A new parliamentary network of cathedral cities with a remit to make a “sustained appeal” to the Government for funding support was established this week.

Cathedral deans and their constituency MPs met in Westminster on Tuesday. MPs were urged to propose a motion for debate in Parliament on the value of cathedrals to the nation. The deans also urged the Government to call on the Church’s own National Investing Bodies to meet their obligations to cathedrals.

Parliamentary debates on cathedrals have been held every year for the past few years, covering their economic contribution, choral music, maintenance, and sustainability.

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A new parliamentary network of cathedral cities with a remit to make a “sustained appeal” to the Government for funding support was established this week.#Cathedral https://t.co/1VMa9dOhhB

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) June 12, 2026

The dignity of retired clergy demands a “transformed mindset” among the Church’s leaders, the Retired Clergy Association has told the Clergy Retirement Dignity and Fairness Review (News, 1 May).

“An increase in pensions or the lump sum will not compensate for disparaging our members, nor is it likely to be achieved without a transformed mindset that accords them a dignified value,” the eight-page submission stated.

While drawing attention to the financial precariousness of some retired clergy — some of whom spend more than two-thirds or more of their income on church retirement housing — it raised concerns about wider attitudes to its members.

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Retired Clergy Association tells fairness & dignity review that many dioceses depended on retired clergy to cover weekly services and calls for a "transformed mindset" in the Church in terms of how they are treated https://t.co/PvJgnEnmRO

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) May 31, 2026

The visitation recorded concerns about the spiritual life of the cathedral, noting that “the spiritual dimension of Chapter’s work appears less visible than might be expected.” It continued: “Theological reflection in decision-making is limited and shared prayer outside formal worship is infrequent.”

While the daily offices and Sunday services are “offered with dignity and care”, the cathedral has “limited awareness of the needs and well-being of its congregation”, the report says. Home communion reaches “only a small number of people”, and visiting “relies almost entirely on a few individuals”.

The cathedral’s relationship with the community “feels distant and strained” the report says. “Many residents perceive it as focused on tourists rather than locals. This disconnect has led to frustration, missed opportunities, and weakened trust.”

Among senior clergy, working relationships have become “strained, creating an environment that makes collaboration and effective decision-making difficult”. Stipendiary clergy must commit themselves to gathering daily for shared prayer.

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Interesting that one of the recommendations here was that the clergy commit themselves to gathering daily for shared prayer – something that was infrequent outside formal worship. The spiritual dimension explored.https://t.co/wI26w8NIUW

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) May 28, 2026

Heritage funding for the 14,000 listed places of worship in England, including cathedrals, is to come in upfront capital grants, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Those in areas of high deprivation and “facing overwhelming fund-raising challenges” would be prioritised, it said on Wednesday.

The new Places of Worship Renewal Fund (PWRF) succeeds the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme (LPWGS), under which places of worship could reclaim all the VAT paid on repairs and maintenance. Last year, the LPWGS was capped at £25,000 for each place of worship, meaning that those undertaking major repairs — such as a new roof — had to raise extra funds to cover VAT costs for the first time in two decades (News, 25 January 2025).

The new PWRF grant scheme is to be delivered by Historic England and is intended to bring places of worship in line with other heritage buildings. It has been influenced by the success of the Heritage at Risk and the Heritage Revival Funds, and, in targeting areas of greatest need, puts the emphasis on the community, DCMS says.

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Heritage funding for the 14,000 listed places of worship in England, including cathedrals, is to come in upfront capital grants, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Those in areas of high deprivation would be prioritisedhttps://t.co/G2J758K7rI

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 20, 2026

Both the Church’s funding bodies and the Government should ramp up investment in cathedrals, where financial pressures are resulting in commercial bookings that risk “crowding out the sense of stillness and calm”, a new report has concluded.

Living Stones: English cathedrals as sacred spaces in changing times celebrated the contribution made by the country’s cathedrals, but warned that they are in “serious difficulty”, with 80 per cent in structural deficit.

“The pressures of financial survival can consume so much energy and attention that there is little left for the deeper questions of purpose and mission,” it said.

Produced by Theos, the report was funded by the Church Commissioners’ Cathedral Sustainability Fund and the Association of English Cathedrals (AEC). It will be presented to the National Cathedrals Conference in Bristol this week.

