Notes on the Support Fund Meeting 21/5
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Diocese of Coventry 2012 Support Fund Meeting Minutes of the 2012 Support Fund Meeting held on 21 May 2011 The meeting was held in the Upper Hall at St Mary’s Church Leamington Spa. Attendance: Deanery Representatives (voting members): Alcester Mr Roderick Boswell Mr Alan Greathead Coventry East Mr Roger Manning Revd Malcolm Tyler Coventry North Mr David Fletcher Revd Robin Trew Coventry South Mr Mark Perryman Revd Graeme Pringle Fosse Mr Peter Ashton Revd Martin Gorick Kenilworth Mr Hamish Blair Revd Canon Roy Brown Nuneaton Mr Peter Rogers Revd Peter Allan Rugby Mr Kevin Downham Mr Roger Evans Shipston Mrs Janet Owen Revd Dr Jill Tucker Southam Mr David Clarke Revd Martin Green Warwick & Leamington Mr David Wigman Revd Richard Suffern Others (non-voting): Steve Burch Area Dean of Coventry South, morning only Matt Jermyn Committee Support Officer David Oglethorpe Director of Finance and Administration Morris Rodham Archdeacon Missioner Graham Wright Chair The meeting began with breakfast at 8.30am. Morning prayer Roy Brown led morning prayer, which included readings from Psalm 34 and Deuteronomy 15:1-18. Archdeacon Morris gave a short address highlighting the relevance of the Lectionary reading from Deuteronomy for the day, and then setting the reason for the day into the wider strategy of the Diocese, followed by a short time of open prayer. Introduction and election of Chair David Oglethorpe welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained the roles of those who were there not as deanery representatives. The first item of business was the election of an independent chair and Graham Wright as Chair of the House of Laity had been proposed. Graham commented that he had made sure he did not participate in his deanery’s discussions in preparation for this meeting, in order to preserve his independence. He was elected unanimously and took the chair. Deanery Presentations Graham explained that the rest of the morning would be devoted to listening to the deanery representatives’ presentations giving feedback on the four questions which had been posed in advance, and that the afternoon sessions would deal with the bid and offers of support for 2012 and try to arrive at a solution. He reminded the meeting of the four questions which were as follows: Page 1 of 10 Diocese of Coventry 2012 Support Fund Meeting 1. What do you consider to be the greatest challenges facing your deanery? 2. What do you consider to be the greatest opportunities? 3. Which of the following statements best describes your own view of your deanery? a) We think our deanery will need on-going financial assistance from the Support Fund. b) We think our deanery ought not to receive on-going financial assistance from the Support Fund. 4. How do you feel about the level of assistance your deanery is receiving from, or giving to, the Support Fund in 2011? (Is it too much? ...or too little? ...or about right?) The deanery representatives gave presentations in alphabetical order by deanery. A card was handed out with 2011 Deanery Share information on it and a space for personal notes on each deanery’s presentation. The main points made in the presentations are listed below. Alcester Challenges and opportunities: - 31 churches, 6.5 stipendiary clergy. Many churches have only monthly services, which inhibits growth/strong worship - Elderly congregations - High cost of maintaining churches, especially for one or two parishes - Stewardship challenges – some stewardship campaigns have happened which did not increase giving, maybe the summit of giving reached there. - Some parishes paying share out of reserves. - Concern that historic higher than inflation increases in share might repeat - Benefit of people training as NSMs and Lay Readers and a good number of retired clergy. Level of assistance given to/received from the Support Fund: - Don’t expect to draw on the Support Fund - But feel that the level of assistance given is too much and would like to approximately halve their contribution to the fund over 5 years - Concern that 4 deaneries supporting 7 is unsustainable - Some feeling of unfairness that Alcester is contributing as much as it is, especially in smaller parishes. Coventry East Challenges and opportunities: - Mobile population with a high level of renting rather than property ownership, lots of immigrants, high multiculturalism, little stable community - High deprivation – all 16 churches in the deanery are in the 25 most deprived areas - Many young families/people. Challenge reaching them, as congregations are generally older. Difficult to encourage them to give when they are reached. - ‘Competition’ – a lot of other denominations are in the area, and the draw of the City Centre nearby. Traditionally church-run activities (eg holiday clubs) now provided by other organisations. Page 2 of 10 Diocese of Coventry 2012 Support Fund Meeting Level of assistance given to/received from the Support Fund: - Very grateful for the high level of support - Need