The Church of England (CofE) has been warned about overspending on HR and equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) measures.
Report warns CofE ‘managerial turn’ led to overinvestment in HR and ED&I
The research, released last Wednesday by think-tank Civitas, examined spending across the Church’s 42 dioceses.
Civitas said there has been a “managerial turn” at CofE in the past 25 years, with each diocese onboarding “large numbers of staff,” including roles in HR, ED&I, net zero, LGBT+, and social justice—dubbed “politicised roles.”
“Dioceses across the country now employ so many people that, on average, there is one administrator to every three-and-a-half priests,” it stated.
In some cases, the ratio is much higher, such as Truro, where there are 39 officers to 41 clerics. The think-tank suggested that parishes have been left “struggling to survive,” with many being merged or reduced in size to trim costs.
Over 2,000 CofE churches have shut down since 1969. Between 2016 and 2021 alone, 300 closed. It estimates that 21% of the Church’s spending falls on administrative costs, double the level of charities such as the RNLI (12%).
‘Millions of pounds’ on HR – is the juice worth the squeeze for CofE?
Speaking to the Telegraph, report author Esmé Partridge reiterated her belief that CofE spends “millions” on roles such as HR and ED&I. Partridge argued the roles are bureaucratic and come at the “expense” of parishes.
“In dioceses across the country, numbers of parish clergy are being cut, and those who remain tend to be thinly-spread across large areas,” she said.
“The result is the disappearing presence of the Church within each community and, potentially, the loss of local heritage, charity and welfare.”
A spokesman for the Church of England told the Telegraph they “don’t recognise the picture painted by this report which appears to fundamentally misunderstand how clergy are paid and ignore the essential front line support dioceses provide to parishes across the country in everything from safeguarding to finance.” “Contrary to the image the report portrays, Church of England churches have seen notable growth in the last year – with overall congregations passing a million again in 2023 – a tribute to the faithfulness of clergy, parish volunteers and parishioners across England in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ and serving their communities,” he added.
Partridge, however, argues the Church should use the report as an opportunity to breathe new life into its management.
“Against the CofE’s claim that the traditional parish model is unsuited to ‘the networks of contemporary life’, this report argues that there has never been a better time to revive the parish as a source of tradition, sanctity and community solidarity,” she asserted.
It recommended that the Church encourages its 42 dioceses to make cuts to office and administrative roles – in which it includes HR and ED&I – and increase investment in local parishes, including funding the salaries of more ministers.
“The Church Commissioners are the custodians of a £10 billion endowment fund which was originally instituted for the sole purpose of providing support for parishes,” it said. “Why, then, is it not being spent on saving them?”
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