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Both the Church’s funding bodies and the Government should ramp up investment in #cathedrals, where financial pressures are resulting in commercial bookings that risk “crowding out the sense of stillness and calm”, a new report has concluded#churchnewshttps://t.co/t0Vje0hvt0

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) May 19, 2026

‘A Chicago Cubs fan who needed a kidney found a donor in a crosstown rival, a fan of the Chicago White Sox. Recently, the recipient and her donor threw out the first pitch at a Cubs game. NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas reports.’

Romsey Abbey has been named a Demonstrator Church as part of the Church of England’s ambition to become net zero by 2030.

The abbey is currently working with two heritage consultancy firms to explore sustainable upgrades to its lighting and heating systems, with partial funding from the Church of England.

Jan Bartlett, lead churchwarden for the zero carbon initiative at Romsey Abbey, said: “The CofE’s Demonstrator Churches project aims to support high carbon emitting churches with zero carbon projects.

“Romsey Abbey is fortunate to have been selected for Demonstrator Church status and this year we will be receiving financial support towards the technical advice we need to take forward our heating and lighting projects.”

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Abbey working towards a greener future is recognised by Church of England https://t.co/TMdfMT3U0v

— Hampshire Chronicle (@hantschronicle) February 9, 2026

A “BOLD reshaping of the Church in Plymouth”, intended to help to double church attendance in the city, is among the initiatives to be funded by a new £10-million Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) grant for the diocese of Exeter.

Plymouth, the largest urban centre in Devon, with a population of about 270,000, and higher than average levels of deprivation, had been identified as an “area of concern” by the national Church, the Suffragan Bishop of Plymouth, the Rt Revd James Grier, has said.

There are “whole communities in the city that have never been reached by their parish church”, diocesan recruitment material says. Amid “declining attendance, leadership gaps, and financial pressures”, the clergy vacancy rate (one third, amounting to ten posts) has created “a rare opportunity to shape a new culture: one that’s rooted in mission, built on collaboration, and open to growth”.

Bishop Grier, who was born in Plymouth, said that an audit of the city had been expected to recommend significant pastoral reorganisation, given the ratio of clergy to congregation size. “In practice, what the review said was, ‘There is no excuse for these churches not to be growing.’”

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Plymouth, the largest urban centre in Devon, with higher than average levels of deprivation, has been identified as an ‘area of concern’ by the national Church https://t.co/mUglWQBXUK

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) February 6, 2026

In pursuit of the Church of England’s priority to grow younger and more diverse, the Strategic Mission and Ministry Board has agreed £0.6m investment with the charity Growing Hope. 

One in six children in England have additional needs, and 88 per cent of parents of children with additional needs say that attending church is currently or has previously been a challenge. Some people with additional needs have commented that elements of church can be distressing for them, such as lighting, signage and sound. 

Founded in 2018 in King’s Cross, London, and initially focussed on setting up free therapy clinics attached to churches for children with additional needs, Growing Hope will now launch a programme to extend its accessibility training to 375 further churches across England. 

In addition, 475 churches will explore the Growing Hope Accessibility Award, which helps churches indicate that they are ready to welcome families with a range of needs. 

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A charity that provides free therapy for children and young people with additional needs has been awarded £600,000 by the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Boardhttps://t.co/STuQ95ecJO

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) February 5, 2026

The Archbishops’ Council is to award £600,000 to two national charities that provide well-being services to clergy, including counselling and financial grants, it was announced on Monday.

The Clergy Support Trust, which is independent of the Church of England, has been awarded £500,000 for work that supports clergy with their finances, health, and well-being. It is hoped that the new grant will support clergy with everyday expenses such as energy costs, unexpected car repairs, and school-related costs for clergy children, a statement from Church House, Westminster, said.

The Trust also provides other grants and services for clergy, including counselling, coaching, and occupational therapy. A year ago, it received a grant of £2 million from the Archbishops’ Council (News, 7 February 2025), through which more than 7000 grants were provided to more than 2900 households.

“The vast majority of applicants are from serving clergy households in the Church of England,” Church House said.

The Trust has supported more than one fifth of all serving C of E clergy for the past three years. 

