Two Church of England dioceses have received multi million cash injections to create new worshipping communities.
The diocese of Carlisle has been awarded £6.8 million to create 90 new groups over the next five years, focussing on Barrow, Carlisle and the rural Derwent deanery. 200 new leaders will be trained and support will be offered to young Christians, from 0 – 25 years old.
The diocese of Rochester will receive £11 million over the next five years to serve communities stretching from the Medway towns to Bromley, which will supplement £10.9 million “to help grow a flourishing and well-resourced parish system”.
The Bishop of Rochester, Dr Jonathan Gibbs, has said he is delighted at the award, but raised concerns at the financial difficulties faced by three quarters of dioceses. He said a proposal for the Church Commissioners to offer short term funding was not sufficient and he appealed for local dioceses to be in control of finances, rather than control from the centre. Without this change, he said “the parochial system and the Church of England’s commitment to be present and ministering in every community will be under increasingly severe strain”.
Read also: Dioceses ready to take back purse strings from centre, Dr Gibbs tells Rochester synod by Madeline Davies, Church Times