Bishops' House Q&A

Purchase by the Church Commissioners of a new See house for the Bishop of Oxford has sparked controversy as press reports have compared spending on the house to the struggles of hard-up parishes to maintain their churches.  The DOOR put some of our readers’ questions to the Commissioners.

Q. What are the criteria for a modern bishop’s house? Why does it need to be so large?

A. The house performs three functions: home; office; and a place for hospitality and meetings. It must offer a proper public/private divide so that family life is not disrupted, but accommodation for guests is provided within the family space. 

Generally it will have five to six bedrooms, a dining room, sitting room and (private) family room, kitchen, study, chapel and office for secretaries and chaplain.  In the recent Strategic Review of See Houses, when there was wide consultation with bishops and other interested parties, bishops were clear that their office should be located at the See House and ideally the last three elements should be in a separate annex. This is pertinent in Oxford where the bishop currently has his office at Diocesan Church House. The new house needs the flexibility for an office, if required.

The bishop’s functions include pastoral oversight of the diocese, teaching, preaching and  ministering to his diocese. He might also have a national role. He has a prominent role to play in the local community and in civic and diocesan life. This requires an office on the premises for regular meetings with his senior staff, clergy, local and government officials and members of the public.

Q. Couldn’t the meetings/visitors be accommodated elsewhere in the diocese?

A. This was considered in the recent review. Hospitality is a fundamental element of the bishop’s ministry and should emanate from his home. Working long and irregular hours is a feature of Episcopal life and offering hospitality from his home gives the bishop a greater chance to be with his family.

Q. Why can’t money from investments by the Church Commissioners be used to repair many of the diocese’s churches?

A. The Commissioners’ responsibilities are limited by the legal duties they have been given by Parliament and the General Synod. The investments are managed on behalf of the church: To meet pension commitments and to provide maximum sustainable funding for  other purposes such as support for the work of bishops, cathedrals and parish ministry.

The Commissioners contribute some £160 million towards the church’s annual running costs of around £900 million. Their fund is fully spoken for by existing commitments.

Q. Will the criteria for bishop’s houses be reviewed in the foreseeable future?

A. The Strategic Review recommends the criteria be reviewed every five years to take account of changes in patterns of ministry or in society - climate change for example.

Q. Will distribution of the funds held by the Church Commissioners be reviewed?

A. In July 2005 the General Synod welcomed  emerging proposals set out in the interim report of the Resourcing Mission Group, chaired by the Bishop of Bath and Wells. This included the option that dioceses should be given more discretion over the use of the Commissioners’ funds rather than, as happens at present, the monies being ring-fenced at the centre for specific purposes.

Following the Group’s final report in January 2006 it is intended that in the coming months there should be further consultation with all interested parties on the practical detail.

Q. Are the actions of the Church Commissioners subject to scrutiny by the Charity Commission as with other charities?

A. Not at present although this will change if the Government’s proposed Charities Bill is enacted as drafted.

The Commissioners answer questions on their activities in both parliament and the General Synod and submit their annual report to both bodies.