The Church of England is to review clergy terms of service at its General Synod in November to be held in London from the 14 to 16 November, reports The Church of England Newspaper.
The return of the issue to the church agenda is expected to stir up debate once again as members debate whether freeholds of parish properties should be controlled by the diocese.Under current church law, the vicar usually holds the freehold on his property leaving the bishop powerless to take action against the owner of the freehold if the case of dispute.
A change in the law would enable bishops to remove vicars if they fail to fulfil their duties. The review of clergy terms of service is particularly welcomed by the evangelicals in the Church concerned that the law currently favours orthodox ministers.
Some also claim that the freehold system has been ‘abused’ for years. The Church of England Newspaper quoted one source as saying: “At the moment we [the diocese] are paying for these lazy and incompetent ministers who have owners’ rights to their properties.
“We pay for them to go to theological colleges, we give them a good wage and a pension while they are unable to provide a full ministry to the people in the area in which they are based.
“It’s time the church learnt how to protect its funds while providing a better service,” the source said.
It is expected the review of the law will spark protest from Church liberals who fear any change will lead to a ‘witch-hunt’.
A presentation on the Episcopate to determine the House of Bishops’ position on the issue is also on the agenda at the General Synod, although no legislation will be moved.
