Church of England faces financial crisis from green and reparations targets

Summarised from GB News's report · Updated 23 Oct, 06:20 · Archive

A report warns the Church of England is heading towards financial ruin due to net-zero targets and slavery reparations schemes.

A report by Canon Robin Gill and Prof John Craven has warned the Church of England is careering towards financial ruin. The authors identify the Church's carbon reduction plans and Project Spire, a £100m investment fund designed to atone for historical links to the slave trade, as 'costly' schemes that churchgoers regard as 'unrealistic, extravagant, unsustainable and deeply depressing'. The report notes that 37 out of 42 dioceses now run budget deficits, more than double the 18 recorded in 2019.

The Church committed £190m to eco-friendly upgrades for churches and vicarages to meet a net-zero carbon target by 2030, but has since conceded it will not meet this deadline. Critics argue the policy has left buildings cold and deterred attendance by restricting the installation of new oil or gas boilers. Project Spire faces a High Court challenge brought by the Rev Jamie Franklin and churchwarden Bijan Omrani, who maintain the fund rests on flawed evidence and ignores the Church's historical role in abolishing slavery.

The report's authors contend that only 'ruthless' reforms can stem the deepening crisis, characterised by falling attendance, shrinking donations and declining ordinations.

Read the report

• Church of England is 'heading for financial disaster' due to net-zero targets and slavery reparations, report warnsA new report has warned the Church of England is careering towards financial ruin, driven by net-zero targets and slavery reparations. The report, written by Canon Robin Gill and Prof John Craven, argues that "extravagant" projects are deepening the institution's financial issues, with 37 out of 42 dioceses now running budget deficits. This is more than double the 18 dioceses recorded in 2019. The report identifies the Church's carbon reduction plans and Project Spire, a £100m investment fund designed to atone for historical links to the slave trade, as "costly" schemes that churchgoers…GB News · 23 Oct, 04:15

In this story: Church of England · Canon Robin Gill · Prof John Craven · Rev Jamie Franklin · Bijan Omrani

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