'Failed Wigan': this should be a game changer, writes Save The Parish's Marcus Walker

An evaluation of ‘Transforming Wigan’  - a controversial programme for change - has been published: click here to read an Executive Summary. This evaluation is an 'absolute shocker' and should be a game changer, writes Rev Marcus Walker of Save The Parish on Twitter. This is so important given how many other dioceses are implementing schemes following what we can safely call the Failed Wigan Model, he says. Sadly, the Diocese of Truro is one of these dioceses: click here to read more.

The highlights of 'Failed Wigan'?

• £1.2 million wasted
• Weekly attendance 1/3
• Annual giving 1/3
• Deficit £56,000 to £295,666

In figures that is almost 600 people stopping going to church and £500,000 less given. Read the report here: https://d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/603eb0893e402/

What was the plan?

• 
  Merge all the 33 parishes of Wigan into one super benefice with seven “parish hubs” (they love “hubs” in the new CofE).
• Slash the number of clergy from 24 to 15 (they actually only got 13).
• Boost training for the laity.
• Merge back-office functions.

 

Helpfully they had clear measurable and achievable outcomes and these have now been measured and… to borrow a phrase, they have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.

 

 I would at this point just like to pause for a moment and note the two points highlighted below. While most of the original plan was framed in church-neutral language, this hints strongly at the ideology which underpins this whole, churchwide project. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would also like to note that while this report is refreshingly honest, it says something that people keep noting their surprise at this. The church has been *very* cagey about this project despite multiple attempts to get info about it. Remember: it was our money being spent!

 

Now let’s take a look at some of the outcomes. The first and most significant is the *collapse* of attendance in Wigan. One third is enormous. Even before Covid the fall was 9%, and that was as the scheme was getting going.

 

 

The fall in numbers is even more significant because the report boasts of having set up 29 new worshipping communities “engaging” 750 new people. What does Engaging mean? Do they go to church or don’t they? If they do, that means the original congregations have collapsed further.

  

Now for the money. Remember one of the measurable and achievable outputs was “A real-terms increase in annual giving by £500,000 (ie up to and beyond the diocesan average)”. So how did that go? Well the short answer is “badly”. The long answer is “catastrophically”.

 

 Giving has *collapsed*, as might be expected when your priests are removed, your parishes closed, your churches threatened with closure. This has resulted in the deficit for the deanery / megaparish ballooning. If you thought Wigan was unsustainable before…

But at least there is something to chalk up as a win: “The project was more successful at refreshing, merging or closing existing worship communities.” Well quite. And this is where the real pain can be felt, and it is felt throughout the report -although it is barely discussed.

 

Possibly the biggest sign that the authors of the report just simply do not understand the pain they have caused is their response in dealing with those who are “feeling sidelined”. Have you ever read anything more patronising? Handicrafts??? They want Communion not a care home.

  

 This has to be a wake-up call for the rest of the Church. This has happened because we have allowed the poorer parts of our church to believe that they have to stand alone, and then allowed them to be the victims of snake-oil salesmen.

 

One line alone in this report gave me hope. The recognition that consciously choosing to reduce priests, reduce ministry, reduce churches, reduce worship will, in fact, reduce worshippers and (the biggest factor for them) reduce giving. Do the maths, guys. Stop the scheme.