Diocese takes on extra trainee clergy
The Diocese of Lichfield is to step up the number of trainee clergy it takes on in 2010.
The Diocese of Lichfield is to step up the number of trainee clergy it takes on in 2010.
It is also allocating an extra £240,000 to the Bishop's growth fund for initiatives to increase attendances.
The diocese, which includes large parts of the Black Country, is to spend more than £16 million in 2010 – the bulk of which will be used to pay for clergy in its 583 churches.
The budget for 2010, which was presented to members of the Lichfield Diocesan Synod in Muxton, Shropshire, sees an increase in the amount of new full time curates – trainee clergy in their first post since theological college.
The diocese had originally planned to accept nine new curates, but has increased this by four to accept all 13 curates allocated to it by the national church.
The budget also sees a potential total of £360,000 being allocated for 'new work' over the next three years.
The exact details of that expenditure has yet to be decided – diocesan departments will be able to bid for funding under this heading from February 2010.
The £240,000 allocated for the Bishop's Growth Fund is an increase of 4.26 per cent on 2009.
While many dioceses are freezing clergy pay, priests within the diocese will see their stipend increase from £22,315 to £22,765 – an increase of two per cent.
The bulk of the budget is financed from donations from churches within the diocese; and despite the additional posts and increased funding for the growth fund and new work, the total amount requested from the parishes will increase by just two per cent – which continues the pattern of reductions seen in recent years.
Between 2003 and 2007, the increase in the total amount requested from the parishes was capped at 4 per cent. The increase fell to 3.74 per cent in 2008 and 3.5 per cent in 2009. Next year's two per cent rise is the lowest for at least two decades.
In addition, for the first time in recent history, there will be a local cap on each church's increase, which will mean no parish receiving an increase greater than 5 per cent. The total amount requested from the diocesan parishes in 2010 will be £11,733,298.
Finance director Jonathan Hill said: "This is an innovative budget which, although containing an element of risk, provides an exciting way forward in the difficult economic times in which we live.
"In these bleak economic times, and amongst all the doom and gloom, this is designed to be an uplifting and exciting budget which will support the good work the parishes are doing to communicate the good news of the Lord.
"There is much work that we want to do as a diocese; but to fund this we are dependent upon the generosity of Christians who give to their local church.
"The demands placed on local churches by the diocese are great."
