Bishop of Truro curtly refuses meeting with Save The Parish Cornwall campaigners

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The Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen has curtly rejected calls by Save The Parish Cornwall for a moratorium on his On The Way restructuring plans, and refused a request for a meeting to discuss the widespread concern of churchgoers across Cornwall. STP Cornwall sent the Bishop a letter on 29 January 2023 requesting this. Click here to read.

In his brief response dated 9 February 2023, the Bishop said that adequate consultation had been undertaken in developing these plans, and that he would not be offering a meeting to discuss alternative views. He stressed that his letter should not be reproduced either in full, or in part.

In the letter, the Bishop referred to a meeting at Illogan Church on 4 February 2023, which was attended by STP Cornwall supporters. At this meeting, which was to discuss the situation in Carnmarth North deanery and its On The Way plans, the Bishop was questioned about a lack of transparency and consultation. Click here to read more.

At the time, the Bishop rejected a suggestion that people with concerns should contact him. He repeated this in his letter, saying that there are well-established processes in the Diocese of Truro that have been followed. He said that for a Bishop to 'cancel' local plans made through these processes would undermine the local leaders in the church which he says he and his colleagues are working to support.

He added that the 4 February 2023 meeting in Carnmarth North was one of a series of visits that he and Bishop Hugh were undertaking. The aim of these meetings, he said, was to meet a wide range of people and share their vision and hear and respond to questions.

These meetings, he implied, were consultation enough and he would not be offering a further meeting with STP Cornwall.

The other points in the letter had already been raised in previous correspondence, he said. 

"This deeply disappointing response shows a complete lack of pastoral concern by the Bishop," said STP Cornwall co-ordinator Susan Roberts. "People locally are starting to question - very seriously - the integrity of the Episcopal College in Cornwall."



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