THE General Synod approved the Archbishops’ Council’s budget and apportionment proposals for 2026.
Introducing the debate on the Monday afternoon, Carl Hughes (Southwark), who chairs the Council’s Finance Committee, said that the entire budget was being brought before the Synod. This stood at £308 million: almost 25 per cent higher than forecast for this year, and one third up on the last triennium. The budget included £31.7 million for “national church services and other core costs”; a 30-per-cent rise in Lowest Income Communities Funding (LInC) to £42.8 million; and £100 million of time-limited additional support for dioceses.
Funding for clergy retirement housing was set to increase, and work was under way to increase vocation numbers. The 2026 budget represented a “substantial resetting of the Church’s finances”.
Dr Rachel Jepson (Birmingham), a member of Archbishops’ Council, said that there was a “vital need for robust governance by each diocesan synod whose diocese is applying for funding” to the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB). Before a bid was submitted, the strategy and exact allocation of resources should be debated and agreed by the diocesan synod, and successful applicants should make a commitment to reporting back to their diocesan synod at least annually. “This wise and good practice is not currently widespread.”
Nigel Bacon (Lincoln) said that his former colleague Sue Slater, who had died this year, had made pleas “year after year” for central funding for lay-ministry training and development. In many areas, the Church was increasingly reliant on authorised and licensed lay ministers. This was to be celebrated, but its budget had been halved to £500,000. He asked for a breakdown of the budget to be shared in more detail to “serve as a thorn in our collective side until we give lay ministry the level of support it deserves and demands”.
Canon Mark Miller (Durham), who said that he served in the most deprived parish in his diocese, welcomed the increase in LInC funding and the diocese’s way of starting to apportion it. How would the Council deal with dioceses that did not do this, he asked.
Dr Neill Burgess (York), a member of the Finance Committee and the steering group for the review of diocesan finances, said that this had involved “extensive consultation”. The budget was the work of “many hours’ detailed work and cross-checking by experienced and highly competent people”.
Dr Ian Johnston (Portsmouth) suggested that, since 1998, “the centre of our Church has prospered, but our dioceses are now suffering hugely.” This was a result of the National Institutions Measure of 1998, he said. Next year, 32 out of 42 dioceses would be budgeting a deficit. “Who on earth can be proud of that?” he asked. The motion on the redistribution of funds into the diocesan stipend funds had been lost narrowly. “We need to take note of that.”
Mr Hughes disputed the deficit figures: given the spending plans carried out, he would be “very disappointed” if this was the case.
Lucy Docherty (Portsmouth) sought clarity on expenditure on ecumenical work.
Mr Hughes said that this had been raised by three per cent in 2025 and would remain at this level.
Penny Allen (Lichfield), who is on the diocesan board of finance, said that it had received complaints that many clergy had been advised to sell their homes when they were ordained. Could a shared-equity scheme as part of CHARM be part of the solution, she asked. Some clergy faced “extortionate” rents.
The Revd Dr Ian Paul (Southwell & Nottingham) was nearing the end of his ten years on the Archbishops’ Council. He spoke of a “real danger” of an “us-and-them” narrative at the Synod, including an “imagined difference between the Archbishops’ Council and General Synod”. All members of the former brought local experience, he said. The idea of “those people at the centre and those poor people in the parishes” was “a myth, a parody, and an unhelpful one, and it is one without justification.” It was “right to ask hard questions. But also trust that the work has been done.”
The Revd Trudi Oliver (Rochester) spoke of the financial hardship that her family had experienced during her residential training in the early 2000s, when her husband had lost his job. She was very grateful for the giving that had enabled this training, “but we need to be honest about realities.” She spoke of a month for which ordinands at the end of their training were left without support.
Mr Hughes gave assurance that the new spending plans would address this, and highlighted the availability of the First Appointment Grant for ordinands.
William Woolley (Southwell & Nottingham) was due to start ordination training in September, but still did not know what his funding situation would look like. The shift to a new National Ministry Training Fund would create a “one-stop shop where there will be people able to address the questions you have on a consistent basis for the whole country”, he said.
The apportionment for the Training for Ministry Fund and the pooling adjustment for 2026 in respect of additional maintenance grants for ordinands were agreed.
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