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The Archbishops’ Council is to award £600,000 to two national charities that provide well-being services to clergy, including counselling and financial grants, it was announced on Monday#churchofengland #clergywellbeing #churchnews #churchtimes https://t.co/zyu8RXD6YK

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) February 3, 2026

Majorities of Americans continue to support charitable causes, with 76% reporting that they gave money to a religious or other nonprofit organization in the past year and 63% saying they volunteered their time to such an organization.

Americans’ current levels of charitable activities are somewhat different from what they were in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial contributions have eased slightly, registering five percentage points lower than in 2021, but volunteering is seven points higher now.

Meanwhile, a steady 17% of U.S. adults say they gave blood in the past 12 months.

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Americans continue to support charitable causes with 76% saying they gave money to nonprofits in the past year and 63% saying they volunteered their time to nonprofits. https://t.co/a5vdAcC1YS pic.twitter.com/a8na0r5603

— Grace Platon (@GracePlaton) January 27, 2026

What God wants is a “take it or leave it” attitude about money. Money must not be the master; rather it must be the slave. If one has money, it is for the sake of his brethren; if he does not have money, he is as cheerful as if he had. That is what it means to be poor in spirit.

Another way to see that Jesus was speaking metaphorically when he spoke of the difficulty of a rich man getting into heaven is to look at the disciples’ astonished response to his words. “Who then can be saved?” they cry in consternation. Why are they dismayed? Is it because they are rich? No, certainly not. They have left all to follow him. They are amazed because they understand the hidden meaning in the Lord’s words. They have been counting on being saved because they have renounced their possessions, but now they understand that until their souls are cleansed of passions they have no more hope than a rich man who clings to his possessions. Salvation is the privilege only of pure and passionless souls.

But the Lord replies, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” No man can free himself from his passions and desires, but God conspires with willing souls. Peter shows himself willing by saying, “We have left all to follow you.” Here he cannot be boasting of leaving the few dollars worth of property he owned, but he means he has left the old mental possessions and diseases of the soul. By doing this he will be saved.

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☦️St. Clement of Alexandria pic.twitter.com/F3On9ieDRI

— Orthodox Faith (@since33) November 12, 2025

The lack of progress from governments at the COP30 climate talks in Brazil has left vulnerable communities at risk, Christian observers attending the summit have warned. As the talks came to a close on Friday, they called for renewed efforts, outside the formal UN process, to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuels.

Climate campaigners have criticised wealthy countries for failing to deliver adequate financial support to help vulnerable countries with comparatively low emissions to adapt to climate change, and to fund the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

With low levels of finance on the table, Saudi Arabia and other fossil-fuel producing countries were able to block agreement on a road map (supported by dozens of countries, including the UK) to move away from coal, oil, and gas. A plan to produce a road map was eventually proposed informally by the Brazilian COP President, André Corrêa do Lago, and will be picked up at a separate conference to be hosted next year by Colombia and the Netherlands.

Patricia Mungcal, of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, said that a concrete plan to move away from fossil fuels would have been COP30’s “gift to humankind”. She praised the countries which had fought for its inclusion, including the Colombian delegates who had delayed the final plenary for more than two hours in protest.

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The lack of progress from governments at the COP30 climate talks in Brazil has left vulnerable communities at risk, Christian observers attending the summit have warned#climatechange #cop30 #brazil https://t.co/kFw3KxfioX

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) November 24, 2025

The Chancellor has been urged to retain a tax scheme for listed places of worship, as a survey was published today showing the majority of the UK population backs Government support to help churches pay for repairs to their buildings.

A poll shows that two in five people, or 43 per cent of all adults, report having had contact with their local church, the majority of these, or 53 per cent, for services and worship but also 23 per cent – nearly seven million people in the UK – for community support such as parent toddler groups, lunch clubs and food banks. An estimated 2.8 million people – or 4 per cent of the UK population – have been in contact with their local church for a food bank. Church of England churches run or support 31,300 social action projects, including nearly 8,000 food banks, with emergency food provision and community cafés on the rise.

More than three quarters of the population – 77 per cent – said historic cathedrals and churches are local and national treasures. And two in five – 41% – said they had visited a church or cathedral simply to find a quiet space for reflection or prayer, with this figure rising to 50 per cent amongst young adults in the 18 to 34 age range.

