Bishop Michael and Bishop Ruth will both be at the Church of England General Synod next week (10 to 14 February). Bishop Michael will be presenting a paper on behalf of Bishop Richard of Hereford.
In the paper Synod is asked to:
- call upon the Church Commissioners and Archbishops Council to undertake everything necessary to effect a redistribution of financial resources directly to Diocesan Stipend Funds to reflect the value of contributions made by Diocesan Boards of Finance to the Church of England Funded Pension Scheme since it was established by the settlement of 1997 (£2.6 billion); and
- call upon Diocesan Boards of Finance to manage the funds redistributed as a result of the above to support parish ministry in the ways discerned locally to be most effective in enabling growth and sustaining the Church of England's commitment to be a Christian presence in every community.’
Bishop Michael says, “Although this was a paper that was originally put forward by the Bishop of Hereford, I am delighted to have the opportunity to move this motion, that has since been backed by a further six identical diocesan synod motions, including one from Bath and Wells. Other dioceses are taking it forward or have already done so in other ways. It is a matter of concern to every diocese.
“The Church Commissioners are doing a sterling job in stewarding our assets. At Synod we shall be debating how the income from the Church’s endowment can best be disbursed for the purposes for which it is held – the support of our parishes. I will be arguing that decisions about this are best led by those at the coal face with the best understanding of their context – our parishes and dioceses themselves. Here in Bath and Wells we are already doing all we can to address our financial challenges as rigorously and creatively as possible, but we need these funds to be redistributed to help us in our efforts to protect and revitalise our churches and benefices”
Also on the agenda for General Synod is a decision on the future of safeguarding in the Church of England, updates on Living in Love and Faith (LLF), the church’s racial justice work and on growing younger and more diverse. There will also be an opportunity to reflect on 10 years of Thy Kingdom Come, reflecting on its reach, impact and influence in both the UK and across the world and to renew the call for prayer in evangelism and mission within the Church of England and beyond.
Download the General Synod papers from the Church of England website
Sign up to attend the Church Money Matters Day for Clergy – 26 February
Download Bishop Michael’s on safeguarding shared with the Church Times ahead of General Synod.
Read independent safeguarding auditor, INEQE's, annual report and comment from Jim Gamble, CEO of INEQE, issued on 10 February 2025