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Diocese of Rochester Annual report and accounts 2021

Working through another tough year together

Despite the continued worry and uncertainty of 2021, local churches and others on the front line of ministry, supported by the Diocesan staff team, have continued to step up to their respective callings without flinching.

There is no doubt this has been another tough and challenging year – and now we face a war in Europe and the squeeze on people’s living costs. It has been a year of change, learning, and adapting. But there is still much to be thankful for.

Our people. Their commitment. Their creativity. And the knowledge that the lives of many people across the communities of the Diocese have been enriched by that commitment. It’s a sign, despite the many challenges, of the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Message from The Bishop of Tonbridge

The Rt Rev Simon Burton-Jones

2021 was a year framed by radical uncertainty, begun with our very own Kent variant of Covid and ended with a highly infectious new strain that tested people’s endurance and the limits of their courage.

The pandemic, in a strange way, showed us what is valuable in life. Not the things we buy and own, but the relationships we make and keep. But in doing so it proceeded to take these away from us.

The Church of God is founded in relationship: one with God, the second with one another. We do not measure these like GDP, but they make life worth living. And in 2021 we had to fight hard to keep them going meaningfully.

Among many adaptations made across the Diocese, mirrored in the country, three were prominent: digital worship, pastoral care by phone, and community action for the newly vulnerable.

The first was an epiphany. The opportunity to worship, learn and work together online had always been there, but somehow, it was always just out of eyeline and beyond our reach.

It was, however, no surprise to find the churches stepping up to the mark in supporting the welfare of others.

Covid opened up new possibilities but, let’s face it, also exhausted us, especially those who have the instinct to care. That made it all the more important to hit the ground listening, as national restrictions eased.

Running at long term problems is unwise and, in any case, what people most needed was someone to listen to them without waiting for a pause to jump in.

This is first base in human care. It is also a precursor to sharing the Good News about Jesus with others because we can pick up the signals of how God is at work in others when we properly listen to them.

The words ‘thank you’ cannot be repeated enough to the people of the Diocese of Rochester. In 2021, you were not found wanting but giving. And in giving, the prayer is that you receive back all that God desires for you.

There is still much to trouble us, but faith is forged in crisis, and the God who walks on water cannot, and will not, be separated from us. This is the promise we needed.

A message from our Diocesan Secretary click here

A message from the Chair of the Board of Finance click here

A year of change and new beginnings

This year has seen some significant moves and appointments.

We said goodbye and ‘thank you’ to…

  • Bishop James and his wife Bridget after 10 years of service to the Diocese. His retirement led to the search for a new bishop. Read the full story here
  • The Venerable Julie Conalty, the Archdeacon of Tonbridge, left to become Bishop of Birkenhead
  • The Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley, the Venerable Paul Wright who announced his retirement
  • Caroline Clarke, our Community Engagement and Social Action Lead
  • And farewell and God’s blessing, to the Rev Saju Muthalaly, Vicar of St Mark, Gillingham and St Mary’s Island Chatham, who was appointed the next Suffragan Bishop of Loughborough, in the Diocese of Leicester.
  • We were deeply shocked and saddened by the death of our dear colleague and friend, the Rev Ade Lawal.

We said ‘hello’ and welcome to…

  • The Rev Sharon Copestake, vicar of St Francis Strood who was announced as the next Archdeacon of Tonbridge
  • Our new Property Director, Stephen Hoad - a key strategic appointment
  • The Chair of the independent Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel, Dr Liza Thompson
  • The Rev Katrina Barnes, serving as interim Archdeacon of Bromley and Bexley
  • Liz Mullins, appointed to a new post of Generous Giving Adviser
  • The Rev Christine Allen as Companion Dioceses Co-Ordinator and Peter Kettle as the new Poverty and Hope Appeal Co-Ordinator.
  • Our heartfelt thanks to all the clergy, lay leaders and volunteers who retired or left the Diocese this year, and a warm welcome to those who have joined us. We also look forward to working with our new Bishop, the Rt Rev Jonathan Gibbs who was announced in March 2022.

