The diocese of Salisbury, one of the oldest in Britain, is among those asking clergy to turn financial detective. In a letter it asks them to detail the "earning capacity" and "employment types" of their worshippers and asks staff to collect information about the size and style of homes owned by churchgoers. The advice urges clergy to "look in the car park" to gauge the earning power of worshippers.

Financial information is being collated by a growing number of dioceses which have introduced "fair share" schemes through which wealthier churches subsidise their poorer neighbours. Diocesan financial officers use the data to place parishes in income bands and members of the congregation are then encouraged to make annual donations appropriate to their band.

In Salisbury the recommended annual sums range from £193 in the bottom band to £350 for worshippers at the 73 churches in the higher band. Angie Wheeler, the accounts officer for the diocese, last night admitted that the scheme, which was introduced in January, was not without its critics but said that collecting information about homes and cars was preferable to asking people directly about their incomes.

"I know it has been suggested that people look at the cars in their car parks," she said. "That is up to individual parishes. It is not a bad way of thinking about it. People will often say we can't contribute that much because we are a poor parish and then you see a car park full of Jags and Mercs and you think 'hang on'."

The scheme has met with opposition from some clergy, however. The Rev John Holbrook, the rector of Wimbourne Minster, said that he thought that compiling this sort of data was a waste of valuable time. He preferred to consult local estate agents to find out more about the socio-economic make-up of his area.

"The scheme is a real irritation. I have always consulted the local estate agents - they have a good idea about whether the area is desirable," he said. "Gathering this sort of information is a major administrative exercise which is a nuisance. There is a degree of resistance to it which is building up considerable tensions."

Dr Malcolm Walsh, the treasurer of the parish of Holy Trinity in Bradford on Avon in the diocese of Salisbury was also critical.

"Some of us now regard the diocese as robber barons, like those in the Middle Ages," he said. "There is a danger that in the long run that the Church will be seen as a money-grabbing institution."

The Diocese of Southwark, which wants donations of between £276 and £1,300 a year, has been asking parishioners to fill in an anonymous declaration-of-income form. The scheme is proving controversial, however, because many feel that income bands are too broad and that they are being asked to pay too much.

One businessman, who has written to complain to the diocesan magazine, says that he will struggle to make the donation of £950 being sought by his parish.

He writes: "I expect to take home £15,000 this year. I cannot make a contribution of £950 which would be five per cent of £19,000 - the upper limit of the band that I ticked. In fact, my church will be lucky to see £200 from me this year, yet I will be assessed on more than that. I am left feeling like a leper in that I am not contributing 'properly' to my church."

John Henson, the fair shares co-ordinator for the diocese, said: "We ask people to fill in the information on an anonymous basis. No one is obliged to pay the amount we ask for. Having said that, we find that about 60 per cent of people in a band are able to pay the appropriate sum."

Not all the dioceses that operate fair share schemes ask for such a detailed breakdown of earnings. A spokesman for Bath and Wells last night said that its officials knew enough about the diocese to know where to place individual churches. "We do not ask people to disclose financial information," he said.

Other dioceses such as Guildford are rethinking plans for income declaration after complaints from clergy.

A spokesman for the Church of England said that it had not asked individual dioceses to collate this kind of information.

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