Bishop Dominic writes:

St Augustine of Hippo said of the Christian Church, 'We are an Easter people, and 'Alleluia' is our song'. 'Alleluia' is the song of the baptised because we celebrate the Easter message that life has overcome death, light has overcome darkness, hope has overcome despair and love triumphs over fear. The Christian Church is therefore a community of celebration and hope. 'Alleluia' is our song.

When we think of the Church, we tend to think of a building, or an organisation, and yet in the New Testament the word 'church' never refers to buildings or to an organisation - it always refers to the people. I realised that I had a problem with this myself when I first became a bishop and discovered I had a church called St Nicholas, Embrook, but they did not have a church building dedicated to St Nicholas. When I visited the church (which met in a school) and saw a large congregation I asked when they intended to plan for a church building, and they looked at me in utter amazement and asked, 'Why would we want to do that?' Yes, they knew what it was to be the Church - a community of baptised Christians committed to be followers of Jesus.

A diocese is made up of many families of Christians (churches and parishes) who meet together Sunday by Sunday and the bishop is the Father-in-God, or (as the Prayer Book calls him) the Ordinary, because he is the ordinary minister - the chief pastor who sends priests and deacons to minister in parishes, hospitals, schools, universities, prisons and workplaces. The Church is the people of God and yet we are also an organisation and even a business, because at the end of the month the stipendiary clergy expect to be paid. Most organisations have to look at how they are managed and from time to time, to make changes because those that fail to do so are likely to crash.

As we look ahead to the next ten years or so we need to face reality. The number of stipendiary clergy in the Church in Wales might well be half our present number. Many clergy will be retiring and the numbers being ordained will not replace them. Added to that is a gradual decline in worshipping numbers, so there may not be sufficient people to pay our clergy even if we had them. I am aware that some parishes are struggling to pay their Parish Share and some are using up reserves. I have asked the Archdeacons to look at the parish accounts for 2008 and identify those parishes to see what we can do to help.

I am working with the Area Deans and my staff team to plan for the future. I am concerned that the future of the diocese could become 'finance driven' rather than 'mission driven'. In the future, it is likely that stipendiary clergy will have a number of churches to oversee and that they will be leading a ministry team with non-stipendiary clergy and laity. Our younger stipendiary clergy will need to be trained to cope with wider responsibilities, and we shall need to consider the relationship between local lay and ordained ministry and the apostolic (sent) ministry. I intend to retain our vicarages and, where a parsih becomes vacant and pastoral re-organisation is planned, to appoint a priest-in-charge rather than an incumbent so that we have the flexibility for long-term planning. We shall also need to consider what kind of specialist ministry we shall need to assist with parish development, so I am not rushing into appointing a successor to the Revd John Leach. Meanwhile, I have asked the Archdeacons to monitor the progress of MAPping.

In times of recession, many secular businesses are having to make radical changes if they are to survive, and the Church, quite rightly, can not expect to escape such realities. We can, however, remind ourselves that we are an Easter people and continue to look to the future with confidence in the Risen Lord. As some ways of being the church will die, others will emerge, and there are many good and encouraging things happening in the diocese, so it is not a time for despair but a time for hope, and a time to ask what kind of Church God is calling us to be - I suspect more centred on prayer and scripture rather than on buildings and meetings, more centred on mission than maintenance, more open to where the Spirit is leading. This will involve taking risks rather than relying on past securities but I believe it will lead to deeper commitment, ownership and growth.

We are not rushing into changes and I hope to use this year's Diocesan Conference (10th October) as a time when laity and clergy together can look at the options for the future and go back to consult their parishes and deaneries.

I am writing this during Lent, and I have been so encouraged by the number of people who have been coming to my Lent Bible Studies - about 800 of you each week, and also those who have been fasting and raising money for the Lent Appeal which will be used for the Street Pastor schemes being set up in various places of the diocese. It would be helpful to have your gifts as soon as possible after Easter.

May I also take this opportunity of thanking the Revd John Leach for his pioneer ministry as Parish Development Adviser during the past five years and to wish him, Chris and Vicki, God's blessing as they move to parish ministry in Folkestone.

Alleluia! Christ is Risen!

+Dominic