A pathway out of the pandemic

With a review of our strategic priorities completed in 2021 and a streamlining of our diocesan priorities, we have a clearer direction and set of aspirations to follow, and for a new Bishop of Rochester to grasp.

Alongside this, we are conscious of the national church’s own emerging strategy and vision to be a Church of missionary disciples - younger and more diverse.

Our priorities were reduced from twelve workstreams down to five priorities based on the Church of England’s own five marks of mission. They are:

  • Enabling each church to be mission-minded
  • Helping children, young people, and adults live out everyday faith in Jesus
  • Supporting loving service in local communities
  • Encouraging, and responding to, the prophetic voice of justice and peace
  • Protecting creation’s life for future generations

2021 has been another year of constant change and reassessment for the five marks of mission here.

However, our addition shortly before the pandemic of project management, monitoring and tracking is enabling us to track what is happening, support where needed, and change tack and direction much quicker.

Also, good learning has been adopted about links with the parishes delivering the ministry and mission, and how best to both serve and challenge to keep the delivery on track for the vision in each place.

What follows is the story of the progress we have made around our priorities this year.

ENABLING EACH CHURCH TO BE MISSION-MINDED

Despite the backdrop of the pandemic, we have continued to seek to support each church to be mission-minded and to understand their community, building assurance in people that they can tell their own story of God’s love in Christ; that there was a time and a place to share this with others.

Growth Enablers and Called to Grow

Our Called to Grow project combines funding from the national Strategic Development Fund with diocesan matched funding and aims to grow worshipping communities; these split broadly into two areas, five priority parishes and the work of the Growth Enablers across the diocese. However, churches have not been undeterred.

Our three Growth Enablers – Abi, Dylan and Graham - continued to engage with churches at ‘whatever level they are at’ to encourage and enable conversations about intentional growth.

This iterative approach has been adopted to assist churches as they reopen and engage and builds on the Called to Grow ethos, which recognises each church has a different context and therefore there is not a ‘one size fits all’ model for growth.

The Growth Enablers are beginning to see themes and trends emerging, for example an increase in intergenerational worship, engagement with children and young people, and a shift in individuals’ patterns of worship. We continue to gather stories of growth and change, with a plan to share these across the Diocese in the new year.

Forest Church at St Thomas, Southborough

Strategic development fund parishes

After some Covid-related delays, we were delighted this year to still be able to complete recruitment to the project roles in our five priority parishes in Anerley, Erith and Slade Green, Gillingham, and Strood.

All of the parishes are meeting their goals to deliver activities which build relationships with new contacts. Our project management and support model is currently being tested as three of the parish incumbents moved to new roles. We are confident that our model of local support groups for each parish and role will enable smooth transitions, and the Project Board are paying close attention.

Making evangelism easy

A small group has been looking at ideas for how to make evangelism easy for church leaders by providing simple, ready to go ideas and resources on how to encourage an atmosphere of storytelling around an individual’s experience of faith and witness, having conversations, and linking to events and other opportunities.

These have been presented in infographics to help them to be easy and accessible and supported local content to tie in with the national #LiveLent: God’s Story, Our Story, and Comfort and Joy Advent and Christmas Campaign.

Sports and wellbeing

As part of a national programme, the Diocese has been piloting sports and wellbeing evangelism – because if everything we do is important to God, then so must sport, fitness and exercise.

In fact, fifty percent of the UK population is engaged in some form of sport or exercise.

From working with football clubs and coaching, offering healthy walks, sports chaplains, and boxing, churches have been exploring how they can be a loving and Godly presence where people are being active and discovering how it is a great opportunity to connect with people who otherwise would not cross the church doorstep.

Overseas Links

As a Diocese, we enjoy flourishing links with Anglican communities in Harare in Zimbabwe, and Kondoa and Mpwapwa in Tanzania, as well as a friendship link with the Evangelical Estonian Lutheran Church.

The value and importance of the Companion Link Network has become even more evident during the Covid-19 crisis.

In 2021, we took the opportunity to share the story of how Covid-19 was impacting our sisters and brothers around the world in our Diocesan magazine, and through established local links, churches have offered financial, pastoral and prayer support.