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Government urged to keep VAT grants for church repairs, amid survey showing millions in touch with their local churches. CofE news: https://t.co/nOJDKcPENE

— Church of England in Parliament (@churchstate) November 23, 2025

Many church communities across the country fear for their future, but some in Berkshire are innovating to keep themselves vibrant.

“We recently had a talk about otters, which was incredible. We had a live band karaoke evening,” said the Reverend Mike Griffiths, the rector of the West Downham Benefice, which has six parishes.

“In one of the villages there’s a duck derby, where you buy a duck and they get released and the winning duck wins the prize.”

A survey by the National Churches Trust (NCT), which helps churches stay open, found 2,000 feared they would either be “definitely” or “probably” not used as places of worship by 2030.

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How churches are surviving challenging times https://t.co/tAcZRemF83 #bbcberkshire

— BBC Berkshire (@BBCBerkshire) October 27, 2025

Though the complainants were numerous enough to meet the canonical threshold for making a formal complaint, their charges are in limbo. One complainant, the Rev. Rob Sturdy, told the Post that after the sworn complaint was submitted, the ACNA’s provincial office returned it, asking all 11 complainants to sign again with an additional statement of attestation to their allegations’ truth “under penalties of perjury.”

Sturdy said the complainant group refuses to comply, calling it a “noncanonical requirement” that “attempt[s] to intimidate our signatories with potential legal action.”

An ACNA spokesperson told TLC that Dr. Tiffany Butler, director of safeguarding and canonical affairs, made the demand, calling it “the typical standard for any ‘sworn statement’ and the standard applied to other presentments received under this administration.”

“However, Chancellor Bill Nelson, in consultation with the College of Bishops, has acknowledged that no rigid formulation of the oath is required and, in particular, that it does not need to include the phrase ‘under penalties of perjury.’ Our hope is to have resolution on this matter as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.

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New for @Livng_Church: ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood is accused of making sexual advances toward a staff member at his South Carolina church, as well as financial impropriety, plagiarism, and bullying.https://t.co/TBBMcDfszU

— Arlie Coles (@ArlieColes) October 24, 2025

“Unfortunately, the problems at the highest levels of the ACNA are deeper, wider and more entrenched than many of its own parishioners realize,” said Andrew Gross, an Anglican priest who was the Anglican Church’s communications director from 2013 until early this year. “The ACNA has never before had to deal with serious allegations of misconduct by the archbishop. This is a crisis without precedent, and how these concerns are handled will determine the future trajectory of the denomination and its credibility.”

A denomination spokeswoman, Kate Harris, said the church could not comment on the accusations against Wood, but she noted that the alleged misconduct predates his tenure as archbishop. She added that once the complaint is “validated as a presentment,” a Board of Inquiry will determine whether it warrants an ecclesiastical trial.

Claire Buxton, 42, the former children’s ministry director at St. Andrew’s who accused Wood of trying to kiss her, said that the alleged advance came after numerous church employees remarked upon Wood’s “excessive praise and fondness” for her.

“I was in shock,” said Buxton, a divorced mother of three sons. Her issues with Wood, she added, are symptomatic of the denomination’s wider problems. “It’s just bizarre to me how far we — the Anglican Church in North America and its leadership — have gotten away from basic morals and principles.”

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I’ve been working all year on a series of investigative stories about leaders in the Anglican Church in North America. This morning, the second piece was published —about accusations of alleged sexual misconduct, bullying by archbishop Stephen Wood. https://t.co/4IOYv8Yrvs

— Ian Shapira (@ianshapira) October 23, 2025

Hundreds of local churches across the UK could close within the next five years, according to a major new survey published by the National Churches Trust.

The 2025 National Churches Survey gathered responses from more than 3,500 churches across all major denominations.

It found rural churches were the least likely to have confidence that they will remain open, with up to 7 per cent (900 churches) saying they could close by 2030. Meanwhile, 2,000 churches said they will “definitely” or “probably” not be used as a place of worship in five years.

The report also revealed widespread issues with church buildings, with many in poor or dangerous condition due to years of underfunding and rising repair costs.

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⛪ Almost one in three churches could be closed by end of the decadehttps://t.co/5DxIFZCwFI

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 21, 2025

Harvest Festivals remain a mainstay of the Church of England calendar, but they are less commonly celebrated in denominations that have been expanding in recent years, research from the charity Green Christian suggests.

