Perilous Times
Church of England to axe some bishops and dioceses to cut costs
'Radical and realistic' report recommends replacing higher-paid senior
bishops in Yorkshire with lower-paid juniors
* Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent
*
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 9 December 2010 16.49 GMT
St Paul's Church in Manningham, Bradford St Paul's Church in
Manningham, Bradford, which is part of one of the dioceses that may be
affected. Photograph: Don Mcphee for the Guardian
The Church of England is considering "radical and realistic"
recommendations to axe bishops and dioceses as a way of avoiding
"wasteful duplication" and saving money.
A 120-page report, published today by the Dioceses Commission, proposed
that there should be just one diocese serving Anglicans in West and
North Yorkshire, instead of the current three, and that lower-paid
junior bishops should replace higher-paid senior ones. It also
suggested the diocesan bishops of Bradford, Ripon and Leeds, and
Wakefield be compensated "for loss of office".
The report said the new "decentralised" diocese would be split into
five areas, each with its own area bishop and council, to achieve a
"strong element of devolution". It claimed that area bishops would be
"closer in every sense to their clergy and people than it has been
possible for the diocesan bishops to be".
Dr Priscilla Chadwick, who chaired the review, said the report was
"mission-led and not finance-driven", though she said money would be
saved through the cutbacks and mergers.
"We have asked which structures will best enable the Church of England
to relate to the communities of Yorkshire, which will be most
intelligible to non-churchgoers, which would eliminate wasteful
duplication, and which are likely to prove resilient and sustainable
into the medium term," she said.
The report identified several areas where spending would be reduced if
the proposals were accepted: the number of senior bishops, and their
associated housing, stipends, staff support and operating costs.
The commission spoke to about 250 people in Yorkshire, including
clergy, laity and councillors, and is now open for consultation. The
feedback will determine whether the commission prepares a "draft
reorganisation scheme" in June.
The earliest any scheme would be considered by the Church of England's
governing body would be 2013.