The Church in Wales Review - have your say
Parishioners across Wales are being invited to share their ideas for the future of the Church in Wales with a team of advisers who are conducting an independent root and branch review. A series of open meetings is being held in all the six dioceses of Wales over the next few months to give people the chance to meet the review team and have their say on a wide range of issues – from funding church buildings to reorganising structures.
The review was commissioned by the Church earlier this year with the aim of addressing fundamental questions about its role and structures as it approaches its centenary in 2020. It is made up of three independent consultants who will report back next year: Lord Richard Harries, the former Bishop of Oxford, who chairs the group; Professor Charles Handy, former professor at the London Business School; and Professor Patricia Peattie, former Chair of the Episcopal Church in Scotland’s Standing Committee.
Bishops and senior staff will meet the review group separately and will not be present at the open meetings.
The Review Group will be in Monmouth Diocese on Wednesday, 11th January, 2012 at the Priory Centre, Abergavenny at 2.30 p.m.
Those who wish to attend an evening meeting will be welcome to attend the meeting in the Llandaff diocese to be held the previous evening at 7.30pm in Llandaff Catheral School.
The questions that the Review Group wish to put to the meeting are:
- What aspects of (a) your diocese and (b) the Church in Wales do you feel most positive about?
- What major changes or initiatives would you like to see (a) in your diocese, and (b) in the Church in Wales, to make its ministry and witness more effective?
- Given the predicted shortfall in the number of clergy, what steps do you think should be taken to ensure that there continues to be a ministry in every community?
- Given the likely diminishment of the contribution of historic funds to the financing of the church (at present 30%) what steps do you think should be taken to ensure the financial viability of the church in the future?
- Are there any other issues you would like to see the review team investigate in order to enhance the ministry and witness of the Church in Wales?
If you would like to make a written submission on the questions posed by the Review Group, or any other matters relevant to the Review, please send them directly to the Chair – The Rt Revd & Rt Hon the Lord Harries of Pentregarth, House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW.
The closing date for submissions is Thursday, 12th January, 2012.