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TOO MANY COOKS, ARCHBISHOP!
By Peter Mullen
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/too-many-cooks-archbishop/
October 9, 2021
PLEASE say a prayer for Stephen Cottrell, Archbishop of York. His Grace has complained of sleepless nights after his plan for the future of the Church of England Simpler, Humbler Bolder -- aka Cottrell's Wheeze -- was savaged. Criticism is pouring in from churchwardens, parish treasurers and members of parochial church councils: those who are struggling to maintain their local ministry in the face of ever-rising costs. In other words, from those who know what's happening at the grass roots rather than in the corridors of ecclesiastical tomfoolery.
These church workers, with their feet in the churchyards and their bums on the pews, claim that the church's central authorities are closing churches all over the place and bankrupting the parishes by annually increasing the tax every parish has to pay to central funds, called the diocesan quota or share. They further claim that their hard-earned money is being spent on the relentless expansion of an already bloated centralised bureaucracy.
Poor sleepless Stephen Cottrell denies these claims. Well, let's see . . .
I am not going to report from every part of the country, so I'll take my sample from the diocese where I used to be the Rector of a City parish, London. To this end I have done the most research I have ever attempted since I studied philosophy and theology at university. Happily, this work was not too arduous. All I needed to do was open the London Diocese's Handbook to find the staff list, the vast majority paid and many very well paid. Here it is:
Bishop of London
Bishop of Kensington
Bishop of Edmonton
Bishop of Willesden
Bishop of Stepney
Bishop of Islington
Bishop of Fulham
Archdeacon of Hampstead
Archdeacon of Charing Cross
Archdeacon of Middlesex
Archdeacon of Northolt
Chancellor of the Diocese
Diocesan Registrar
Registrar Administrator
General Secretary
PA to the General Secretary
Director of Strategy and Communications
Creative Lead, Discipleship
2030 Vision -- Project Manager
Interim Head of Compassionate Communities
Senior Administrator, Compassionate Communities
Communications and Digital Content Manager
Communications and Marketing Assistant
Director of Finance and Operations
Head of Finance
Assistant Trust Accountant
Parish Bookkeeper
Fund Accountant
Finance Support Officer
Payroll Officer
Trust Accountant
Financial Accountant
Area Finance Adviser (Edmonton)
Area Finance Adviser (Stepney)
Area Finance Adviser (Willesden)
Area Finance Adviser (Kensington)
Fundraising Support Manager
Head of ICT
IT Technician
IT Systems Officer
IT Support Technician
Director of Parish Property Support
Church Buildings Adviser -- DAC [Diocesan Advisory Committee]
Mission and Pastoral Manager
Management Surveyor
Asset Manager -- Development
Pastoral and Legal Officer
Director of Housing & Investment Property
PA To Director of Housing and Investment Property
Head of Housing
Maintenance Manager
Residential Property Manager
Repairs Manager
Building Surveyor
Development Manager
Investment Portfolio Manager
Property Accountant
Property Administrator
Receptionist
Front of House Officer
Head of Environment and Sustainability
Director of Ministry
Director of Ordinands
Warden of Licensed Lay Ministry
Diocesan Ordinands and Vocations Officer
Ministry Administrator
Director of Human Resources and Safeguarding
Head of Safeguarding
HR Manager
Safeguarding Adviser
Safeguarding Adviser (2)
Safeguarding Adviser (3)
Temporary Safeguarding Adviser
HR Administrator
HR Adviser
Admin support
Admin support (2)
Head of Children and Youth Ministry Support
Children's Ministry Adviser, Apprenticeship Programme Coordinator
Schools Ministry Adviser
Project Manager, Capital Youth
Creative Lead, Capital Youth
Youth Ministry Adviser
Children and Youth Ministry Trainer
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (2)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (3)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (4)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (5)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (6)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (7)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (8)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (9)
Apprentice Children's and Youth Worker (10)
Synodical Secretary
Synodical Officer
Data Protection Officer
Additionally, each of the seven(!) bishops has a full complement of paid staff. Bear in mind, this list is not for the whole of London. There is also the Southwark Diocese south of the river.
Perhaps His Grace should take sleeping pills -- or stay awake and purge his box-tickers?
Peter Mullen is a Church of England clergyman, writer and broadcaster
