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

Penwith's much-discussed and delayed On The Way plan has faltered and will be reviewed under the deanery's new Strategic Rural Dean, 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.

"In Penwith the Deanery Plan has faltered," writes Rev Thomas in the newsletter, 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."

In the newsletter, Rev Thomas says the review meeting is for anyone from all Deanery churches who wishes to attend and clearly sets out the reasons for holding it.  Rev Thomas -  from the Land’s End Benefice and Paul Church  - was commissioned on 29 September 2025 as Strategic Rural Dean by the Archdeacon on behalf of the Bishop of Truro, for a term of five years.   

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. 

For background on the On The Way restructuring plans, championed by the former Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Philip Mounstephen, click here. 

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