You are here . on the pale blue dot


Blog notes

'Anonymous' comments for publication must include a pseudonym.

They should be on topic and not involve third parties.
If pseudonyms are linked to commercial sites comments will be removed as spam.


Sunday, 27 August 2023

Church in Wales: Managed decline?

GB voting                                                                       Source: Church in Wales


 The Governing Body of the Church in Wales meets in September 2023.

From the Annual Report and Accounts 2022 of the Representative Body [Session 2, Agendum 9]:

Risk Management Policy

"3. Accelerated decline in church attendance

"The continuation of declining attendance and an increasing age profile would result in declining financial income for dioceses: this would lead to an inability to present established patterns of ministry to the whole of Wales. The Representative Body endeavours to maintain the highest financial support to dioceses possible. Also, a renewed focus on mission and evangelism, including additional financial resources being made available, aims to stimulate church growth."


"The distribution of more than £137m to churches across Wales will be discussed at a key meeting of Church in Wales members next month.

"The money is being released from historic reserves over the next decade to help churches grow and serve their communities more effectively. Investment will be made in development of new ministries and initiatives, as well as in strengthening existing work."

'New ministries and initiatives'! No doubt awaited with eager anticipation. 

63 comments:

  1. I see the BBC are keen on them giving them a rare live performance. I'm sure they'll insist on a couple of silent altrix 'singers' so you only get 3 parts audible and at least two pieces by women composers.

    Llandaff Cathedral Choral Evensong Live from Llandaff Cathedral f
    or the Eve of the Feast of St Matthew.
    Release date:20 September 2023

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They needn't bother thanks all the same.
      Llandaff is a swamp that still needs draining.

      Delete
    2. Don't waste your time.
      Not a proper Lay Clerk or Choral Scholar among them.
      Zero hours contract Burger flippers all.
      Llandaff Cathedral remains a thoroughly disreputable employer.

      Delete
    3. I think it's safe to predict that it won't be the Parish choir taking part.

      Delete
  2. @ Pete
    Llandaff or Bangor? Composers?? Don't you mean Camp-Posers ???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You surely refer to the Deans.

      Delete
  3. There we have it. The plankers have achieved their aim - the destruction of a once great Church. What an admission from the RB - continued declining attendance, no turning of corners, inability to provide ministry across Wales, finances plummeting. What a record!
    Seymour

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They have raised the rainbow flag, abolished sin, created misery areas, sneek a peak, 7 Sacred Spaces, openly gay Bishops, spent an extra £10 million. Attendance, confirmations, baptisms, weddings, all down and down.
      Is there any leadership or brainpower anywhere in the CinW?
      LW

      Delete
    2. The Church of England is no better.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/01/church-of-england-justin-welby-anglican-clergy/
      The fish rots from the head.

      Delete
  4. @ Seymour
    And add to the shameful list sheer and utter mismanagement. Reported today is that the custodians, the Diocese of Bangor, has had to admit serious vandalism (no other word for it) of the empty, redundant, city centre church of St. David's closed in 2013. It has now had to return to the local authority to apply for retrospective permissions to remove highly valued artefacts and furnishings from the building which have cause 'irreversible damage to the historic value' of the 19th C. edifice. And ASTONISHINGLY it is unable to say where or what 'status and current location' of the valued items are. What??!! Removed by the RB/Dioc. of Bangor against planning conditions ... but unable to now account for them?? A ridiculous and aloof presumption that they are above the law and all common decency.
    Among items stripped leaving the internal of the church gutted are old pews, the font, the Revedos stone carving of the Last Supper, a bronze statue of St David etc. They do admit in their retrospective application that they were 'removed in error' - but where are they? The scars to the walls and foundations are obvious for all to see. Gutting.
    Certainly not stolen. Police have no reports of theft. All fingers point to the desk of the diocesan secretary also known as Sub-Standard Dean of Bangor, Sion ap Rhys Evans who stripped his own cathedral of historic pews to replace with IKKEA lookalike seating. (And no one at Bangor cathedral knows, either, where the wonderful brass and ornate altar railings disappeared to when predecessor dean Sue Jones took it upon herself to strip them out without consultation). Oddly, there's a large industrial skip outside the cathedral's west door ... surely not dumping place for the church's heritage jewels??!
    Thankfully the Elgin Marbles aren't entrusted to Bangor Diocese or trustees of the British Museum to be blamed for this latest 'disappearance' of valuable, historic, artefacts that has caused 'irreversible damage' ... but that no one from within the Diocese is prepared to explain is itself inexplicable. Appalling behaviour; shameful management.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No point in referring the matter of the missing fittings to plod either, unless of course a crime number is needed for the insurance fiddle.

