Save The Parish - Cornwall

No fewer than four ads in this week's Church Times for Oversight Ministers in four Cornish deaneries - the highly controversial move by Cornwall's Bishops towards a different style of 'church' in Cornwall with vicars' main concern being administration, rather than the traditional cure of souls . These Oversight Ministers will oversee teams of lay workers. People across Cornwall have spoken out about this: churchgoers across the county want priests in parishes, not managers and administrators. Click here to read more . B elow is the list of current job ads, representing moves towards radical change from the Tamar to Land's End.  Click here to read specific concerns from churchgoers in each deanery where an 'Oversight Minister' job is advertised : Trigg Major, Trigg Minor, West Wivelshire and Penwith. Save The Parish Cornwall is calling for a moratorium on these radical change of direction - until proper consultation has taken place.  These plans were dr...

You may be interested to know that Leicester diocese is presently putting forward the first whole-diocese reorganisation scheme. The idea is that each and every parish in the diocese should be gathered into a large grouping, overseen by an ‘Oversight Minister’. Despite past denials from the top, such schemes provide clear evidence that the proven CofE parish system, as we know it, is being ended. Other dioceses may be achieving the same result differently (for example by allowing current appointments to end without appointing new parish priests). A ten-year plan noted by the Truro Diocesan Synod on Saturday plans for 55 Oversight Ministers across the diocese. We believe this to herald a pan-diocese plan for a complete change of style of ministry. Truro's Bishops have already confirmed that two of Cornwall's 12 deaneries will see new patterns of ministry with stipendiary clergy leading teams of ordained and lay people over areas that will include more than ten churches - Ke...