Letter to Bishop of Truro asking for meeting and moratorium on On The Way

On 29 January 2023, Save The Parish Cornwall sent a letter to the Bishop of Truro asking for a moratorium on his On The Way plans for church reform in the county. They said that they feared these plans would erode and eventually destroy the Church of England locally.  This followed a meeting in Truro on 6 January 2023 when churchgoers from ten of Cornwall's 12 deaneries expressed deep concern about these plans.  The text of the letter is reproduced below.

Dear Bishop Philip,

We are writing to call for a moratorium on the On The Way plans that are being rolled out across Cornwall.  We are asking you personally, for the second time, for an urgent meeting to discuss a number of issues before these proposals move into formal consultation.

This call for a moratorium was passed overwhelmingly at a Public Meeting in Truro in January attended by nearly 40 churchgoers from parishes in 10 of the 12 deaneries in Truro Diocese.  The meeting, called by Save The Parish Cornwall, and addressed by representatives of STP nationally who have analysed the proposals, agreed that On The Way plans are deeply flawed in both principle and practicality.  Additionally, that the consultation process is not being conducted with honesty, balance or adequate transparency.  There are many questions the diocese has failed or refused to address or answer.

We summarise our concerns as follows:

Finance

There is no financial need in Truro Diocese for On The Way – despite frequent assertions to the contrary.  In the Truro Diocesan accounts for the calendar year 2021 it was stated that “The 2021 operating budget deficit was £1.3m … This prompted a piece of work which resulted in the introduction of On the Way in January 2021”.  So therefore the clearly documented and stated reason for On the Way is to save money.  

However, Truro Diocese - like the Church of England as a whole - has a great deal of money.  The Church of England has an ‘income’ of £1.4B per annum – of which 70% comes from parishes.  Truro Diocese itself has a basic income of £7M this year – of which the largest part comes from parishes like those of faithful churchgoers who attended the January meeting.   This diocese, like every other diocese in the UK, has a Stipends Fund Capital Account.  Parliament has mandated that this money is to be used for paying stipendiary clergy.  It is to be used, not hoarded.  

Published diocesan accounts show that Truro’s Stipends Fund Capital Account is valued at £39M.   Clearly there is enough money available to pay all of the current 64 stipendiary clergy. If you wish to save money, why not cut office jobs?  

According to your own figures there are 38 office staff in Truro for 64 stipendiary clergy.  That’s more than 1 for every 2 stipendiary clergy, one of the highest ratios of any diocese in the country.  While you deny that you are cutting clergy, the budget for 2023 shows a reduction from 64 to 54 stipendiary clergy.  This is not necessary, not desirable and not voluntarily sought by parishes across the diocese.

Consultation.

At our public meeting, it became crystal clear that On The Way plans across Cornwall have been developed without proper consultation - either with churchgoers or the wider community.

At the meeting, there were cries of concern, pleas for help and information, and displays of anger and frustration.

You Bishop Philip, the Suffragan Bishop and Archdeacons repeatedly say that these deanery plans are ‘bottom  up’ not ‘top down’.  You say that they have emerged from a grass-roots level and community consultation. Yet there is extensive evidence county-wide that the process was micro-managed by the Bishop of St Germans and the Episcopal College: ‘Leadership Teams’ were selected to develop the plans under the management of ‘advisers’ and similarly selected ‘Implementation Teams’ have now been tasked with rolling them out.

There is extensive evidence that consultation and information-sharing in developing the plans were kept to an absolute minimum, and that deaneries were not given realistic facts and figures with which to make decisions. Written documentation, including the most recent FAQ about next steps in On The Way, includes half-truths which will be exposed in formal consultation.

Particularly troubling was one consultation document which stated “The (On The Way) Steering Group has adopted this vision believing it to be the way God is asking us to grow, therefore it is important to note we are not seeking opinions on God’s given vision.”  Is this consultation?

Those present at the January meeting supported Save The Parish Cornwall’s call for an “honest, open and transparent” scrutiny of the Transforming Mission projects in the county that - at the same time as On The Way cutbacks - are funded by vast sums of money flooding into the diocese from the Church Commissioners, and topped up from diocesan reserves.  You have failed to respond to calls for scrutiny and transparency. The opposite has in fact occurred, as moves to integrate Transforming Mission practically and financially with On The Way schemes will result in even LESS transparency around TM budgets.

The average churchgoers does not understand this: indeed, there is no rational explanation for it. What have you to hide?

Changing the nature of church life in Cornwall forever

The Diocese of Truro is currently proceeding with ‘On The Way’ deanery plans which focus on an urban ‘mission church’ model and ignore the needs of rural parishes.  Deaneries have been urged to sanction clergy cuts and parish re-organisation as your focus turns towards this gathered church model, involving a substantial move towards employing ‘lay workers’ rather than ordained clergy.   As a result, recently approved deanery plans propose extensive lists of paid staff.  Would it not be better to use those resources for ordained clergy? The Church needs parishes and parishes need priests.

The meeting was deeply concerned about this clear movement away from ordained ministry to lay ministry and lay workers.

In addition, extensive parish re-organisation is planned. Proposals for giant benefices that could eventually turn deaneries like Kerrier into potentially single entities with a single Joint Council will forever break the link across Cornwall between local people and their local priest.  Many parishes could lose their assets, rights and responsibilities, accrued and held for hundreds of years.  

Widespread disquiet too was expressed from across Cornwall about the diocese’s clear agenda to sell off parsonages, again without consultation. These sales will mean local accommodation for clergy will be gone forever. How can you offer ‘House for Duty’ priests if there are no houses?

In summary

On the Way, if implemented, will irrevocably destroy the way present and future generations worship across the county.  It is a major policy shift from local and pastoral based ministry to an urban-based model and remote form of ministry.  Clergy will not know their people and people will not know the clergy. The fear was repeatedly expressed that under On The Way plans, there is no future for the Church of England in Cornwall.

Contrary to your assertions, there is evidence from Wales and elsewhere that this model of ministry does not work financially or pastorally.  There is no evidence base for the future success of your proposals - which, we repeat, once implemented will prove irreversible.

 Accordingly, Bishop Philip, we request an urgent meeting with you personally to discuss the moratorium proposed at our Truro meeting.

 In a spirit of Christian goodwill, we look forward to meeting you.

Yours sincerely,

Save The Parish Cornwall