At present, the Church’s one million worshippers each give about £70 a year towards clergy pensions, amounting to £7,800 a year for each clergyman or woman. To make ends meet, this would have to increase to £110 per worshipper, or £11,000 for each stipendiary cleric. A diocesan consultation has concluded that worshippers are already giving as much as they can afford and that any increase along these lines is unsustainable.
“The view is that we are at the limit of affordability,” a Church pensions insider said.
Dr Jonathan Spencer, the chairman of the Church of England pensions board, said that the board’s professional advisers had “consistently” recommended placing the scheme’s assets in equities, “which have historically produced the best returns”.
A schismatic church, a failing pension, persecution and marginalisation for orthodox beliefs, lack of resources on the ground, unrealistic workloads, a hostile secular world in which to evangelise, no leadership but the confused ramblings of a misinformed and underqualified synod…who wouldn’t want to offer their life to the C of E today?!!
Praise God that HE cares and rewards and transforms it all into a life worth living…or I would have quit long ago!
#2 We are privileged to have hard-working priests like you RPP. May all that you engage in continue to bear fruit.