Diocese of Llandaff Esgobaeth Llandaf

FairerFairer ShareShare

A Guide to Parish Share within the

Diocese of Llandaff

Diocese of Llandaff Fairer Share Why do we pay Parish Share?

For most parishes Parish Share costs include: makes up the biggest single cost  Parish support in key areas in their budget. Many people such as children’s & youth however are unclear about what work it pays for, with ideas ranging  Church housing repairs and from a Church tax to the priests maintenance salary.  Grants to support specific mission and ministry Parish Share is hugely projects significant in the life of our  Governance & compliance diocese - because it makes ministry possible. It also In every diocese Parish Share is spreads the cost of ministry collected and the shared costs across all parishes in the are paid by the Diocesan Board diocese, so that ability to pay of Finance or the ‘DBF’. The does not affect whether or not reasons the DBF do this are: an area is properly served by

the Church.  To ensure uniformity of stipends

 So the Bishop may deploy a fair spread of clergy across the diocese

 To ensure clergy have the security of being paid on The greatest shared cost to the t i m e a n d h o u s e d diocese (around 74 per cent) is appropriately the cost of ministry support,  To be legally accountable as which includes training and a registered charity paying the clergy. Other shared

More information is available from the Diocese of Llandaff http://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk

Diocese of Fairer Share Llandaff Why do we pay Parish Share?

Over recent years as the cost How Fairer Share is of ministry has increased calculated... sharply and the Representative The total level of Fairer Share Body of The Church in Wales is calculated by the Board of has reduced the level of Finance in their meeting in central funding, the cost of September each year, where Parish Share has had to the financial resource needs of increase greatly. The effects of the diocese are reviewed and this are sadly compounded by a budget set for the following a steady decline in the overall year. average number of people coming to church across the The total Fairer Share diocese, resulting in ever- requirement in monetary increasing costs having to be terms is then shared across all met by fewer and fewer the parishes of the diocese as people. follows: The need for The first part of the Parish Share apportionment is based on a contributions has Fixed Ministry Element. This c h a n g e d fixed element is applied at the d r a m a t i c a l l y following values: from a relatively Stipendiary cleric £10,000 small contribution to shared Curate £5,000 services to one which now NSM*/House for Duty £2,500 contributes significantly to the direct costs of the ministry *Non stipendiary Minister provided within your parish.

More information is available from the Diocese of Llandaff http://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk

Diocese of Fairer Share Llandaff Why do we pay Parish Share?

The value of the fixed element responsible for a number of is subject to review annually by separate parishes, then the the DBF, and additional fixed fixed element would be split elements may be introduced in equally to each parish. Single or due course as a united parishes that have a result of The number of church congregations Church in Wales perhaps within numerous 20:20 vision implementation church buildings, will continue and the provision of additional to be treated as one single forms of licensed ministries parish unit and will receive one funded by the diocese. Fairer Share assessment for the whole parish. ‘Ministry Areas’ The number of clergy posts will also be treated as one (including those awaiting single unit for the purposes of appointment) is based on posts Fairer Share. as at 1st July each year and these are fixed After calculating for the year a parish’s Fixed irrespective of Ministry Element starters and leavers during the the remainder of the Fairer period. Share assessment is based upon the average number of weekly The fixed element applies to church attendees, over the parish posts only. If for example most recent three year period. a cleric is also a diocesan This information is provided by officer for 50% of their time, a parish clergy and officers fixed element of £5,000 will be through the annual parish applied. If a cleric is return provided to the diocese.

More information is available from the Diocese of Llandaff http://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk

Diocese of Fairer Share Llandaff Why do we pay Parish Share?

Extremes in attendance, at How to calculate your parish such times as Christmas and average attendee figure... Easter do not form part of the Extract from your weekly formula which parishes are service register figures the asked to use. Those aged under total attendees each week. The 18 years old are also excluded figure (for Fairer Share average from the assessment. Unlike attendee purposes) should the Church of England, The exclude under 18s and members Church in Wales includes all its of the congregation who attend cathedrals within the diocesan more than one service e.g. if Fairer Share system; cathedrals they attend a contribute through the Fairer Wednesday and Share system in exactly the Sunday service same way as all other parishes they should be within the diocese. counted once - It is vital for the accuracy of not twice! The calculated your parish share calculation weekly attendance should then that the average attendee be sorted into numerical order. figure noted within your annual Of the 52 numbers in the list return is accurate. If you are at the lowest and highest 13 all unsure about how to do this should then be excluded. Total and need further advice please together the remaining 26 contact the Diocesan Office, figures and divide by 26 to but this quick guide should reach the figure needed. This is assist you: the figure that you should record in your annual return.

More information is available from the Diocese of Llandaff http://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk

Diocese of Fairer Share Llandaff Why do we pay Parish Share?

Remember, that if your parish parish is notified in writing with has more than one church, you details of its Fairer Share will need to repeat this assessment for the forthcoming exercise for each church and year, so that this figure can be add the figures together to factored into your parish annual reach the total figure for your budget. parish. The diocese operates a rebate What happens next? scheme, whereby it guarantees to refund 5% of agreed Fairer This figure is compared with Share assessment if all the figure reported for the payments are made by Standing previous year and any growth/ Order on the 1st working day of decline in numbers is restricted each month. If there are by 50%. For example if last historic outstanding arrears of year’ s average attendance was Fairer Share any rebate due will 50 and the be offset against such arrears in current year is the first instance. 60, 55 would be used for the Moving towards Fairer Share... attendee assessment for the Changes proposed during 2014 year. to the current diocesan Parish An average is then taken of the Share system will be last three years re-calculated implemented from 1st January average attendees for the 2015 as follows: average attendee element of The system will be the calculation. implemented on a During October each year your phased basis over 4 years:

More information is available from the Diocese of Llandaff http://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk

Diocese of Fairer Share Llandaff Why do we pay Parish Share?

Year 1 25% additional costs/ The diocese has also created benefit applied another new fund - Helping Hands Fund, designed to give Year 2 50% additional costs/ one off financial support to benefit applied churches who suffer unexpected Year 3 75% additional costs/ financial difficulties due to benefit applied factors outside their control. Year 4 Full implementation More details about both these funds can be found within the In year 1 only, any benefit separate leaflet in this series received by a parish will be ‘Special Assistance Funds’. restricted by 50% with the 50% Other documents which may be of these of interest: savings being  Special Assistance Funds retained by  Fairer Share FAQs the diocese to part fund For help, support and advice the creation with any aspect of parish of a new finance, resources and giving please contact the Parish Going for Resources, Finance & Giving Growth Fund, team at the Diocesan Office: which has been created to specifically help church  01656 868868 congregations which are growing numerically and who [email protected]

experience financial difficulties [email protected] directly as a result.

Developing the ministry and discipleship of all God’s people, so that, transformed ourselves, we might play our part in transforming God’s world.

http://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk/  01656 868868

For electronic versions of this booklet and others in the Fairer Share series please visit http://llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk/ministry/parish-share-conversations/