The rebels had warned that the centralising changes would turn the established Church into a medieval style of government more akin to a “Muslim-style theocracy”.
The rejection came despite the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, delivering a stark warning to synod members that they were in danger of forgetting their priorities.
Preaching at York Minster at the Eucharist this morning he had said: "The big priority for all of us is an unceasing renewal of commitment to Christ. Sometimes in the complexity of the activities of the Church we are so busy with committees, synods, administration and making the wheels go round that we are in danger of forgetting that none of these things matters, if it is carried out by people who have not been with Christ before they have been with others."
He added: "The idols of earthly wealth and power, the blessings people make for themselves, which are widely worshipped and highly exalted, degrade their devotees."
The radical plans had been drawn up as part of a series of measures designed to create a leaner Church better fitted to cope with falling attendances, a pensions black hole and plummeting asset values.
There is a £352 million shortfall in clergy pensions and after the Church Commissioners, who manage the Church of England’s investments, announced that the value of its portfolio shrank to £4.4 billion during 2008 compared with £5.7 billion the year before.
The rejection of the centralisation plans also casts doubt on another motion before the Synod proposing that the number of bishops be cut so the number of top-level clerics reflects the fall in full-time stipendiary clergy. There are now about 8,000 stipendiary clergy, a fall of about a quarter over two decades.
There are currently about 110 episcopal posts including the 44 diocesan bishops in the Church of England. The rest are suffragan or assistant bishops.
Other senior clergy posts include between 100 and 110 archdeacons and 42 cathedral deans as well as cathedral canons.
A briefing note prepared by the Bradford Diocesan Synod said the Church Commissioners spent £7.3 million in maintaining diocesan bishops' houses in 2008 and £14.5 million in grants for bishops' support staff, office and working costs.
Together with deans and canons of cathedrals and archdeacons they make up a body of senior staff that has remained largely unchanged in number for 50 years.
However, in the same period the number of junior clergy has plummeted, with parishes merged throughout the country and some clergy ministering to half a dozen or more country churches, racing between churches on Sunday mornings to pack in as many Eucharists and morning prayer services as possible.
By Martin Beckford, Religious Affairs Correspondent (Telegraph)
Despite dwindling congregations, worsening finances and a fall in the number of vicars, speakers told the gathering of the General Synod in York that radical plans to cut senior clergy posts were misguided.
They argued that bishops have far more work to do than in years gone by, and that greater expectations are placed upon them.
Prof Glynn Harrison, from Bristol diocese, said: "There may indeed be a case for increasing rather than decreasing senior oversight appointments."
He said he did not know how diocesan bishops tolerate the growing weight of expectations placed upon them.
The Church's 467-strong "parliament" had been asked to consider cutting the number of bishops and clergy posts such as cathedral deans and archdeacons to reflect its current position.
The number of paid clergy has fallen from 14,380 to 8,304 over the past 50 years as congregations have declined, churches have locked their doors and parishes merged. Yet over the same period, 1959 to 2007, the number of senior clergy has only dropped from 377 to 347.
There are 44 diocesan bishops including the two archbishops of York and Canterbury, and 69 more junior bishops known as suffragans.
It cost £7.3million to maintain diocesan bishops' homes last year and a further £14.5m to pay for bishops' staff and offices.
Meanwhile the Church is facing a £352m deficit in its pension fund that could see priests forced to remain in the pulpit until they are 68, and the Church Commissioners, which manages property and investments, has seen its funds fall from £5.7billion to £4.4bn over the past year as a result of the global financial crisis.
The Rev John Hartley, proposing a Private Members' Motion on behalf of his Bradford diocese, said: "It cannot be right simply to maintain the structures of any organisation if the staff are cut substantially, and that applies in the church as much as anywhere else.
"We do feel that there is a resistance to change in the hierarchical structures and staffing of the Church of England, and this lack of vision is a barrier to renewal of the church in ministry and mission, and it needs challenging."
Others pointed out that the boundaries and numbers of dioceses were not laid down in the Bible and so there was no need to keep them.
But the majority of speakers in the debate argued that cutting the number of bishops would damage the Church.
They pointed out that prelates now have far more to do than they used to, as they have been given added responsibility for everything from child protection to health and safety in recent years. They are meant to provide support to junior clergy but Synod heard that they rarely have time to visit parishes.
The Rev Alastair Cutting, from Chichester, asked the delegates: "When was the last time you saw your bishop?
"This is not what we need – we need more of them and we need more locally."
The Very Rev Archimandrite Ephrem Lash, an ecumenical member of Synod representing Orthodox churches, received the loudest applause of the day when he said: "What you need is more bishops, not less."
The original proposal to draw up plans that would reduce episcopal and senior clergy posts was amended significantly.
The revised motion, carried overwhelmingly, will see a report produced by November 2010 on possible changes to the "present pattern of dioceses and episcopal deployment". The Archbishops' Council will later this year "begin consideration of future policy on the number of bishops and dioceses", but this does not guarantee cuts.
Earlier a proposal that would have scrapped a number of Church boards and committees was rejected, amid fears it would have reduced the Synod to "rubber-stamping" plans devised by bishops
No comments:
Post a Comment