Bishop's Council will not report to Synod on Save The Parish dossier, Bishop says

Truro's Bishop's Diocesan Council (BDC) will not report to the Diocesan Synod tomorrow (18 November 2023) on Save The Parish Cornwall's request for a moratorium on controversial On The Way restructuring plans, the acting Bishop of Truro has said. Instead - in a highly unusual and controversial development - the BDC will rely on social media outlets to communicate its discussions last month.

"The BDC meeting on 17 October considered a wide range of agenda items, of which the call for a moratorium to the implementation of Deanery plans and the connected Diocesan plan was one," the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson wrote in an email on 16 November 2023 to Save The Parish Cornwall (STPC).  

Bishop Hugh, who signed off a confrontational and dismissive statement on 30 October 2023 on social media outlets in response to STPC's request, went on to refer to his 'report': "As you point out, the subsequent report, which was shared publicly, makes clear that BDC received and considered the moratorium request, and describes the Council’s clear and unanimous decision, as well as the reasons for coming to this conclusion. Members of Synod will have had access to this report."

This clear break with proper procedure and protocol means that the BDC's report to the Diocesan Synod tomorrow makes no mention of the moratorium call - click here to read the BDC's report - thus refusing to listen - and dismissing - the concerns of scores of Cornish churchgoers and communities who contributed to the document.

In an Open Letter, STPC has urgently asked the BDC to reconsider its decision, and questioned why these issues will not be presented at Synod tomorrow in a democractic manner.