from Religion Media Centre
A report on “Parish Ministry: Addressing the Crisis in Stipendiary Clergy Numbers in the Church of England” is calling for robust measures to support Church of England clergy and to “halt the collapse of frontline ministry”. The report warns that vicars are becoming “an endangered species” leaving poorer communities without regular priestly care.
Written after a 24 hour consultation at St George’s Windsor organised by Save the Parish and concerned church leaders, it cites data on plummeting numbers of people entering ordination training, stipendiary clergy numbers falling to a historic low of 6,295, and more resignations than retirements.
Recommendations include: urgent action to tackle failing mental health; a course on Anglican basics as “many candidates have little idea of the church they seek to minister within and no knowledge of Anglican liturgy, ecclesiology, orders or theology”; clarity on what defines an Anglican priest; improvement in theological training; ending job cuts; providing mentoring and support of clergy; scrapping the compulsory retirement age of 70; and setting up a review of how impact is measured, moving away from recording numbers of congregants to identifying “unquantifiable parish work”.
It will be launched at the House of Lords this afternoon, hosted by Lord Stephen Parkinson, formerly with the Vote Leave campaign and then political secretary to Theresa May.