MPs speak out against Cornwall's Bishops' plans on BBC1 Politics Southwest

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A damning assessment by MPs of Cornwall's Bishops' plans to change the Church of England in Cornwall was broadcast on TV across the South West today.
BBC1's Sunday morning Politics SouthWest delved deep into the Diocese of Truro's controversial 'On The Way' plans under which parish priests will be cut across the county and replaced by 'oversight ministers' managing large numbers of parishes and teams of lay project workers. Click here to view - the segment starts at minute 20. Diane Thomas from Sancreed Church in Penwith deanery told the programme that her church had not had a vicar for nine years.
The Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, Bishop of St Germans, Hugh Nelson admitted for the first time that Truro's On The Way plans WILL mean “slightly fewer clergy”.
He also admitted that the “very wealthy” national Church of England is freeing up large sums of money for churches.
"The church does have (money), it's very wealthy .... some of that is being freed up. We'll put probably 10 million pounds over the next ten years or so straight into parishes turn to supporting them and then we have got money to do some of these other things," he said, revealing that - in other words - this money is being managed at the Bishops' discretion.
Making it clear that the proposed clergy re-organisation is ideological not driven by financial constraints, he added: “The church is about what what we think we’re here for, who we think matters.”
Directly challenging the Cornish bishops’ plans, Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw said:
“The Church of England is an extremely rich institution… but there are certain dioceses, and Truro is one of these, where there are real concerns that there’s money in the pot that’s not being used to support and appoint clergy.
“Where parishes are losing their clergy, getting these huge mega-parishes which are unmanageable and people - particularly in rural areas - are not being served.”
And Dorset MP Chris Loder hit out at senior clergy “pontificating” on national political issues rather than focusing on the “health and well-being of the church of which they are leaders."
He said “It’s always been important to me to know who the parish priest, to have a relationship with them…but it’s getting more and more difficult particularly in the diocese of Truro.”
St Ives MP Derek Thomas - whose constituency includes both Penwith and Kerrier deaneries, parts of the Diocese worst hit by On The Way - recently told a large Save The Parish meeting with MPs in the Houses of Parliament that he had met a group of his constituents who were distressed about On The Way plans. The group told him that their objections had been brusquely dismissed by the Bishops.

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