Ahead of our Diocesan Synod meeting on Saturday, the Bishop of Leicester has spoken about the proposed new diocesan framework to underline that parishes are, and will remain, front and centre.
He said: “The parish remains the backbone of the Church of England and will remain so in our diocese where our proposed new framework aims to bring them help for some of the onerous burdens they currently bear, for example, help with admin and maintaining buildings, and it presents no threat to them.
“We aim to support our parishes in grappling with questions as to how to best be present as Christian community within the parish and locality. The proposed framework encourages local churches to group together in a framework for minster communities. Parishes, fresh expressions and schools will work together collectively for mission and, crucially, it is explicit about having 'an appointed minister for every Christian community'.
“Rather than removing any of their decision-making responsibilities or powers, it aims to empower parishes to get on with ‘being’ church, working alongside and together with other worshipping communities such as our schools and fresh expressions of Church. Our Leadership Team and Bishop’s Council have commended this framework to our Diocesan Synod and it has been drawn up following a year of conversations and analysis of the views of parishes. It was one of the biggest consultative exercises ever undertaken by the diocese with 85,000 words from nearly 400 local conversations analysed and shaping the framework. Our parishes, church leaders and volunteers have been loud and clear about the need for change in light of the burden on clergy and laity.”