It held a representative survey of more than 600 regular churchgoers in Britain. This found that, while two-thirds of Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, and Presbyterian churches continued to keep Harvest, just under one quarter of the respondents from New Churches, and fewer than half of those from Black Majority, Independent, and Pentecostal churches, normally held services.

Professor Tim Cooper, of Nottingham Trent University, who led the research, emphasised the importance of the festival to Christians. “Churchgoers of all backgrounds and traditions claim to care for God’s creation. But if we make choices in our food and farming practices that are not sustainable, we lack environmental integrity and dishonour the creation that God loves.”

This was also disrespectful to farmers, he suggested. “Harvest suppers are an ideal opportunity for churches to provide meals based on LOAF principles — using ingredients that are local, organic, animal-friendly and fairly traded — and thereby encourage Christians to put the principle of caring for God’s creation into daily practice.”

.

Harvest festival remains a mainstay in the Church of England calendar, but is less common in denominations that have been expanding in recent years, research from the charity @GreenChristian_ suggests#harvest #harvestfestival #cathedrals #churchnews https://t.co/x8Yp1vwaeb

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) October 15, 2025

Study criticism of the direction the Church of England over the past decade, and certain words are certain to appear: “centralised”, “technocratic”, and “bureaucracy” among them. The agreed wisdom in these quarters is that, under the previous Archbishop, power was increasingly assumed by a managerial centre — at national and diocesan level. The Church’s leadership turned to secular, corporate wisdom in a bid to reverse numerical decline, and the parish suffered. Cuts to stipendiary clergy have been the most obvious indicator.

It is a narrative that was debated in the General Synod in July, when the announcement of funding plans for the next three years brought to the surface disagreements about how the Church Commissioners’ funding — £11.1 billion at the last count — should be distributed. Calling for more to be distributed directly to dioceses rather than as grants for which dioceses must bid, the Bishop of Hereford, the Rt Revd Richard Jackson, urged members to “put your faith in the local”.

“Do we still have faith in the parish system — or are we going to let it wither on the vine, to be replaced with regional centres and lots of forlorn empty buildings? That is where the current trajectory will take us,” he warned.

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As the annoucement of the next Archbishop of Canterbury approaches, @MadsDavies asks whether it is time to review the drift towards managerialism #primatesportfolio #archbishopofcanterburyhttps://t.co/IBevNbmLUX

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) September 25, 2025

Canon Dr Roland Riem, interim dean of Winchester Cathedral, said: “We had a heartfelt word from retired Baptist minister, James Grote, in notices on Sunday, plus an unfurling of CCA’s banner. Then we had conversations over coffee.

“Let us be very mindful that in the Christian tradition there is an uncomfortable prophetic element and we must take heed of that.”

The Cathedral is in the advanced stages of installing solar panels on its works yard roof, with plans to extend the scheme to four additional roofs in the Cathedral estate.

Other sustainability measures include measures to conserve energy, water usage, all waste to be recycled and many sustainable traders.

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Cathedral taking climate change action after rooftop protest https://t.co/Uek0535Jfm

— Hampshire Chronicle (@hantschronicle) September 25, 2025

When students in my Old Testament courses contrast the allegedly messy world of the first testament with the allegedly simple, straightforward teachings of Jesus, I know for sure they haven’t read the New Testament lately. When we read the Gospels, not least Jesus’ parables, we discover him saying all sorts of bizarre, borderline offensive things.

Keith Bodner is here to help relieve our confusion. His new book, Exploring the Financial Parables of Jesus: The Economy of Grace and the Generosity of God, gives a tour of God’s “economy of grace” by focusing on “parables with a financial edge.” Indeed, Bodner suggests these parables provide “an excellent point of entry into the larger biblical story.”

Along the way, as Bodner invites us to learn from the parables, he also offers guidance on immersing ourselves in them as readers. The book thus inspires readers to engage a genre of biblical literature Bodner playfully dubs the “TikTok of the New Testament,” while equipping them with tools to engage it well.

