Parish Share

The total amount of parish share is based on the total cost of parochial ministry across the diocese.  This total cost is allocated between the DBF, deaneries and parishes in two stages:

1. The DBF calculates the cost of parochial ministry for each deanery for the coming year. Representatives of the 11 deaneries which make up the Diocese calculate what their deanery offer will be, including the support they may need to meet that cost, or which they can offer to others. This leads to the allocation of a share of the total cost to each deanery, known as its Deanery Share.  More information on this is below.
2. Each deanery is then responsible for allocating its deanery share between parishes.  Deaneries are free to do this in whatever way works best for their parishes.

This approach provides a framework for financial support between parishes in a deanery and between deaneries, and the generous support offered by parishes and deaneries enables ordained ministry in many places which could not afford it alone.

Allocating Deanery Shares

The current process for calculating Deanery Shares was introduced in 2012 and built upon the principles of fairness, simplicity and transparency.  Each Deanery’s Share is calculated from:

• The cost of ministry in that deanery
• Less a credit for parochial fees
• Plus or minus an agreed payment to or from the Support Fund.

Each term in italics is explained below:

Cost of Ministry

The cost of ministry in each deanery is the combination of:

• Stipendiary costs which covers the ministers’ living allowances (called a stipend), pension contributions and national insurance
• Housing costs which includes repairs and refurbishments, council tax, water rates, professional fees and administrative costs
• A Training Share for each benefice or group of parishes, which covers the training for ministry, both lay and ordained. About 80% of this relates to the costs of training ordinands and the stipends and housing of curates.

In 2024, the cost of ministry for a benefice with a full-time stipendiary minister in a clergy house was £68k

Credit for Parochial Fees

A proportion of the fees charged for weddings and funerals goes to the Diocesan Board of Finance, while the rest belongs to the relevant PCC.  In this Diocese, each Deanery Share is reduced by a credit for the parochial fees received by the DBF in the previous year.

While the total amount of parish share is based on the cost of ministry, the Diocesan Board of Finance has other income, particularly from investments and Glebe properties, which have to be spent on clergy.  This means that parish share is also used to meet a wider range of costs. 

The majority of the money is spent on parish ministry, covering clergy stipends, pension, housing and training for current and future clergy.  The money is also used to support local mission and outreach through helping facilitate initiatives such as community projects, work with children and young people, and training for lay ministry. All this supports parishes in serving their communities and enabling encounters with God, whether the church is large or small, wealthy or poor, rural or urban.

Money from the parish share also funds the support and services provided by the central teams at the Diocesan Office. This includes support with safeguarding, HR or communications, advice on the care and development of church buildings, guidance on fundraising and giving, or bringing in external funding for projects, and paying grants, stipends and pensions, managing investments, administering parish share and producing budgets, Diocesan Office colleagues help parishes maintain and grow their presence in the community, as well as meet their statutory responsibilities.

Our 11 deaneries, working through the Area Deans, decide the level of parish deployment and housing needed in their area, taking into account local circumstances and conditions. This is set out in each of the deanery plans.

Parish share contributions are calculated from these figures with the distribution of parish share worked out by the Deanery Treasurer in consultation with individual PCCs, their treasurers, Lay Chairs and Area Deans.

The Diocesan Finance Resources & Risk Committee are responsible for overseeing the deanery share process and for recommending to the Bishop’s Council the annual budget which is then approved by Diocesan Synod in November each year.