Save The Parish - Cornwall

It may be holiday time in Cornwall but there’s no rest for the Diocese’s Director for Change and Renewal Ruth Marriott. Ms Marriott has sanctioned a proposal for a five-church benefice in Penwith Deanery despite vociferous objections: further heavy-handed action from a Diocese desperate to push through its unpopular and controversial re-organisation plans known as On The Way. Both of Truro’s Bishops have repeatedly insisted that the restructuring plans have been ‘bottom up’ not ‘top down’, with ideas originating from individual deaneries. In fact, the opposite has been the case with the Bishop of St Germans, the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson, micro-managing the plans’ development and implementation at every turn. The latest example of this has been the ruling from Ms Marriott on 18 August 2023 ‘approving’ a proposal for a five-church benefice uniting Madron, Gulval, Heamoor, Zennor and Towednack with a single priest (to be appointed) based in Madron. Parishes involved have repeatedly expressed t