15/11/2024
Nearly £46 million has been earmarked by the Church of England for work to spread the Christian faith across the country, including a programme to renew and revitalise parishes, new congregations in churches and church and school partnerships.
The Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) has awarded grants to the Dioceses of Southwell and Nottingham, Lichfield, Portsmouth and Birmingham for mission lasting up to a decade in urban, rural and deprived post-industrial areas. The awards back the Church of England’s vision for a younger and more diverse Church.
The funding includes support for parish revitalisations, church and school partnerships and new congregations within parishes. The grants will fund children’s and youth workers and lay and ordained leaders as well as existing worship in all traditions.
The Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham is set to receive £33.16 million – of which £12.2 million is subject to further approvals - for a decade-long programme building on successful mission and ministry. This is the biggest award by the Board since it was set up in 2022.
The funds will support investment in parishes across Nottinghamshire, in its city, towns and villages, with a focus on evangelism, discipleship, vocations and younger leaders. The funding will include provision for training and the deployment of more than 40 lay and ordained leaders and children and youth workers across the diocese.
A major pilot will be launched to revitalise rural churches in the diocese, drawing on lessons from effective outreach in urban Nottingham as well as existing work in rural Nottinghamshire and the Connect initiative of church in school.
The Diocese of Lichfield has been awarded £5.9 million – of which £5.1 million is to be subject to further approvals - for work in Stoke-on-Trent to enhance the Christian presence largely among younger communities across the city.
Ten new worshipping communities are envisaged, with nine built through church and school partnerships across the city and the tenth focussed on students and young adults at All Saints, Joiners Square, Hanley.
The Diocese of Portsmouth is set to receive £5.3 million over the next five years – with £1.28 million of this to be awarded after further approvals - to build on the success of existing mission across the diocese, with children and young people made a priority.
This will include family-oriented services, midweek worship for children based in schools, and children’s choirs across south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
St Michael’s Church in Paulsgrove, an estate church in Portsmouth serving one of the most deprived communities in the country will be supported to set up four new congregations, including a Choir Church – as well helped to expand its existing worship in the Catholic tradition.
The grant will also support church plants – where new congregations are set up in existing parishes - in urban Portsmouth and suburban Fareham, with the aim of reaching more children, families and young people.
In the Church of England Birmingham, £1.6 million has been awarded for a church revitalisation, supporting the Church of St Mary and St Ambrose, next to Edgbaston cricket ground, to combine with Anchor Church. Anchor Church, a thriving five-year old plant by the congregation of the Gas Street church in Birmingham, will gain a permanent home while St Mary and St Ambrose will welcome younger congregation members.
The funds will pay for renovation works at the church and staff costs such as children and family and student outreach work.
Carl Hughes, SMMIB Chairman, said: "These awards will enable parishes across the country both to innovate to reach new congregations and expand their existing worship.
“The plans reflect an enormous amount of detailed work by the dioceses and parishes concerned and take their inspiration from the successes of previously funded mission and ministry. This work, funded by the SMMIB, represents real hope for the future of the Church of England."