Money can cause difficulties even in the closest relationships. It exerts forces and pressures which Jesus recognised - the many references to money in the New Testament reflect its significance. For the Church family it is no different.

We are taught not to worry about the future but we are part of a society in recession and many of us are affected in some way by financial difficulties – or by fear of them. Many, but not all, of our churches have ageing congregations and a strong sense of responsibility for maintaining costly historic buildings. An increasing number of parishes report that they are using reserves repeatedly, rather than exceptionally, to balance the books. Some parishes on the other hand are growing strongly and want to use funds locally rather than contribute to broader financial responsibilities.
Particularly at times like these it is important, in the church, that we talk to each other, that the finances are understood, and that we have agreement about the way forward.

Having said that, we have come a long way. The parish share scheme, introduced in 1998 and subsequently linked to ministry planning, helped us to move from being a diocese receiving large grants from the Church Commissioners to one that not only provides the full cost of stipends but has also taken on the pension and other “employment” costs of our clergy. At the same time as doing this, parishes are keeping church buildings in better shape than ever before.

Many parishioners have taken on significantly greater financial responsibilities to ensure the living Church thrives. The share scheme is creaking now and is being revised, as is the calculation of ministry costs. New data provided by parishes and government sources are being explored to develop a formula which is understandable and fair and which will serve us well in the coming years.

We are not moving away from our commitment to mutual support where it is needed. That is part of being the Body of Christ: recognising the justice of the more wealthy supporting those with less. However there is also a proper need for accountability: we need to explain to each other what our hopes and constraints are, and be willing to have our assumptions tested. In some places it may never be possible to raise the necessary funds locally, for good and genuine reasons. But we need to understand what it is to be Church in those places and respond together to ensure that ministry can be provided across the diocese.

Those at Diocesan Church House are part of that process too. During the autumn we have been looking at our own work, checking whether there are ways in which we can reduce costs or increase income. We have been re-examining our work to ensure that it is focused in the best way to support parochial ministry. We need further conversations to make sure that our work will be appropriate and tailored to future parish needs.

The discussions to take place throughout the rest of the year, particularly at Diocesan Synod and the autumn financial consultations, will be very significant as we agree the framework for the next stage of the funding of the Church in our Diocese.