I wouldn’t start
from here
WEST MIDLANDS POWSO GROUP
DISCUSSION PAPER ON HERITAGE AND PLACES OF WORSHIP - 2014
IWSFH
IWSFH

Tina Andrew – PoWSO
Church in Wales

Tim Bridges – PoWSO
Hereford Diocese

Pat Evemy – PoWSO
Stoke-on-Trent & Newcastle-under-Lyme
(Ecumenical)

Natalie Hill – PoWSO
Gloucester 2010-2013

Andrew Mottram - PoWSO
Worcester Diocese

Kristina Williamson - PoWSO Lichfield Diocese
2010-1013
IWSFH

http://bit.ly/1tZgw4G

Diocese of Lichfield website – link at the bottom of Pat Evemy pages

35 pages with cartoons

Executive Summary and Recommendations
Executive Summary
CHURCH OF ENGLAND
Inappropriate structures for
Century
st
21
Personnel

Reduced numbers of stipendiary clergy

Increased numbers of voluntary ministers
Buildings as burdens
Too many buildings
Not enough people
Parochial Independence
Recommendations
Better data
Stop white elephants
Strategy for vulnerable churches
Essential Actions for Sustainability
Co-ordination of advice and
information that is regularly
disseminated to the appropriate
people in each parish, not just the
vicar.
Early identification of churches at
risk physically or financially and a
strategic response from the
diocese to which churches need
to be kept and which can be
closed, including heritage and
conservation issues.
Clergy training must include
buildings & volunteer
management
Succession planning by parish and
diocese to ensure that parish
projects thrive and are supported
by new clergy.
Every parish to have access to a
fully trained parish administrator to
ensure regular maintenance,
maximise letting potential of
church buildings and keep the
paperwork up to date and in
good order. This could be shared
between parishes or a deanery
post.
All dioceses to have asset
management plans and monitor
the maintenance and repair of
church buildings
Mission action plans, statements of
significance and statements of
need to all be written and
updated regularly by parishes.
Maintain PoWSO post to operate
at a strategic Diocesan level to
give overarching specialist advice
to assist Diocesan staff,
Archdeacons and others, and to
offer targeted specific advice to
individual parishes or groups of
churches.
The consequences of doing
nothing
Dribble to decline
• The buildings and the organisation will continue to function
but the quality and effectiveness will become increasingly
Minisitry
patchy and less attractive.
• A few more buildings each year will close for worship and
congregation numbers will decline, strategically important
Numbers
buildings will be lost as only the fittest will survive.
• The financial pressures will get worse and some PCCs may
decide to resign, there will be greater pressures on dioceses
Finances
but a reduced ability to offer help.
Of greater concern perhaps is that
the morale of those involved will
continue to decline
The Church, its people, its mission,
ministry and witness deserves better
than this
so it is
In our opinion the Church of
England needs to:
Consider buildings as part of
pastoral strategy

Buildings - their significance,
condition, shop front position and
maintenance, repair and general
operation cost requirements
should form a key component in
any pastoral strategy for a
diocese, archdeaconry or
deanery.
Train Personnel and Plan for
Succession

Buildings training (preventative
maintenance, legislation, trustee
responsibility etc) to be part of
clergy training in years 4 – 7.

Succession planning is an essential
requirement to any community
project. Too much hinges on the
character and personality of the
leaders - usually incumbent status
clergy. Without succession
planning, changes of personnel
creates high risk to any activities
more than just worship.
Streamline the closure process

The closure process, because it
takes so long, puts buildings at risk.
Furthermore it prevents creative
alternative uses being found
beforehand which, if they could
be actively sought, might actually
mean the building doesn’t have to
close. To get to the point of
closing, the building in question is
usually in such a poor state that it
will cost a fortune to make usable
– which makes it a very
unattractive option.
Be SMART; be organised; be lean
Don’t duplicate

·
The need for joined up
thinking – e.g. the duplication of
NCT with Church Care, CBC is
becoming operational which is
quite wrong. They should be
policy, advice and taking on
buildings of national importance.
CBC could/should be sponsoring
posts not doing local stuff.

·
CBC should do an audit of
who is doing what in church
domain – too much duplication
and doing stuff which other
groups/organisations are also
doing.
Thank you for your attention.