Next stop for Bishops - East Wivelshire. On The Way pushback continues....

-
On The Way deanery plan summaries have now been published on the Diocese of Truro website and are condensed (to the point that they hardly make sense in some cases) - https://trurodiocese.org.uk/resources/next-steps-on-the-way/fruitful-sustainable/deanery-plans/

They appeared at the start of the year, as both diocesan bishops started on a round of deanery visits to drum up support for these controversial plans.

And as they tour the county with a carefully rehearsed roadshow, growing unease - and dissent - is being voiced. These visits are being presented in a light-hearted vein - almost as social events - but are naturally being used as part of the ‘consultation’ involved in On the Way plans.  

If you are concerned about pastoral re-organisation: this is a chance to speak out before the schemes are published.  It is important to record dissent at every stage.  

The diocese is choosing to ignore growing dissent. The Bishop of Truro has refused to meet campaigners to discuss this.   The diocese totally failed to record dissent at Carnmarth North deanery visit at Illogan Church on Saturday 4 February. To read Positivity and Hospitality in Carnmarth North' its snappily headlined version of events click here.

For what really happened  - and to hear just one of the questions challenging the Bishops - click here.

The next stop for the Bishops is East Wivelshire on Saturday 25 February from 5-7pm. These deanery visits are mystifyingly planned for late afternoon/early evening on Saturdays (clearly not aimed at rugby fans, people with young families - or indeed anyone with a busy diary).

Following East Wivelshire, the Bishops visit:

4 March - Stratton
27 May - Powder
10 June - West Wivelshire.

If your deanery is not on the above list, and you are still in the dark about plans - it is a good idea to write to ask what is happening e.g. re pastoral re-organisation schemes and when they will be published. We all have a right to know - a failure of the diocese to tell us exactly what is going on is a failure of communication, and this is important to note and record. Bishop Philip's email is bishop@truro.anglican.org

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Save The Parish Cornwall responds to Diocese of Truro statement

-
Image
Save The Parish Cornwall issues the following response to a regrettable statement by the Diocese of Truro published on its website on 5 March 2024. The Diocese misleadingly says that Save The Parish Cornwall is 'targeting clergy' and providing inaccurate clergy figures. Save The Parish Cornwall’s recent analysis of clergy numbers in the Diocese shows that there were just 39 priests for Cornwall’s 200 plus parishes and 300 churches at the end of December 2023 - according to figures supplied by Church House sources at the end of January 2024. A further 19 other incumbencies remained vacant. Stipendiary priests in Cornwall at the end of December 2023, and their locations: data supplied by Church House sources to Save The Parish Cornwall at the end of January 2024. There was, therefore, one stipendiary priest to 15,000 people: the population of Cornwall is just over 600,000. The number of stipendiary priests in Cornwall at the end of December 2023 was 39. Save The Parish Cornw
Read more

Save The Parish Cornwall calls for a moratorium on the Bishops' divisive On The Way plans

-
Image
Click here to read our dossier, published today to coincide with a meeting with the Bishop of St Germans, the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, and Diocesan Secretary Rev Simon Cade. It contains testimonies from people across Cornwall who are dismayed and alarmed at the Bishops' On The Way plans that will change the nature of the Church of England in Cornwall forever. Bishop Hugh has the power to press the 'pause' button as the controversial plans attract national attention. We are urging him to have the courage to do so. How does healing of the church of Cornwall now happen?  Many have been badly hurt and threatened…. Can a safe place be created where all might flourish? We are calling for a moratorium, an increase in clergy numbers, a halt on the sale of parsonages and an end to oversight ministry.
Read more

Cornwall's Bishops in tailspin after BBC Sunday Politics coverage

-
Image
Cornwall’s Bishops have been stung by hard-hitting coverage on BBC Sunday Politics South West of their controversial On the Way cost-cutting programme which is cutting clergy numbers, merging parishes and threatening church closures. In a 1200-word statement on the Diocese of Truro website , and an accompanying letter to all churches, the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen, and the Bishop of St Germans, the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, complain about many aspects of the report ( click here to view the report ). The problem is, as so often with the Diocese of Truro statements, rhetoric does not coincide with reality. Truro complains (on the Diocesan website): “The report lasted just under five minutes but…. Much of the time was given to four speakers from a campaign group, three of whom have no connection with the church in Cornwall or with wider Cornish society." Save The Parish Cornwall explains: The four actually included two well-respected SouthWest MPs who are i
Read more