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Keith Bodner’s new book, “Exploring the Financial Parables of Jesus,” gives a tour of God’s “economy of grace” by focusing on “parables with a financial edge.”https://t.co/Ex1SSlyh5S

— Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) September 16, 2025

O Lord and heavenly Father, who through thy Son our Saviour hast taught us that we cannot serve both God and mammon: Deliver us, we pray thee, from the love of money; and grant us grace to use wisely and faithfully all such possessions as thou hast entrusted to us, for the furtherance of thy kingdom, the relief of those in need, and the supply of our own necessities; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sunrise above Beinn Tianavaig – Isle of Skye #Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @bbcweather @StormHour @ThePhotoHour @VisitScotland pic.twitter.com/aRoMWyCIUZ

— James MacInnes (@Macinnesplant) August 27, 2025

Almighty God, whose loving hand hath given us all that we possess: Grant us grace that we may honour thee with our substance, and, remembering the account which we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of thy bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Good morning 🌅 pic.twitter.com/XmDd9LHlZm

— Sharon Welby📷 (@sharonwelby1) August 26, 2025

Amid debate among bishops about the pros and cons of the “strings” attached to financial grants from the Archbishops’ Council, national funding of £6.2 million has been awarded to Liverpool diocese, the poorest in the Church of England.

The award is part of a larger sum agreed in principle — about £30 million over the next seven years — with a goal of ensuring that every parish is “missionally and financially sustainable”, the diocese says.

The grant will enable it to maintain a reduced level of parish share, avoid a reduction in clergy numbers for financial reasons, and invest in a youth and children’s hub in most deaneries. Other aims include the creation of deanery resource hubs, with employed administrative posts, “lightening the load for parish offices and volunteers”.

Last year’s national Diocesan Finances Review warned of dioceses’ “increased dependency on the NCIs”. In the General Synod last month, some bishops criticised this balance of power, referring to the “exhausting” demands of the grant system (News, 18 July). Last year, only Archbishops’ Council fundings prevented the exhaustion of Liverpool’s usable reserves.

Read it all.

I had a look at the £6.2m granted to Liverpool, the poorest diocese, by Archbishops’ Council (£30m over 7 years in principle). The diocese will now be able to maintain a lower level of parish share & invest in the frontline. https://t.co/jveEjll9DU

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) August 1, 2025

The

Sunday before last, church felt pointless. I woke up and checked for news from the Synod: first, a motion concerning justice for Palestinians wasn’t even selected for debate. Then the General Synod voted against redistributing one per cent of the Church Commissioners’ wealth to diocesan stipend funds, instead amending the motion to debate funding later (News, 18 July).

It is hard not to see this as the sensible adults, who also happen to control all the money, telling poorer churches to die quietly. Justice delayed is justice denied, and poorer parishes have long worked miracles with just a few loaves and fishes. Yet, denial of justice did seem to be a theme. The Revd Dr Ian Paul, of the Archbishops’ Council, insisted that “finance reflects spiritual reality” — a plainly offensive echo of the so-called “indolent poor”. But it was another who really took the biscuit.

The Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt Revd Philip North, is known for his resolute defence of the working class (News, 27 February 2024). Yet, if he and I ever discussed such matters, we might initially talk at cross-purposes, until realising that we needed to define our terms.

Read it all.

"The disparity between richer and poorer churches is stark," writes Adam Spiershttps://t.co/F0xGJam9wp

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 25, 2025

The extent of the General Synod’s ability to shape the spending of the Church Commissioners’ funds was explored during this week’s meeting in York.

During a debate on the spending plans for 2026 to 2028, drawn up by the Triennium Funding Working Group (TFWG), members were warned by the bishops that voting in favour of amendments would produce an “unravelling” with “unintended consequences”.

On Saturday, members gave final approval to the National Church Governance Measure, under which the General Synod will no longer have the power to approve the budget of the body set to replace the Archbishops’ Council: Church of England National Services (CENS). The budget was “properly a matter” for the CENS trustees, Synod was told, bringing the Church of England into line with best practice in charity governance.

The two debates, both of which included failed attempts to bring amendments, followed a review of the Church’s governance that warned of a widespread lack of clarity about “the extent to which [Synod] has (or should have) oversight of the NCIs’ work” (News, 7 July 2023).

