36 Reasons to say NO - Part Two - Evidence

 Since the new Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev David Williams, published proposals for pastoral reorganisation in Kerrier deanery, west Cornwall, last month we have received many questions from people who are concerned about the plan and would like to know how to object.  This pastoral reorganisation, with its proposal for 23 churches under one rural dean, has attracted negative attention both locally and nationally.

Here are three dozen reasons why large groupings of parishes are unnecessary and unwelcome...  These come under four headings. To read the first (legal) click here. The second heading is: Evidence  A paper by Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent 

Summary:  The Church’s own studies and their experiments on the ground all conclude that merging parishes and reducing clergy numbers drives decline.  It is the wrong response and it is time to stop planning for this disastrous trajectory.

 Dioceses have to operate within the law.  Changing a whole diocese to Minster Communities or other large groupings is ‘Pastoral Reorganisation’.  The procedure for this is laid down by Act of Parliament called the Mission and Pastoral Measure 2011.  Your diocese may not be acting within the spirit of the law, as set by Parliament.

EVIDENCE 

There is no evidence to support the growth assertions of the Minster Community or any other large grouping of parishes.  In fact the opposite.  All parties involved in pastoral reorganisation should take into account all available evidence.

10. The Church’s own study, From Anecdote to Evidence, concluded, ‘Where there is an increase in paid clergy, there is a greater likelihood of growth. A decrease in paid clergy is more likely, on average, to lead to decline.’  So why is the Diocese driving decline in your parish?
11. A follow up study, Going Deeper, concluded, ‘Regardless of congregation size, amalgamations of churches are more likely to decline.  Moreover, the larger the number of churches in the amalgamation, the more likely they are to decline.”  So, the Church’s own analysis shows that merging churches causes decline.   So why are dioceses doing this?  How is the reorganisation of your parish ‘making better provision for the cure of souls’?  Better than what your parish has now?
12. And Liverpool Diocese has actually done an experiment on the ground in Wigan, where 33 parishes have been merged into groups of seven in so-called “hubs”, new word for a parish.  As a result of that, congregations have dropped by third, donations have dropped by third, and an independent review of this project said ‘The research can only conclude the project was unable to stop the downward trajectory of the finances.’  So, the Church of England now has evidence from its own studies, and evidence on the ground, that merging parishes drives decline.  So why are some dioceses driving decline?
13. An independent report by Sir Robert Chote (former Head of the Office for Budget Responsibility) identified that non-parish growth projects awarded £176 million funding between 2014 and 2021 were expected to create 89,375 ‘new disciples’.  By February 2022, only12,705 had been ‘witnessed’.   Of those about half came from adjacent parishes and were not new worshippers.
14. Evidence from ‘hubs’ in Wigan, ‘Ministry Areas’ in Wales and other parish mergers (although to be fair some are successful) leads to more layers and bureaucracy.  The poor parishioner still has to attend meetings of their Church (for that has its own local issues) but also of the merged PCC.  Who will collect the collection and where will it go?  Who will organise all the volunteering that is necessary to keep the church open, safe, welcoming and warm?  Merged parishes need more volunteers, not fewer.
15. Mergers lead to (even) less volunteering.  Many of us will step forward to volunteer for our village, but few of us will have the time or inclination to be Treasurer or Secretary over an area 10 times larger.  So large PCC amalgamations end up employing administrators, and paying for them, in place of volunteers.  More costs; fewer clergy.  This will be a consequence of merging parishes.
16. Heightened threat of closure.  If churches have joined together into a single PCC, its members will be from a broad area.  Those who represent a threatened church can be a minority and therefore outvoted, and their church closed.  This is happening all over Wales (who are about 10 years ahead of England on this doom loop), and has recently happened in Southampton.  19 churches out of the 33 in Wigan are being considered for closure.  None of them now have their own PCC to defend themselves in law.

Part One Legal  

Part Two Evidence

Part Three Finance

Part Four Pastoral