Parishes plan to turn the financial screw

Church of England Newspaper ^ | 1 July 2004 | staff writers

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Parishes plan to turn the financial screw Number: 5724 Date: July 1, Evangelical churches are being provided with advice on taking fiscal action against their dioceses that could bring further ruin to the Church of England’s finances.

Anglican Mainstream has issued guidelines for parishes considering withholding their quota contributions, asserting that such a protest against “unorthodoxy and poor stewardship” is biblically justifiable.

A number of parishes in the Oxford diocese warned that they would stop paying their parish share following the selection of Canon Jeffrey John to be Bishop of Reading, and his appointment as Dean of St Albans has provoked renewed financial threats.

Two parishes in St Albans have already suspended the entire payment of their quota, and more are considering taking similar action, both in the diocese and across the Church of England.

Philip Giddings, convenor of Anglican Mainstream, said that they had been approached by a significant number of parishes asking for guidance in taking financial action. “I have no doubt that a growing number of evangelical churches are considering their position. It is not the maverick churches, but the larger, more mainstream ones that have a track record of high involvement with church structures who are now feeling alienated.”

The advice given by Anglican Mainstream says that there are a number of situations that would justify financial action. “The first would be if it became clear that all or part of the money involved was being used to support unbiblical teaching or practice.” It said that other reasons could be unbiblical action by “the wider Church” or loss of confidence in the financial management of the diocese.

In 2003 on average evangelical churches had over double the income of non-evangelical churches, according to Christian Research, and their financial leverage was reported as one of the main reasons for Jeffrey John’s withdrawal from the Reading post.

A church such as Christ Church, Clifton, pays around £350,000 to central funds each year, only £90,000 of which is returned to pay for the three clergy members. Losing contributions from such large churches would be a serious blow to the Church, which is struggling to overcome the current financial crisis.

The Rev David Banting, Chair of Reform, which represents over 2,000 parishes, stressed the reality of the threat. “I have never known it as clear in some people’s minds as an active option as it is now,” he said. “People are not prepared to fund a Church that doesn’t seem to have any sense of discipline or restraint. We are considering playing the money card with a heavy heart. We don’t want to do this, but there comes a stage where enough is enough.”

He pointed to a new scheme, Giving as Partners, as a way that parishes could ensure that withdrawing their quota does not effect the poorer churches. He said that it would redirect a significant proportion of quota payments directly to a needy partner parish.

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