Dissenting voices emerge at Diocese of Truro Synod over eyewatering 2026 budget deficit
Dissenting voices emerged at today's Diocese of Truro synod over the eye-watering budget deficit planned for 2026 - nearly £4.5 million after a £3.4 million deficit in 2025. Supporters of the Diocese of Truro's 'strategy led' budget - which aims to support unproven and unfinished deanery plans created during the restructuring process known as On The Way - say that a total of £22 million of Diocesan reserves need to be poured into the proposed schemes over a ten-year period. On The Way envisages a model of Oversight Ministers managing teams of lay ministers and workers - often in large benefices - rather than priests in parishes. Others today counselled caution and called for firm evidence that the much-vaunted 'fruitfulness and sustainability' of this approach is provided before the financial situation of the Diocese is weakened yet further. Martin Saunders from Pydar Deanery regretted the fact that only 20 minutes had been allocated to such an important discu...