      Speaking of which, South Wales plod have uncovered a nonce within their ranks.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66686561

      Delete
  5. Baptist Trainfan29 August 2023 at 11:14

    As you know, I am not from the Anglican tradition (although I was raised in the CofE).

    I must say that I find the Governing Body agenda singularly dispiriting, although not for the reasons advanced by AB. I appreciate that this is largely a "business" meetings and that reports from committees etc have to be prepared, received and discussed. But I nevertheless have to say that the agenda present such an "inward-looking" approach, as I can hardly find any reference whatsoever to mission, outreach or evangelism in its pages. Am I being unfair, or looking in the wrong place? Or is this indeed a major failing, with the Church curling up defensively like a hedgehog rather than taking the initiative in looking outwards? (By the way, I am aware of the amounts of money being offered for mission projects over the next ten years, but have no idea how this will be allocated or spent).

    ReplyDelete
  6. The £137m raised from ancient reserves worries me. Once gone they can never be replaced

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What did they get for the last £10 million they blew?
      What have they got to show for it?
      How many new congregants did they attract by spaffing that lot against a churchyard wall?
      Right. Didn't think so.

      Bewildered

      Delete
    2. Yes bring back the clergy who were all white, male, institutionally racist, hated women and all voted Tory please. Them was the good old days.

      Xavier

      Delete
    3. Good, bad or indifferent, the Churches were usually full and thriving.
      At least your Vicar knew (as did we) that he was an Arthur and not self identifying as a Martha.
      You still have nothing useful to contribute LG.

      Delete
    4. I’d be an Artha - I’m done with your binary thinking Menai. Bend it.

      Xavier

      Delete
    5. Yawn.
      Menai Straight is correct.

      Delete
  7. Today's Times.
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/church-of-england-christianity-survey-gay-marriage-sex-female-archbishop-70ck07sj6
    Survey of 1200 CofE clergy confirms what we already know.
    Mostly woke, mostly LGBTQIA, very little Christianity and almost totally irrelevant.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Canadian government is issuing travel advice and warnings for alphabet tourists visiting the USA.
      https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/health-safety/lgbt-travel
      2SLGBTQI+ included but the A has been dropped for some unknown reason.
      Apparently the 2S addition represents those who are "Two spirited".
      Anyone have any idea what the actual hell that is meant to be?

      Delete
    2. Could "Two spirited" be rum and brandy?

      Delete
    3. Best suggestion yet Fred.
      🤣

      Delete
    4. Make mine a gin and a gin please.

      Delete
    5. In the Llandaff Deanery it's still Rum Pansies and pink Gins.

      Delete
    6. Schizophrenic?
      Fits in with the other 148 gender mental illnesses.

      Delete
    7. Never never never trust a Bishop2 September 2023 at 17:17

      The same survey, I think.
      Anyway, no surprises here, most clergy voted remain and most are left wing Labour voters.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/02/church-of-england-clergy-remainers-brexit-anglican/
      The people of St. Davids are already well acquainted with this phenomenon.

      Delete
  8. Or in the case of the C-in-W Frederick: 'Randy and Bum' .... !