continuing support. Haven’t managed full allocation of the Deanery Share to parishes for 2011 - Would like to receive at least the same level of support in 2012, would appreciate more wriggle room - 10 Stipendiary posts Coventry North Challenges and opportunities: - Ordinariate/Women Bishops – has affected 5 churches, 2 clergy have left with key chunks of congregations, including 50% of one church. Has seriously affected giving, especially as often the active and committee people have moved. Rebuilding the skills and the giving will take time - Shortage of lay leadership - challenges associated with UPA area, but need to be enabling people - Congregation/community links difficult. Older congregations/young community, especially unreached single mums. Also has a high rate of social change. High numbers of unchurched young men. - Big opportunity in the 20s-30s age bracket - Lots of new housing areas (eg from development of previous Jaguar and Dunlop sites) – population to increase by 25,000 - Many opportunities in local primary schools which are very open to the church/clergy Level of assistance given to/received from the Support Fund: - Very grateful for the high level of support. However, not in a grovelling way - instead recognising that we are doing the mission together - 10.5 stipendiary posts - Need continuing support, and more over next year or two because of the departures to the Ordinariate. Coventry South Challenges and opportunities: - Mixed wealth: deanery contains some nice and some deprived areas - Lots of 1st time buyer housing and younger people - Challenge – deanery churches working together, not just alongside - Deaf Church (for the whole diocese) – a ministry with a high financial cost (£80/hour for BSL interpreter) - Some parishes which used to have difficulties but have now turned around. Many parishes are self-supporting, but some aren’t. Deprived areas still need support. - High student population mainly in four parishes – some parishes manage to attract and keep students resulting in a high level of young professionals in the congregation, some don’t. - Congregations full of busy people Page 3 of 10 Diocese of Coventry 2012 Support Fund Meeting Level of assistance given to/received from the Support Fund: - Finances are tight. Intention is to move to not receiving any support. - Would like to move to giving support, but don’t want to promise this. Fosse Challenges and opportunities: - One main town (Stratford upon Avon) and the rest rural. - Some rural parishes have very small populations, share clergy with several other parishes and struggle to meet their costs. Some paying by drawing from reserves. Puts pressure on other parishes who are supporting them. 25% of the Deanery Share comes from one church. - Some elderly congregations. Can see younger people starting to be drawn in – lots of rites of passage, new forms of church. Messy church draws people in. - Developing lay leadership. Reduction in stipendiary clergy relatively recently. No Area Dean at the moment. Level of assistance given to/received from the Support Fund: - Would like to continue to be a small contributor to the Support Fund, would struggle to give any more. Current level of support is about right. Kenilworth Challenges and opportunities: - Split of 2 or 3 large parishes and much smaller rural parishes, with small congregations and expensive buildings. 2 or 3 big parishes are funding the surplus parish share Level of assistance given to/received from the Support Fund: - Net Support Fund benefactor – currently can continue at the same level. - Intending to apply to the Mission Fund for coming projects - Income dependant on income of members - Would like to see more transparency about where support is going and could go. Aim is to see people coming to Christ! Free will givers need to see where it’s going. At this point there was a coffee break. Nuneaton Challenges and opportunities: - Receiving deanery – incredible gratitude. - Largest deanery in terms of population, and has 15.71 stipendiary clergy. - Rural/urban mix - Deprivation: not as poor as Coventry East & North, but next in line and deteriorating, with some parishes in the top 10% most deprived nationally; lots of poverty, manifested in health problems and school children being shorter than in richer areas - Thinking about how the churches regain responsibility for the relief of the poor as the welfare state rolls back Page 4 of 10 Diocese of Coventry 2012 Support Fund Meeting - Many church buildings used by the community & church community centres, with 100s of users per week – are they a maintenance burden or part of our mission? - Mismatch between congregations and local people – tend to be older, more literate, wealthier, women. - Many churches are growing – new ways of doing church helping. Messy church taken on as a deanery. - 12 church schools in the deanery Level of assistance given to/received from the Support Fund: - Need continuing support, a little more than the current level if possible - Many good things going on which are dependant on continuing support.