No to 'Oversight Ministry': the people of Cornwall speak out as Diocese advertises new posts

'Oversight ministry' represents a radical change for direction for the Church of England in Cornwall. Instead of priests in parishes, Cornwall's Bishops are backing plans to create teams of lay workers, led by by one single vicar - an 'oversight minister'.  The Oversight Minister's main concern will be administration nad management, rather than the traditional cure of souls. People across Cornwall have spoken out about this: Save The Parish Cornwall is calling on the Bishop of St Germans, the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, to have the courage to press the 'pause' button and stop this controversial move which is attracting national headlines.

Cornish churchgoers' concerns are detailed in full in Save The Parish Cornwall's dossier published earlier this month.  Time and again the contrast is made between a local priest and a remote Oversight Manager simply directing operations at long distance. The fear is widespread of reduction in clergy-led services and there is horrified disbelief that “communion-by-extension” is to become commonplace. 

This week's Church Times contains no fewer than four ads for oversight ministers in four deaneries (Trigg Major, Trigg Minor, West Wivelshire and Penwith) seeking 'Oversight Ministers'.  Listed below are concerns from each of those deaneries, with links to the proposed job ads.

1. Trigg Major

We need more parish priests, not oversight ministers; sick people want priestly visits.

I feel it is important, too, to keep the main problem uppermost . . . the need for more clergy in our parishes, in absolutely the different angle of approach to the woke evangelistic attitude of one vicar in charge of umpteen parishes with unpaid lay people organising just about everything and the average man and woman not having a clue who their vicar is, how to contact them – even what they look like. The “dog collars don’t matter” mentality has seen our local vicar – a young man living in a parish six miles away – turning up for the village fete in a t-shirt and shorts: “who’s this guy . . . doesn’t look much like a vicar to me . . . what use is he?” etc. The message to the hierarchy is quite simple: return to the old system, more vicars living locally, identifying and doing the job and living in their communities. Y

All very basic stuff, I realise, but I think it needs plugging time and again to the bureaucrats and their top-heavy administrations.

·Peter Hall, Altarnun

2. West Wivelshire

"All this indicates to me that On The Way is ideologically driven, the diocese and the wider church seems to be not a bit interested in rural parishes nor to understand that they are the whole bedrock of the, previously, broad church of the CofE. Their whole thrust is towards a hierarchical system dominated by Transforming Mission centres with 'oversight' ministers just keeping a weather eye on the poor beleaguered laity who will be left to keep the rural doors open."

Andrew Lane, Warleggan

3. Trigg Minor

 "Closing churches, merging ministries and reducing clergy numbers is the equivalent of eating the seed corn.  When there is a spiritual revival in the country (and we have in our church a rapidly growing congregation)  the Church needs to be a visible and active presence, centred round the much cherished,  purpose built and highly visible Houses of God where people can come to pray in private and join  in services.  

Community Churches in community halls will not fill this need.  There must be regular services and parish priests if the C of E is to retain any importance in the life of the Nation."

 

Churchgoer, Trigg Minor

4. Penwith 

"In our particular case, being one of five churches in a proposed group with one part-time priest, will we even see the priest once a month, let alone have a Sunday service? Who will conduct weddings (an important source of our income) funerals and baptisms? Who will look after the pastoral needs of our parishioners? It has been suggested that a lay person could do this but how do we find an impartial, trustworthy, professionally trained parishioner, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, in whom we can confide and who can also act as a mediator in a community where everybody knows everybody else and their business? Who will lead and guide us through the decisions we make for our church? These are just some of our worries for which nobody seems to have an answer."

·      Catherine Penhaul, Zennor

 

 

 

 

 

Save The Parish Cornwall is calling for money spent on paying lay workers to be properly targeted on hiring more stipendiary priests.

·      The proposed pastoral model, based on ‘oversight ministry’, removes ordained clergy from day-to-day contact with their parishioners and creates a top-heavy bureaucracy

·      Ordinary people will have even less influence on the nature of church in their parishes.

·      The proposed model is untested and unsuitable for a rural church.