    ReplyDelete
  9. @ Myself (Ad Clerum)
    Further to mine ref the illegal gutting of the redundant St David's Church, Bangor and mysterious disappearance of some pretty hefty items like the font, pews, stone carvings, memorial slabs, etc without (a) Faculty or (b) local authority planning permission, focus apparently has switched from 'Who Dunnit' (and where the lorry loads of items have been sold to), to 'How did bloody Ad Clerum and the Press get to hear of it .... !!!!!' Answer to the latter for the numbskulls at Bro Deiniol and the headquarters of Sion ap Rhys-Evans is simple. They were stupid enough to make application to the local authority for 'retrospective' planning application. Once made, the application is advertised to all and sundry including the Press yet they haven't figured that one out!!! The bigger mystery is just as laughable. All the church keys were handed in to Diocesan Secretary Sion ap Rhys after church closure. The items were inventory ticked off as being in situ. There has been no break-in and contrary to local Diocesan comment now that 'there must have been a theft', local Police have not had it reported. Fibbing simply makes further fools of them.

    Someone - and who am I to point fingers - knows where these valued artefacts are and who benefitted from their illegal removal and presumably sale to some 3rd party.

    Cough-cough ... or just cough-up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Might be worth checking out Llandaff Deanery and the Antiques dealing dud presently resident in Thaxted.

      Delete
    2. Sounds like another inside job.
      E.N.T dept.

      Delete
  10. Topical comment from Giles Fraser. https://unherd.com/2023/08/the-clergy-need-to-calm-down/?fbclid=IwAR3Om1eyvzHJxjigY-x0BbZbSFOHlHca_2Drq5SJ36RzOdFTZiXdaJmKa0k

    ReplyDelete
  11. Excellent.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/31/sarah-baker-trans-criminal-cleared-court-punch-terf/
    Punch a TERF in the face is not a hate crime.
    So punch every Trans pervert drag queen in the face and quote this case law.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Ministry of Justice has published a woke guide for prison officers.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/09/02/lgbt-prison-guide-trans-legal-responsibilities-terfs/
      Alphabet Stonewall types blaming TERFs again.

      Delete
    2. You best me to that one FM, but the lesbian speed dating story is much funnier.
      Alphabet rainbow soup civil war.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/02/lesbian-speed-dating-event-ban-trans-women/
      Shemales were banned.
      Complaints of discrimination were made.
      Pub owners stop the lesbian speed dating events.
      Legal battle ensues.
      Lesbians defeat Shemales.
      Lesbian speed dating restarts.

      Bewildered

      Delete
    3. This will hardly come as a surprise, one lesbian defending another lesbian.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/04/obsession-with-trans-is-making-a-mockery-of-equality/
      But this takes the biscuit.
      Forget "be kind" and change it to "be fair"?
      What's the matter Kate, isn't "equality for all" working out quite how you expected?

      Delete
    4. Here's a novel idea.
      Duty of care for school children.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/05/boys-in-girls-toilets-schools-could-break-law-sex-matters/

      Bewildered

      Delete
    5. Some common sense and common courtesy breaking out.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/05/author-john-boyne-apologises-to-graham-linehan-trans-debate/
      Long overdue maybe but it's a win-win.

      Delete
    6. The poor oversensitive little blossoms are bleating once more and the BBCs LGBTQIA correspondents can't get enough of it, to justify their existence and salaries.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-66709052

      Delete
  12. Oh how wonderful to be reminded - if we needed reminding - of the lunacy and perverted madness of our archbishop and his toy-boy sub-standard Bangor deanette, ap-Rhys.

    Bing.com - my normal access to ancientbritonpetros etc. - has restored that glorious photo used as Caption Corner in summer 2022 to its menu page. Again, I imagine that the C-in-W Press Office rues the day when cameras were invented - or that the idiot Andrew was even ordained that alone created archprickup.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Speaking of mismanaged decline, here's the link to the latest Llandaff Cathedral PR disaster.

    https://nation.cymru/news/charity-commission-rejects-cathedrals-music-foundation-proposal/
    Have the Charity Commissioners finally woken up to the chicanery of the Llandaff chapter?
    Back to the drawing board for slippery Dick the Sherry.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The Church of England's latest brilliant strategy.

    "On the way".

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/02/church-of-england-parishes-close-at-record-rate/

    Better described as
    "On the way out".

