The Church of England’s General Synod today welcomed the Church Commissioners’ and Archbishops’ Council’s long term spending plans.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, told Synod that the plans covering £3.6bn over the next nine years amounted to the Church “putting our money where our missional mouth is.”
Speaking during a debate on the plans which were announced earlier this year he said the spending would underpin transformation towards being a “Simpler, Humbler and Bolder” Church.
He said that money would be invested in local ministry as part of diocesan strategies.
Priorities for the spending include £190m to help the Church of England transition to net zero, £20m on work to promote Racial Justice and £400m over the next three years towards achieving the outcomes and priorities that flow from the Church’s Vision and Strategy for the 2020s.
The Archbishop told Synod: “These are substantial sums of money, they will make a difference.
“We’re putting our money where our missional mouth is.”
He added: “This money distributed in this way can help and support the renewal of our church, enabling more people to know Jesus and to make a difference in our world and it builds, as does the whole vision and strategy, on the decisions of this Synod.
“Learning from the Review of how Strategic Development Funding money was distributed in the past, in this triennium we will be simpler, more responsive to dioceses and more accountable about how we distribute money across the whole eco-system of the Church – rural and urban, all church traditions, with the single purpose of making Christ known and building God’s kingdom in the world.”
The agreed motion is as follows:
The Archbishop of York to move:
‘That this Synod:
a) welcome the spending plans by the Church Commissioners and Archbishops’ Council, set out in GS 2262, for financial distributions over 2023 to 2025 and indicative distributions for the subsequent six years;
b) welcome the investment in ministry in parishes, chaplaincies, schools , Cathedrals and other forms of church in support of the Church’s vision and strategy as set out in Annex A of GS 2262; and 4
c) welcome the focused investment to support previously agreed commitments to a 2030 net zero carbon target and to address racial justice.’
