Cornish churchgoers’ deep concerns at Bishops’ restructuring plans spotlighted at Parliament
The meeting on Tuesday in the Houses of Parliament was organised by Save The Parish nationally for parliamentarians and concerned churchgoers to hear countrywide complaints over the Church of England’s radical reorganisation activities.
MP Chris Loder (West Dorset), chairing the meeting, said that because of the pandemic “Parliament has been asleep at the wheel” in its constitutional oversight recently of the Church of England but that that would now change in light of the widespread concerns revealed both at last night’s meeting and elsewhere.
Neil Wallis of Save The Parish Cornwall outlined the concerns felt by churchgoers – and wider communities – across the county.
“Draconian church restructuring is taking place in Cornwall and our Bishops are refusing to tolerate any challenges of their plans,” he said. “One of the worst examples of radical re-organisation is in Kerrier, where the Diocese plans to merge 23 churches into one huge benefice, overseen by a single rural dean. Our Bishops have arrogantly refused to discuss this - and similar proposals for re-organisation - in a meeting with us.”
The Diocese of Truro, its controversial plans known as ‘On The Way’ and its radical “use” of the Church Commissioners’ funds and Diocesan reserves to fund them, were referred to repeatedly during the two-hour meeting.
STP national board member Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, dissecting Church of England finances, said the Diocese of Truro had proportionately one of the most bloated head office staffing levels in England.
He also detailed - as he did when he addressed a STP Cornwall public meeting in Truro several months ago - how despite accumulating a £39m investment pot in its Diocesan Stipend Fund - it only used £21,000 of more than £2m recent profits for actually paying priests.
Concerned St Ives MP Derek Thomas said he had met with a group of worried Cornish parishioners in Penzance last weekend.
He said that he was told of strong opposition to On The Way plans and the the way they were being taken forward. He also said he had heard of dismay regarding the refusal of Bishop Philip Mounstephen and his suffragan Bishop Hugh Nelson to engage with dissent.
Mr Thomas said he would be holding further meetings with parishioners, and pursuing the matters raised with the two Bishops.
Several other MPs from across England spoke too to confirm their anxieties for congregations nationwide facing radical unwanted change in their constituencies.
It became clear in Committee Room 14 that Mission and Ministry Fund (MMF) or Parish Share strikes are becoming increasingly common across the country in response to parish or pastoral reorganisation schemes, bloated bureaucracies, cutting of stipendiary clergy, and forced parish mergers.
Several speakers from different parishes called for others to take up MMF strike action. “Money seems to be the only thing they will listen to," said one.
Present throughout the meeting was William Nye, a senior figure on the national Archbishops’ Council and the General Synod. Nye said he had taken note of concerns expressed about the refusal to engage with dissenting groups by Cornwall’s Bishops, and undertook to pass those concerns on to them.
Speaking to Neil Wallis, he urged STP-C to write to Bishop Philip to express its concerns and ask for a meeting to properly voice them. He was clearly surprised when told the group had done so repeatedly but had received dismissive replies.
He said: “I speak to him (the Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen) quite often, and when I next do I will report to him these concerns."
ENDS
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