    Canterbury, York and London are all cretins.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rev Marcus Walker hits the nail firmly on the head.
      But will anyone take any notice?
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/02/church-of-england-death-knell-is-ringing/

      You can bet your mortgage that the plonkers in Wales have buried their heads in the sand after sticking their fingers in their ears.

      Delete
  15. I'm sorry AB but I suspect comments are disappearing once again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry about that SS. The comments are transferred to the spam folder for no apparent reason. The folder is checked regularly and comments restored.

      Delete
  16. No lack of resources in West Yorkshire Constabulary.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/03/keep-males-out-of-women-only-spaces-sticker-hate-crime/
    73 year old female social worker traced using CCTV for reading and taking a photograph of a poster adorned with a sticker.
    Clearly West Yorkshire plod must have achieved a 100% crime clear-up rate as they have nothing better to do with their time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If only that were true.
      West Yorkshire filth have been a text book lesson in political correctness when it came to dealing with the exploitation and gang rape of underage vulnerable white girls by those of a particular racial background and religious persuasion.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_child_sex_abuse_ring#:~:text=The%20Halifax%20child%20sex%20abuse,investigation%20in%20the%20United%20Kingdom

      Delete
    2. Today's good news.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-northern-ireland-66659014
      At least one Chief plod has finally done the right thing even though it should have happened weeks ago.
      Questions now are how big a payout and how big a pension he'll take with him?

      Delete
  17. The Cult in Wales website states that "The Archbishop of Wales will team up with a dragon next month". I wonder, to which of his fellow planker might that be referring?
    Seymour

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of his wives?
      🤣

      Delete
    2. The cult in Wales and the chocolate teapot have bought into the net zero doctrine.
      https://www.churchinwales.org.uk/en/news-and-events/church-to-host-all-wales-climate-summit-announces-archbishop/
      If only the prat would spend as much time and energy on the cure of souls rather than blessing trains, pretending to be a druid, dragons and heat pumps.
      Little wonder the churches suffer a dearth priests and people.

      Delete
  18. They'll probably appoint an Archdeacon for 'Decline Management'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Or an Archdemon for climate change.

      Delete
    2. Never never never trust a Bishop6 September 2023 at 21:15

      Here's the latest climate change fiddle.
      https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/06/global-warming-climate-change-scientist-unrealistic-nature/
      Journals won't publish your work unless it meets the desired criteria.

      Delete
  19. An abuse of power.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/09/06/mike-pilavachi-church-england-investigation-soul-survivor/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another abuse of power
      Avon and Somerset plod involved in a nineteen year long deceit over an undercover affair, including the birth of a child.
      https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/sep/06/revealed-undercover-uk-police-officer-deceived-woman-relationship
      When such deceit is involved, surely this is obtaining sex under false pretences and therefore, arguably serial rape?
      Plod are not to be trusted.

      Delete
    2. You're not kidding.
      Another Metropolitan plod accused of multiple rapes.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66737880

      Delete
    3. Greater Manchester Plod.
      Yet another PR disaster but hardly surprising.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-66796452
      GMP destroyed evidence.
      Jurors not informed key witnesses had criminal records.

      Anyone still stupid enough to believe plod are your friends?

      Delete
    4. Policing in the UK has been and, for the most part, is still by consent, but not for much longer.

      Delete
    5. Another abuse of power.
      Metropolitan plod pay out damages for false arrests made at Sarah Everard vigil.

      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66800801

      First, any payout by Plod is tax payers money, not that of the idiot senior officers giving the commands or the unthinking drones carrying them out.
      Second, the usual word salad gibberish issued to excuse the plod misconduct.
      Third, the utterly insincere regurgitated drivel of going forward, lessons will be learned.

      Delete
    6. Plod misconduct is never going to change until such compensation payouts are funded from the pension pots of those misbehaving. They would all think twice if they too were also personally affected, especially if taking early retirement didn't protect them and their pensions.

      Delete
    7. Three Met plod could be facing the sack.
      https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66809168
      Had this been my granddaughter, facing the sack might be the least of their concerns.

      Delete
  20. NHS Wales going the same way as Birmingham City Council.
    Any common factors?
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66795466

    ReplyDelete