Church Commissioners
What the priorities are for the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
The hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—
The installation of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury was a truly historic moment; she is the first woman archbishop. I thank you, Mr Speaker, for representing the House at that important and momentous occasion, alongside the Prime Minister.
The people of Newcastle under Lyme join me in welcoming Archbishop Sarah to her new responsibilities and in wishing her well. We also give thanks to Bishop Michael, who has announced his intention to stand down in September, for his service. The new archbishop will have a long to do list, but what steps will be taken to ensure that vacancies at parish churches, including St Mark’s, Basford, and St Margaret’s, Wolstanton, will be filled quickly?
The Archbishop of Canterbury sees herself as a shepherd of the flock, with five broad priorities: bringing confidence in the gospel; pastoral work; showing Christian hope; offering hospitality; and being a faith and prophetic voice. Given her previous experience as a nurse, she cares deeply about pastoral ministry, and she is committed to growing the Church and to supporting parishes and ministries throughout her leadership.
Many rural areas are served by clergy who are responsible for multiple parishes. Will the hon. Lady urge the archbishop to focus on providing more priests for rural parishes?
I will certainly raise that issue on the hon. Member’s behalf.
The Church of England supports small, often rural, churches through targeted grants, practical tools and locally focused support. That includes the minor repairs and improvements fund, net zero grants, free digital tools such as the MyFundAccounting software, and the parish giving scheme. The Buildings for Mission funding also supports minor church repairs.
St Nicholas, Hilsea, in Portsmouth is not a rural church; is a low income parish in a city. It is trying to replace a much loved community hub that had to be demolished in 2020, but it faces a shortfall of £20,000 because of rising construction costs. What steps is the Second Church Estates Commissioner taking to ensure that small parishes in deprived areas with no other community facilities available are not left unable to fulfil promises made to the local community?
The diocese of Portsmouth has £2 million to support parishes in low income areas, and a further £4 million for clergy, lay leadership and church development. Parishes such as St Nicholas, Hilsea, can access the funding and support from the diocese and the national Church institutions team, and I understand that the local archdeacon has been in touch with my hon. Friend’s office about this case. I am also happy to follow up with her on it, but more broadly, the Church has committed £4.6 billion between 2026 and 2034 to strengthen parish ministries and resources.