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“Gen Synod will no longer have the power to approve the budget of the C of E National Services (replacing Abp’s Council). The budget was “properly a matter” for CENS trustees…bringing the C of E into line with best practice in charity governance.”https://t.co/dhH1anicpY

— Fr Angela Rayner SMMS (@OSacrumCorIesu) July 14, 2025

The Church Commissioners risk attracting “widespread public contempt” if they proceed with Project Spire, a group of historians and General Synod members has warned (News,13 January 2023). The project is a £100-million fund set up to benefit communities affected by the historic transatlantic slave trade.

In a paper published on the History Reclaimed website on 26 June, the group urges the Church to “pause” the project, and to “seek the advice of other scholars, and reflect. To pay reparations on the basis that ‘everyone in the eighteenth century was guilty’ will not stand historical and public scrutiny.”

Its members include two General Synod members, Jonathan Baird (Salisbury) and the Revd Dr Ian Paul (a member of the Archbishops’ Council), and several historians who have publicly criticised the research behind Project Spire. The paper contains a detailed response to the points made in a document published by the Commissioners in May, Independent Responses to Claims Criticising the Historical Basis of the Church Commissioners’ Research (News, 6 June).

Read it all.

Historians call for Church Commissioners to scrap £100-million slavery justice fund https://t.co/6Fr9T1eSLz

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 11, 2025

Several speeches suggested that parish ministry was becoming, as the Revd Vincent Whitworth (Manchester) put it, “impossible”.

The Archdeacon of West Cumberland, the Ven. Stewart Fyfe (Carlisle) warned that, since 2015, parish ministry had been “underfunded to a dangerous point”. Clergy jobs in rural areas were unmanageable, he said. “What makes us distinctive as the Church of England is [that] we maintain a Christian presence in every community and that is never going to pay for itself, but it is a proper charitable priority for Church Commissioners’ redistribution.”

Canon Kate Massey (Coventry), who, until six weeks ago, was serving alone in a parish of 15,000 in Coventry, found it “bittersweet” to hear about growth in churches in receipt of large grants. She had served a “faithful community of believers who are chasing an ever-receding horizon of cost-of-ministry payments”. Those without resources were “made to feel like they are failing”, she said.

Read it all.

Synod votes against radical measures to redistribute Church Commissioners’ wealth

Cuts, clergy stress, low morale, and collapse in vocations presents ‘existential threat to the Church of England’ members hear#clergystress #churchofengland #generalsynodhttps://t.co/VeLWgAmM9k

— Church Times (@ChurchTimes) July 13, 2025

The new report examines how the “virtues” of resource churches can “tip over into
excess” and calls for “vigilance and discernment”. It acknowledges, for example, that the “language of generosity can mask dynamics of power . . . Gifts can bless and release but they can also bind and control.” Similar reflections are required for the other virtues, it suggests: “The attendant dangers of courage are unreflective arrogance and an unfair distribution of the costs of change.”

The report acknowledges that questions have been asked about whether the level of investment in resource churches is “justified or fair”. It argues that, “to invest in this way is not so much an ideal configuration of the Church’s resources as a dramatic intervention in response to extended and widespread decline.” But there is also a need to “explore how financially sustainable resource churches are”. A 2021 CARU report on the resource church in Portsmouth concluded that city-centre examples may “continue to be financially dependent on the wider Church”.

The story of resource churches is “not one of unqualified success”, the new report says. “Not all planting strategies have been able to show sufficient contextual sensitivity and the ‘soil’ of some contexts is very difficult to plant into. At times, a ‘low’, informal style among church plants can be a flexible connection point, at others it may be perceived as an imposition or make only a shallow connection with local communities.”

The fact that resource churches are “overwhelmingly” in the Evangelical tradition may have theological causes, it suggests, noting “the revivalist concern for individual salvation and societal change”. Evangelical networks are “highly structured and well-resourced”, it says; and the rise of such networks has coincided with “a time of experimentation with local structures and . . . the pursuit of a more explicitly strategic focus by senior leaders in the Church of England”.

Read it all.

I was impressed by this thoughtful report on resource churches by Gregory Centre for Church Multiplication, Faith in the North, and Cranmer Hall. Looking at both their virtues and how these can ‘tip over into excess’, hence need for vigilance & discernment https://t.co/4WC1rpuKIJ pic.twitter.com/IE2AHl3RQ4

— Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) July 8, 2025