KAIROS: What's The Problem?
You may be confused by two competing perceptions. On the one hand, the Diocese of Portsmouth is not in a crisis in terms of attendance, finance or clergy numbers. However, there are several icebergs on the horizon that are now looming into view. If the status quo is maintained over the next few years, a crisis of some form may loom relatively quickly. This is why the next few years can be seen as a God-given opportunity to re-examine what we do and why.
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Careful management of resources and increases in giving in parishes (our giving as a diocese has risen by 27 per cent over the last six years) has ensured that our books remain balanced. We are the only diocese in the Church of England to have paid our parish share in full for the past seven years.
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We have been careful not to employ many more clergy than we have been allocated by the Archbishops’ Council, ensuring that we are not spending beyond our means on clergy stipends.
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We have lean central resources in the diocesan secretariat and have made good returns on our investments.
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There has been a welcome growth in the numbers of non-stipendiary (unpaid) clergy and Readers, as well as the continued, faithful ministry of many retired priests. This means that, by and large, commitments to Sunday services, baptisms, weddings and funerals are all being met, suggesting that there may not be a problem.
However, on more careful reflection there are at least five issues that challenge us:
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The age profile of many of our congregations. Some churches have no children or young people regularly worshipping in them. Though older people are obviously just as important as young people – and there is anecdotal evidence that some parishes are able to attract new members of their congregations at the age of 60 or so – the failure to attract as many younger members to our congregations suggests that attendance figures may plummet in future years as older members pass away.
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Clergy numbers. Stipendiary clergy are as a group getting older and there are not enough ordinands being recruited nationally to replace those who will soon retire. Our diocesan synod, in November 2003, agreed to limit the number of clergy our diocese will employ to keep within limits set by the Archbishops’ Council. Synod members were told that if we ignored such guidelines and employed more clergy than we should, we would be simply be depriving the Church of ordained clergy elsewhere in the country. These latest figures indicate that, over the next 10 years or so, we may need to lose as many as 20 of our stipendiary posts from our current national allocation of 120.
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Financial challenges. Rightly, the national church wishes to pay its stipendiary ordained clergy more fairly by increasing the level of stipends. At the same time, the cost of pensions, met in the past from the Church Commissioners’ funds, is now fully met by the parishes. This is happening at a time when pensions are becoming increasingly expensive to fund.
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Church buildings. The costs of maintaining our church buildings is becoming more of a burden. We have been blessed with a heritage of many listed buildings that give character to our landscape, but it is increasingly expensive to keep them in good and safe order and to make them accessible to the local community. Only 24 of our 173 church buildings are not listed, which creates its own challenges. These pressures seem bound to increase in the future.
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Lack of relevance. Arguably this is the most important factor, yet the most difficult to quantify. For us and for our friends, the Church and our faith may seem vital and integral to all we do. Yet for the vast majority of people in our communities, the Church, the Christian faith and God himself seem irrelevant to their daily lives. Our evangelism and community work may make a difference at the margins, but may go unnoticed by vast sections of our communities.
As you approach the Kairos process, you will be aware of other problems that your parish or your congregation faces. Don’t be afraid to articulate those problems. Don’t be afraid to think the unthinkable in order to tackle them. Don’t be put off by legalities or red tape, as such things can be overcome.
