"In Penwith the deanery plan has faltered" - On The Way plan to be reviewed

Penwith's much-discussed and delayed On The Way plan will reviewed under the deanery's new Strategic Rural Dean of Penwith, Rev. Adam Thomas, according to the October edition of Penwith Deanery News. A public meeting will be held at Paul Church Hall on Saturday 15 November to discuss this.

At a deanery synod meeting on 29 September, Archdeacon Clive Hogger commissioned Rev Thomas - from the Land’s End Benefice and Paul Church as Strategic Rural Dean - and Rev Chris Butler of Madron, Gulval and Heamoor benefice, as Associate Strategic Rural Dean. Both were commissioned by the Archdeacon on behalf of the Bishop of Truro, for a term of five years.  

In the newsletter, Rev Thomas says the review meeting is for anyone from all Deanery churches who wish to attend and clearly sets out the reasons for holding it.

"The meeting is a recognition that: In Penwith the Deanery Plan has faltered," he writes, adding that the deanery now is very different to when the plan was written. Click here to read the most recent version of Penwith Deanery Plan available on the Diocesan website. "There is a need to reset relationships within the Deanery and beyond. There are still many hurts that have persisted since the start of the On The Way process and we collectively need to capture what those are.

"There is a growing eagerness and willingness to work more closely together, support one another and reset what we can collectively achieve."

Rev Thomas hopes the meeting will celebrate the successes to date including the recruiting of clergy in Penwith and recognise that the plan going forward is to fill all vacant roles.  He adds his hopes that it will also:

-  Agree what areas of work can be achieved through coordination and commit to an achievable plan. 

- Recognise the current and future financial position, that there is funding, including from external partners, that has been provided to help grow the church in Penwith, and ensure that we have viable plans to spend it for a sustainable future. 

- Honestly review the current Deanery Plan - the latest version will be circulated before the meeting. 

- Ensure that everything is grounded in the Diocesan priorities. 




 

 

 

 

 

 The newsletter adds:

"Adam will lead the process of reviewing the ‘On the Way Plan’ and any changes agreed to it following wider public consultation in the coming months, while Chris will have responsibility for chairing the Deanery Synod and Standing Committee together with Adam’s input."


Popular posts from this blog

"What is going on?" Church treasurer resigns in protest at Diocese of Truro’s MMF spending plans

Image
John Kennaugh, Treasurer of a church in east Cornwall,  has asked to be replaced . He has written this article and is happy for it to be widely shared . "I think what is happening is morally wrong," he says.  He profoundly disagrees with the Diocese of Truro’s MMF policy and spending plans. John took on the job of Treasurer for his local church Parochial Church Council (PCC)  in 2024.  He explains:   "My local Church community is a wonderful example of what a Christian community should be and it is a privilege to be a part of it but what I discovered regarding the Mission and Ministry Fund (MMF) and the bureaucratic monstrosity the Church of England  has become has totally disillusioned me.  I have asked to be replaced having ...
Read more

MMF - what will happen if your PCC resists payment in full

Following our  Fact Sheet  on key questions to ask regarding MMF (Mission and Ministry Fund), we have received a number of further queries from Parochial Church Councils (PCCs). Here are some answers. Neither Save The Parish Cornwall nor Save The Parish nationally are advocating at this time a total MMF or Parish Share “strike” by PCCs. But we in Cornwall in the Diocese of Truro believe the annual Call has been much too high for some years and in 2024-25 needs particularly to be strongly challenged and resisted.  The 2025 MMF, split by benefice within each deanery: click here to read What will happen if we don’t pay our MMF - and how do we do it? First of all, remember that MMF is NOT a statutory charge that you have to pay - like your gas bill, for instance. It is in fact a voluntary charity donation. It is true that, generally, a PCC is getting something in return for that charitable gift. But in times when that return is often getting noticeably less and less, while th...
Read more

Diocese of Truro's Halloween budget - 10 key takeaways from draft report for November Synod

Image
You may be forgiven for not having caught up with the Diocese of Truro's draft budget report for 2025. It has only just been posted up on the Diocesan website, in sharp contrast with previous years when Diocesan Secretary Simon Cade has circulated draft budgets several months in advance, asking for comment.  It's no surprise that Church House will have wanted to keep this under wraps - it's their own 'Halloween' budget.  This isn't a budget for radical change. Rather a budget to manage a Diocese in chaos. A budget with a worryingly large deficit and a plan to plug ever increasing holes with fast-diminishing reserves. To read the details - due to be discussed at the Diocesan Synod on 23 November 2024 - click here. In the budget, the Diocese reneges on a public promise to Save The Parish Cornwall to stop a decline in clergy numbers: numbers are set to fall still further in 2025. Yet again, Church House costs will increase (despite pledges to cut them). And for the...
Read more