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 starting next week 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.
At the open meetings parishioners will be asked what aspect of both their diocese and the Church they feel most positive about and what changes they would like to see to make its ministry more effective. They will also be asked how they would address challenges such as the predicted fall in clergy numbers and financial resources.
Bishops and senior staff will meet the review group separately and will not be present at the open meetings.
The three members of the review team are: Lord Richard Harries (pictured), 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.
The Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, urged people to attend the meetings. He said, “This is your chance to help shape the Church of the future and ensure it is fit for purpose for generations to come.
“We want everyone to be involved in this review and we will all have to be prepared to take seriously its findings and to be open to the possibility of significant change in our structures, ministry, use of buildings and other resources if it is seen to be in the best interests of the church and its mission to the people and communities of Wales.”
People can also take part in the review by sending written observations to the Chair of the Working Group at the following address by 12 January: Lord Harries of Pentregarth, The House of Lords, London, SW1A 0PW
There will be one open meeting in each diocese. The dates and venues are as follows:
- November 8, St John’s Church, Carmarthen, 6.30pm
- November 9, Brecon Cathedral, 2pm
- November 28, St Asaph Cathedral, 6.30pm
- November 29, Bangor Cathedral, 2.30pm
- January 10, Llandaff (venue to be confirmed) 7.30pm
- January 11, Newport, Priory Centre, Abergavenny, 2.30pm
The questions people will be asked at the open meetings are:
1. What aspect of your diocese and the Church in Wales, do you feel most positive about?
2. What major changes or initiatives would you like to see in your diocese and in the Church in Wales, to make its ministry and witness more effective?
3. Given the predicted shortfall in the number of clergy what steps do you think should be taken to ensure that there continues to be ministry in every community?
4. 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?
5. Are there any other issues you would like to see the review team investigating in order to enhance the ministry and witness of the Church in Wales?
