Heads in Sand or Sticking Necks Out

Finances and Outreach Challenge to Church by Church Army Chief

"There is nothing like finance - or more to the point, the lack of it - to focus the mind. It forces people into establishing some priorities. It makes us take life more seriously. It prompts us to ask important questions regarding the use of resources." So said Captain Philip Johanson, Church Army Chief Secretary, preaching on Church Army Sunday (23 September) at St Peter's Church, Nottingham.

He went on: "It does not take a genius to work out that the Church of England is going to be faced with having to make some very difficult and possibly painful decisions in the foreseeable future. It was reported in the Church Press earlier this year that nearly three-quarters of the Church of England dioceses expect their latest accounts to be in the red. The Diocese of London has announced that it is cutting 33 stipendiary posts. Chelmsford has cut 12 posts and the Bishop of Truro has announced that the diocese will cut 40 posts over the next ten years. And so the list goes on."

He went on: "In many respects it is a very bleak outlook. We could end up feeling very down beat and very depressed about the future. Alternatively we can rise to the challenge and see it as a golden opportunity to think radically. It does appear that some people want to bury their heads in the sand hoping the problem will go away. Radical solutions are required for serious problems."

"We need to be bold, think radically and act decisively. We must not bury our heads in the sand. Rather, we need to stick our necks out and seize the opportunity," he urged. "We cannot continue to run the church today as we did fifty years ago. We do not have the same resources. However, ironically, the challenge to be committed to and involved in mission and outreach is greater than ever."

Captain Johanson continued: "The recently announced re-allocation of the grants to dioceses from the Church Commissioners does mean that several dioceses will be given additional finance, whilst others will lose their allocation altogether. The Commissioners are not making more money available; rather they have changed the formula on which grants are allocated. For example, as a result of the re-allocation, the diocese of Southwark will need to find an additional £648,000 and Blackburn will need to find £669,000. This can only come through cuts or asking parishes for additional finance. Church House Westminster is faced with having to make staff and other cuts to save £1 million. Several dioceses are already discussing the possibility of shared administrative resources."

Church Army also had to think radically and act strategically and key posts had been opened with Diana Greenfield as the Evangelist to Bournemouth nightclubs, Gordon Banks as the recently licensed Diocesan Adviser in Evangelism for Truro and Carol Price ministering among older people in Derby, he said.

His closing challenge was: "We need to be flexible and ready to respond to new opportunities. We need to travel light as Jesus himself did and He calls us to do the same. We need to establish priorities for mission, we need to value people in the way Jesus did and we need to consider new possibilities for Christ in the 21st Century."

For more information please contact Philip Johanson (Tel: 020 8297 6049); or Les Tennant (Tel: 01235 531623).