Foreword from the Bishop of Dudley

Annual Reports are good repositories of facts and figures.  They tell us who is doing what and some of the impact it has had.  They measure our effectiveness in marshalling resources to meet our goals.  They tell whether we are reaching our financial targets.  You will find all of that in this Report, and I hope that you will be both challenged by it and uplifted – not least because of another modest increase in average church attendance from 2006.

Because we cannot capture fully the living Body of Christ in the Diocese by figures and facts this Report contains stories that breathe life into our experience.  In introducing this Report I want to do the same, and focus on what it feels like to have been part of Worcester Diocese in 2007.

We have been a church of care and prayer.  We demonstrated that to Bishop Peter and Jan Selby as we thanked them and blessed them on their way in September.  I’ve experienced it for myself as individuals and churches have held me in their hearts during the Vacancy in See.

We have been a church of difference not division, developing distinctive responses to God’s call whilst knowing ourselves to be one in Christ.  It has been my privilege, as I travel the diocese, to recognise the same God at work in many different ministries and mission activities.

We have been a church of vulnerability and vitality. In every church setting I’ve visited I’ve sensed God blessing something there; keeping it vital, full of life.  Alongside this comes the proper vulnerability of being the Church.  We are called to do things of which we are incapable.  The challenge, to which many have risen in 2007, lies in moving from “we can’t do this” to “we can only do this by God’s grace”.  Can we believe in a God of abundance, who can and will supply more than all we can ask?

In enough places, in 2007, we have.  May we do so even more in 2008 as we welcome Bishop John to join us on the journey.

The Rt Revd David Walker

Bishop of Dudley

Report from the Chair of the Diocesan Board of Finance, Alastair Findlay

Writing this report gives me an opportunity to stand back from the challenging financial issues that we face and ponder upon what our accounts are telling us.  I am thrilled by what is being achieved both collectively and individually, sensing that the Spirit really is moving within our finances and work of the diocese.

I invite you to read this report in detail; in it you will find accounts of God’s faithful people responding to all sorts of needs in the world and the church. We should be immensely proud and thankful that such stories and countless others like them can be lived and told, not only because of responsive love, but also because we have the finances to enable them to happen.

Our finances are fundamentally sound with £55.8 million of debt free assets which mainly comprise clergy houses and income generating investments.

Parish Share rose in 2007 to £4.6 million and is crucial to the Board’s work. This very impressive figure underscores what I hear about faithful but at times painful giving. We also generated £2.2m of sustainable other income. With expenditure of £7.1m, however the accounts show a deficit of £0.2m.

So the task for the Board and the diocese as a whole for 2008 and beyond will be to work within sound, fair and yet challenging finances which are capable of enabling sustainable mission. If we cannot eliminate deficits by generating additional income, particularly reducing Parish Share shortfalls, then collectively we will need to reduce our expenditure and curtail our work.  Even relatively small changes will be significant.

I hear and understand that there is concern about the state of our finances and that talk of cutting work can only add to a sense of unease. I would however urge you to read and reflect upon the story of £55.8m of assets, of £4.6m of Parish Share and of £7.1m of expenditure which aids the telling of The Good News. We may indeed be anxious about our future financial journey, but as with all things the Risen Christ has promised to walk with us on the road ahead.

Alistair Findlay