rev Becca Bell, who oversees the historic Mission Church and five others in south east Cornwall, celebrated the last service on 9 October 2022. “ The weight of privilege and sadness and hope is huge ,” the self-described ‘wife, mum, film lover, gin drinker, knitter and miniatures enthusiast’ said on Twitter afterward...

If you are worried about developments in Cornwall - plans for radical parish re-organisation and our Bishops' drive towards 'Transforming Mission hubs' in the Diocese of Truro - then please think about writing to your MP. Save The Parish is organising a meeting at the Houses of Parliament on 25 April 2023 at 6pm. It will be led by Chris Loder, MP for west Dorset. We are keen for as many MPs as possible to attend so they can learn about what's happening in Cornwall - and elsewhere in the country. Anyone can contact their MP at any time. If you do not know your MP's email address, you can find it via this l ink.   FIND YOUR MP Please think about writing. Below is a suggested template with a Cornish angle for you to work with - and add any details you wish. I am worried about the future of our parish churches in Cornwall and am writing to ask for your support with a campaign that I have joined: ‘Save The Parish’. There is a meeting taking place in Committee Room 14 at ...

Penwith Deanery's radical On The Way deanery plan has stumbled at the first fence as the national  advertisement for a rural dean to oversee its implementation only attracted one applicant. This is a bit of an embarrassment for Truro's Episcopal College. The post will be re-advertised - and possibly rewritten, according to local sources. The original ad sought an incumbent with almost super human powers - click here to read the job description. The new Rural Dean would be priest of three churches (Gulval, Madron and Heamoor) while overseeing the implementation of a controversial restructuring plan creating two super parishes - east Penwith and west Penwith  - and simultaneously hiring a flotilla of new posts in an extensive 'support team'. So no wonder just one applicant.  On The Way confusion as diocesan leadership fails Across west Cornwall and beyond, congregations are confused and uncertain as the diocese fails to make the way forward clear and engage in adequat...

Bishop of Truro, Presidential Address at Diocesan Synod, May 2022 It is sometimes hard to keep up with the twists and turns in the Bishops' narrative around 'On The Way' - their major restructuring plan in Cornwall.  Back at the May 2022 Diocesan Synod the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen, said press reports suggesting that  'I am setting up some kind of central unit in Church House under the leadership of the Director of Change and Renewal'  were ' fanciful '. However - despite the Bishop's statement - a central unit has indeed been set up.  Following the appointment of Ruth Marriott, the Director of Change and Renewal, yet another post is being advertised for this unit. As a recent email (dated 18 November 2022) from head of Church House operations Kate Cortez confirms: We are now advertising for a Communications and Influence Officer. This role is managed by Ruth M but works across the Change & Renewal and Comms teams and will be sup...

The main issue Save The Parish has with the Diocese of Truro's plans is that we believe they are addressing the wrong question from the wrong perspective - too often misusing wrong information to justify their actions. In effect, the Bishops of Truro and St Germans publicly argue that they are making a ‘business case’ for ‘growing’ the church in Cornwall. But no genuine company seriously trying to turn round a struggling business model has ever succeeded by axing their sales staff, closing down outlets, and effectively telling customers to change their buying habits because they don’t know what’s best for them. In this case, STP believes that this is what is happening to the vicars and their parishes and churches, and churchgoers and local communities in Cornwall. What the Bishops want Our Bishops are set on a certain ideological trajectory i.e. developing a ‘mission church’ model at the expense of rural parishes and in doing so are burning through its (OUR) financial asse...

BBC Radio Cornwall throws a spotlight on Cornish bishops' plans to change the nature of church life in Cornwall. It made fully public at last that there are plans to cut clergy posts and merge parishes.  In some cases, one priest may be in charge of more than 20 parishes.  Click here to listen to the piece - aired at 710am on Sunday 20 November.

Mullion Church is in the heart of the village – the largest on the Lizard peninsular - and central to life there. Outside is a tree festooned with blue and yellow ribbons in support of the people of Ukraine. By the gate is a noticeboard filled with news of village activities.  On the cover of a 2023 calendar for sale at the local café? A photograph of the church.  Yet Mullion Church's future and priest is at risk through Kerrier's controversial OnThe Way deanery plan which will see a huge super parish stretching across the deanery under just one rural dean (currently being recruited). Chillingly the plan (page 17) says God has been saying in the On The Way process 'We don't need lone leaders but a team of lay and ordained leaders'. In fact good parish priests are not and never have been lone leaders. They build up a team from their church congregation and sometimes the wider community and together serve the whole parish. Save The Parish Cornwall has received a po...

Another parish in Kerrier is pushing back against radical changes proposed under its On The Way plan. St Keverne PCC recently met to discuss our Ten Reasons to Resist Parish Re-Organisation factsheet. Their conclusions are detailed in Minutes which have been sent to Archdeacon Paul Bryer.   This follows the news that Germoe Church is holding a public meeting to discuss the controversial plan. Click here to view the St Keverne Minutes. 'Our PCC were unanimous (those that attended) in support.' a PCC member said. Highlights: We are extremely concerned a) that the diocese should only regard as legitimate, input that is favourable to the On The Way plan and b) will only commit to there being no “current plan” for joint PCCs. Our PCC is an independent charity in its own right, as are all the others PCCs. We have strong concerns over the issue of assets and a possible future attempt to join PCCs. We are sceptical that individual churches will be properly represented in this case...

