Following the introduction of Ministry Share in January, last week over £1.2m was awarded to parishes to help them transition to the new system.
A panel of Area Deans and deanery treasurers met to discuss and award grants with 38 benefices being given help to meet their Ministry Share payments, including the allocation of £540,600 of national funding to support ministry in our lowest income communities.
Chris Boden, Stewardship and Resources Officer, explains more about the process:
"Ministry Share was introduced at the beginning of 2022 to pay and house our stipendiary clergy and train new clergy. The amount asked from each benefice relates to the number of stipendiary clergy they have, with an adjustment based on the relative incomes of the congregations compared to the rest of the Diocese.
In order to help benefices transition to the new system and particularly to support those facing an increase from what they were asked to pay under the previous one, a grant system was put in place. These grants have become even more vital with the increasing cost of utilities that our churches are facing. It is essential that we can continue to pay for ministry across the Diocese in these challenging times.
Of the £1.2 million that has been awarded, £540,600 comes from the National Church particularly for those benefices that are working with our lowest income communities. Of the remaining amount, nearly £200,000 has been generously offered from those benefices whose r Ministry Share request has decreased. The final part will come from diocesan reserves.
Alongside the grants, the Diocesan Finance team are available to help benefices look at their finances and see what possibilities are available to help the transition to Ministry Share, such as looking at stewardship campaigns and making best use of restricted and endowment funds.
Thank you to everyone who engaged with the grant process this year, the applications we received from benefices showed a lot of the dedicated and wonderful work that is going on around the Diocese. We are really proud that we can support so many benefices this year as we transition to the new Ministry Share system, and are incredibly grateful to those who are helping support them through giving to the Ministry Share Support Fund.”
