The Churches Conservation Trust reported that it cared for 345 unused churches which remained consecrated. 45% of all Grade 1 listed buildings in the country are the responsibility of the church. Between them they attract two million visitors. On average 42 churches have been closed and eight demolished a year. Thus far 20 a year are being closed.

In the afternoon we looked at the draft texts offered for more accessible baptism services. Strong speeches were made urging that central Christian concepts be retained such as repentance from sin and renunciation of the devil (rather than the impersonal concept of evil). One church reported 60 baptisms a year, at a maximum of two a Sunday afternoon because on the occasion of three 480 people turned up.

A presentation was made of the Churches Mutual Credit Union, http://www.cmcu.org.uk which for its first five years will be open to clergy and church workers. They aim to encourage the development of local community credit unions in their areas.

In a very witty after dinner session on the Churches Finances, John Spence advised that the Church of England should be developing a foreign policy that would enable local congregations to engage constructively with international issues such as paedophilia, persecution and trafficking).

Andreas Whittam Smith reported that for the first time the Church Commissioners assets were £6 billion and that he had never been as optimistic as today as the church had moved from maintenance to growth. He strongly recommended Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty and Arthur Goldhammer. He applied its forecasts of falling real incomes, high indebtedness, low growth in the eurozone and subdued recovery in the USA to the church and advised we should be getting used to the changed scenarios he draws.

On Monday we will have the final sessions to vote on the new women bishops’ legislation.

The Rev. Dr. Chris Sugden of Anglican Mainstream is reporting on Synod for Virtueonline