Report highlights concerns over clergy wellbeing in Church of England

A new report from the advocacy group Save the Parish describes Church of England clergy as feeling overworked, undervalued, and frustrated. Based on a March consultation involving theologians and church officials, the document identifies significant challenges regarding vocational understanding, ministerial training, and ongoing support for ordained staff. The report notes that stipendiary clergy numbers have been in decline since the 1960s, with current figures showing 6,682 stipendiary ministers compared to 2,440 self-supporting ministers.

The findings criticize current training programs for being overly managerial and lacking in Anglican theological depth. Furthermore, many clergy expressed feelings of mistrust toward central leadership, citing concerns over resource allocation and a perceived disconnect between the Church's stated desire for more ministers and the reality of local staffing cuts. Save the Parish chair Marcus Walker emphasized that improving the wellbeing and morale of current clergy is essential for future recruitment.

To address these issues, the report proposes several recommendations, including a "covenant of care" for ministers, increased financial support, and a renewed focus on teaching foundational Anglican beliefs. The group advocates for these changes to foster a more hopeful environment that can better support both existing parishes and future vocations.