Parish Share
As well as supporting the work of your local church, a part of your donation goes toward the costs of the 700 ministers working in diocese. Support for clergy includes their ongoing education and other support costs. About 300 clergy also have housing, pensions and an income called a stipend to be paid for.
Some of your donation may go towards supporting the 130 less well off churches in the diocese. A system called Parish Share calculates how much money wealthier churches should donate. This idea is called mutual support and is a key feature of Church of England finances where giving and spirituality meet.
During 2010, 197 parishes paid their parish share in full and the total Parish Share receipts were £6.9 million. This sum is a great tribute to congregation members who have vision and gratitude for the ministry of the Church.
The Bishops and Archdeacons are working with all parishes to make sure that the spirituality of contributing to the costs of ministry is seen as a priority.
For a detailed breakdown of diocesan finances, see the Financial Summary.
Parish Share Encouragement Scheme
To help parishes pay their Parish Share in full, in manageable quarterly instalments, Diocesan Synod has approved an Encouragement Scheme by which parishes can qualify for a 2 percent discount off their Parish Share allocation for 2011.
How will the Scheme work?
To qualify for the discount you need to pay:
25% of Parish Share by 31 March 2011
50% by 30 June 2011
75% by 30 Sept 2011
100% by 3 January 2012.
How will the discount apply?
For every £1,000 paid in Parish Share you will have £20 credited against your
2012 Parish Share Assessment. Contact the Finance Team for more details.
