1 in 5 Church of England Bishops Faces Firing

LONDON — More than a fifth of the Church of England's bishops could face the ax under new proposals being drawn up by its leaders.

Secret documents discovered by the Daily Telegraph show that the church commissioners — the financial wing of the Church of England — are considering reducing traditional funding for the hierarchy.

The proposals come in the wake of criticism that the church is top-heavy and the bishops too costly, while congregations are shrinking and parishes are strapped for cash.

But they are likely to anger some bishops, who feel they are already overstretched and undervalued. All of the church's 113 bishops are currently paid for centrally by the commissioners, last year to the tune of nearly pounds 25 million. The cost includes housing for 44 senior diocesan bishops, some of whom live in historic palaces and castles.

But under the proposals being discussed by the archbishops and other leaders, the commissioners would reduce their support to no more than two bishops a diocese. According to confidential church papers, any diocese with more than two bishops — nearly half have between three and six — would have to fund the extra posts themselves or scrap them. While a few wealthy dioceses may be able to raise enough from donations, most would be forced to shed posts.

Under another option, the commissioners, who also manage the church's historic investments, would fund more than two bishops only if certain "objective" criteria were fulfilled.

The proposals are being considered by the House of Bishops's Standing Committee, chaired by the archbishop of York, Dr. John Sentamu, as part of a wider review of the role of bishops.

The church is already setting up a new national commission with sweeping powers to recommend the scrapping or merging of dioceses.

Church spokesmen confirmed that "various options" were being considered, but said no final decisions had yet been taken.

Some clerics believe that a quarter of the church's suffragan, or assistant, bishops should be shed, saving millions of dollars a year.

They want more money to be pumped into missionary initiatives to attract people back to church such as Fresh Expressions, the archbishop of Canterbury's scheme to promote alternative worship.

Supporters of the bishops say they are needed to spearhead such initiatives, even though their role has become increasingly weighed down with bureaucracy generated by government red tape.

But critics of the hierarchy point out that in 1900 there were 57 bishops — 31 diocesan and 26 suffragan — and about 24,000 clergy. While there are now 113 bishops — 44 diocesan and 69 suffragan — and only 9,000 full-time parish clergy, supplemented by a similar number of part-time clergy and licensed lay people.

One synod member said yesterday: "Frankly, half the bishops could go, and they wouldn't be missed. Those that are left should be out and about taking the gospel to the country rather than sitting in meetings all day."

Diocesan bishops are paid about $70,000 a year while suffragans, who are generally provided with accommodation by their diocese, get about $58,000.