  An item to lift the heart in the church listings in The Cornishman (3/11/22).   Germoe Church is holding a meeting for churchgoers and members of the wider community on the controversial plans envisaged in Kerrier deanery's On The Way plan. The meeting will be on 14 November at 630pm in the church hall. This will give everyone a chance to air their views - those who do not attend church (but still value its presence in the community) as well as those who have worshipped there for years.  Click here to read the plan. Momentum is building elsewhere. We understand other churches in Kerrier - and other Cornish deaneries - are similarly calling special meetings to re-examine the controversial plans. In Kerrier, at least one other Parochial Church Council (PCC) has already met to record its opposition to the plans.  Kerrier faces radical changes: a 'super parish' with just one Rural Dean covering 23 parishes. The plan  was voted through by the narrowest of ...

Once again, an evasive answer from the Diocese on the finances of Cornwall's five Transforming Mission projects - funded by the Church Commissioners (60%) and diocesan reserves (40%).   This time, it is Chairman of the Truro Diocesan Board of Finance Mike Sturgess who dodges the question presented at the September Diocesan Synod by Peter Holman representing Carnmarth North deanery. Mike Sturgess's full response is below but questions remain. As yet, Mr Sturgess has not responded fully to key elements: his response is in italics. Key remaining questions re in bold. 1.  As recommended in the report, we have been open about how we will use our reserves to fund mission initiatives in deaneries and parishes. Could you please let us know which diocesan reserves are being used to fund TM initiatives? Where is this indicated in the TDBF 2021 accounts, please?   2. We have established a new board for change and renewal that will oversee the funding of TM churches, the mission...

  A letter from Save The Parish Cornwall's Peter Bellenes in the Western Morning News today - in response to the Bishops' statement published last week in response to our joint statement with Cornwall Buildings Group (CBG).

  Cornish bishops actively mislead in denying diocesan plans for church closures, pressure groups say The Bishops of Truro and St Germans are actively misleading the people of Cornwall by saying that there are no diocesan plans for church closures - because their own documents show that the likelihood of shutting churches is being openly prepared for, Save The Parish Cornwall and the Cornish Buildings Group (CBG) say.   The two campaigning groups said earlier this week that the Bishops’ radical restructuring plans will change the face of church going – and the Cornish landscape - forever. The Bishops responded (27/10/22) by saying that there were no diocesan plans for church closures. “The Bishops are simply playing with words here and are actively misleading the people of Cornwall,” said Susan Roberts of Save The Parish Cornwall, which is campaigning to keep priests in parishes and churches open. “Plans drawn up by deaneries which envisage huge benefices hav...

  The Diocese responds to our joint press release with The Cornish Buildings Group. 

  CAMPAIGN GROUPS CALL FOR MORATORIUM ON BISHOPS’ RADICAL PLANS TO CHANGE CORNISH CHURCHES   Two Cornish campaign groups are calling for a moratorium on Truro’s Bishops’ radical restructuring plans which they say will change the face of church going – and the Cornish landscape - forever.   Save the Parish Cornwall and The Cornish Buildings Group (CBG) warn that new diocesan schemes to create giant benefices swallowing up smaller rural parishes will result in the closure of many churches and the destruction of a vital part of Cornish life. Clergy numbers will be radically cut and funds instead funnelled towards lay ‘support workers’.   Patrick Newberry, Chairman of the CBG, says as many as half of the churches in East Cornwall could be closed as plans for central ‘mission churches’ and lay ministry – rather than priests in rural parishes – are implemented. The CBG, which works to preserve ancient buildings and Cornwall’s heritage, believes it is time to ch...

Click here to read the job ad for the new rural dean of Penwith - a post created following the deanery's controversial On The Way plan which proposes creating two super parishes - east Penwith and west Penwith. - 

  A bleak night in Portreath, Cornwall, saw Carnmarth North deanery plan voted  through after two delays. Initially Rural Dean Caspar Bush and his team failed to submit it in time for Episcopal College approval before the June synod meeting. Then following the death of the Queen, the 9 September 2022 synod  was postponed. On Tuesday 18 October, Rev Bush finally saw the On The Way plan approved which will see him as Rural Dean Tsar head up a new 'On The Way' unit swallowing up Transforming Mission Camborne. His former curate Rev Graham Adamson becomes a 'peripatetic' vicar across Carnmarth North's 18 churches. As one clergyman from Camborne bravely said at the Synod, a fair amount of the Church Commissioners' Lowest Income Community funding - which will finance this new roaming position - will be spent on his petrol costs. Rev Adamson will also in an odd twist be overseeing the work of his former boss Rev Rosheen Browning, priest in charge at Camborne, who has st...