Benefices across Bath and Wells have started to receive their Benefice Share request for 2025 contributions in our Common Fund, which pays for the work of the church across our diocese to ensure we are a Christian presence in every community.
Previously requests were sent out to parishes, but from 2025 a new method of calculating what each benefice has been put into place, following a period of consultation and discussion in the first half of 2024.
Diocesan Secretary, Jenny Hollingsworth, says, “The new Benefice Share system is designed to be transparent and uses independent data. My hope is that this will build greater trust in the calculation and improve our shared understanding of how we fund ministry and mission across the diocese, so we will have a Common Fund based on our reality, missional and financial, and underpinned by mutuality and generosity.
“We understand that parishes are facing financial challenges, and that many will have an increase in their share request this year. We are trying to ease this transition with a carefully measured approach to the new system. The five-year transition period has been put in place to help manage any significant increase – or decrease – in share request which will help us face our financial challenges together.”
The amount requested of each benefice will vary depending on a number of factors, including the ministry they receive and the number of people who worship at their church. The costs are broken down into three parts:
- Part A: the cost of deploying ordained stipendiary ministry to a benefice.
- Part B: a proportion of the diocesan-wide costs allocated according to size of Worshipping Community (not including Fresh Expressions).
- Part C: a mutuality and generosity contribution of 13.86% of parts A and B to create £1.12 million of support available for parishes unable to meet their request in full.
The new Benefice Share system takes into account that stipendiary, or paid, ministry is allocated by benefice, not parish, and uses independent data and information already submitted by parishes to calculate what is asked for.
Every benefice will receive a suggestion of how they can allocate their Benefice Share request for each of the churches in their benefice, but can adjust that allocation based on local discussions.
Have a question?
For questions about your Benefice Share request please contact the diocesan Finance team.
Email: benefice-share@bathwells.anglican.org
For support with giving and funding please contact the Giving and Funding team.
Email: givingteam@bathwells.anglican.org
or
Book a half hour introductory chat with the diocesan Giving and Funding team.