Diocesan Synod meets to approve 2021 Financial Accounts while cuts debate rages

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The Diocesan Synod meets on 28 May 2022 to approve its 2021 accounts amidst a fierce debate around the Bishop of Truro's planned cut programe.  The meeting will be open to the public (though no questions from the public will be permitted) and will be held at St Erme Community Centre (TR4 9BD) starting at 930am.

For anyone interested in learning more, the accounts can be downloaded from https://trurodiocese.org.uk/?s=Diocesan+accounts

Interestingly, they show that in the most recent financial year the diocese has actually made gains totalling £12.5m, while spending on its expensive mission programme Transforming Mission - funded by the Church Commissioners and Diocesan reserves - was £197,000 under budget.

The financial statements narrative says the Bishop has decided to “reset” the £6m Transforming Mission project which was initiated in Cornwall in 2017 and has since been rolled out amidst controversy, setbacks, delays and target failures in five Cornish towns - first Falmouth, then Liskeard, St Austell, Highertown and Camborne.  The project sets up 'resource churches' in these towns, while developing 'worshipping hubs' in outlying villages.

The narrative also states ‘the gains on investment assets of £5,841k and the unrealised gains on property revaluations of £7,305k contributed to total fund balances increasing from £101,274k to £113,748k”.

“The robust 2022 balance sheet shows we are totally right to call for a moratorium in the brutal cost-cutting involved in ‘On The Way’," says Save The Parish Cornwall. "Last year’s financial windfall alone eclipses any savings that would be made from taking priests out of parishes and closing our beautiful rural Cornish churches.”

Save the Parish Cornwall also welcomed the diocesan decision to “reset” Transforming Mission, which is funded by the Church Commissioners’ Strategic Development Fund (60%) and Diocesan reserves (40%). In Camborne alone, the projected grant over six years is more than £1m.

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