In Mpwapwa, generosity from the Friends of Mpwapwa here in the Diocese has helped towards the repayment of a loan which could not otherwise have been made because of the fall in offertory collections.

At a time when it has been easy to feel disconnected and isolated, being in contact and sharing in this uncertain time with others around the world, but with whom we have a common connection of faith, has shown these friendships to be more valuable and necessary than ever.

CHURCHES FIT FOR A 21st CENTURY WELCOME

Impressed by regular updates and presentations from the Rochester team on our strategic approach, Marshalls Charity, who support our Missional Property Fund, invited us to access £100,000 in 2021. We are in ongoing conversations about future years. Grants have continued to be awarded, and a number of projects - both large and small - have come to completion. Read more here

A NEW START FOR ST JOHN’S, CHATHAM

2021 has been a year of new beginnings as the building and the people of St John’s Chatham have taken significant steps forward as part of the Diocese of Rochester and the Church of England’s long commitment to re-establish a community here.

These plans fit alongside Medway Council’s own regeneration agenda for Chatham Town Centre. Read more here

Artwork at St John’s Infant School, Chatham,

HELPING CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND ADULTS LIVE OUT EVERYDAY FAITH IN JESUS

As the nature of work changes, not least because of the pandemic, there is a particular need to help people interpret their jobs as vocations, whether family-based, paid or voluntary; whether within the Church or in wider society. Our children and young people too are a gift in our midst. We are committed to ensuring that they are offered life-enhancing encounters with Jesus Christ, can participate as equal partners in the life of the Church, and have opportunities to explore their vocation.

Anointing and affirming calling

At the Diocesan Synod in November, Bishop Simon said, “One way in which the kingdom of God draws near is when the penny drops for people that their daily work is a vocation from God.”

Throughout the year, Bishop Simon has offered to preach, pray and anoint any person who is seeking God’s grace in life. This has included visiting a number of churches when restrictions have been lifted.

He has developed a dedicated liturgy, adaptable to any church setting – and without the need for a bishop – which has been shared with the national church’s Everyday Faith team.

Supporting and developing people’s ministry

Our Formation and Ministry Team has continued to work tirelessly to support people as they explore their vocations, and to take them through the process to either ordained or lay ministry.

In 2021, 32 people embarked upon training for ordinand ministry: 16 men and 16 women. This is the highest number since 2019. Thirteen were selected for training for Licensed Lay Ministry – this is a distinctive role in the Diocese and is someone who is called to serve their Church and their community in a leadership role but not to be ordained.

We now have a total of 71 Licensed Readers and 94 Licensed Lay Ministers across the Diocese.

Adapting training and development

Throughout this year, we have continued to try and respond to the emerging needs of our church leaders.

The Rochester Leadership Programme was revised and developed this year and is now offered to lay ministers over two residential weekends. Twelve people - a mix of pastoral assistants, evangelists, readers and Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs) - attended this first revised programme.

The feedback was very encouraging and there is a desire to repeat it, with those who attended feeling refreshed and renewed in their ministry and grateful for the opportunity.

As a result of Ministerial Development Reviews, a need to have further development and training in managing conflict and wellbeing was highlighted.

In response, a three-day in person course Working with Conflict’ was offered for clergy and lay ministers which had a very good take up and was repeated through popular demand.

Additionally, training around Trauma Informed Ministry, relating to how we emerge from the pandemic was also delivered, with sessions again receiving high demand.

Our Director of Spirituality produced online retreats and Clergy Ministerial Development to support our clergy and lay leaders' spiritual needs during some periods of lockdown.

New vocations process

The Diocesan Director of Ordinands and Vocation, along with her team of Assistant Diocesan Directors of Ordinands have worked hard to undertake the delivery of a new national discernment process, which has involved significant and major changes. Initiated in October, it is encouraging to already see a greater diversity of people coming through.

‘It’s Your Calling’ days which seek to help people explore their vocation have continued online where necessary.

This year saw 23 men and women ordained as deacons and priests, and 11 new Licensed Lay Ministers (LLMs), welcomed into the Diocese. The Communication Team shared a series of welcome cards on social media to introduce the new ordinands and LLMs to the whole diocesan family, as well as live streams of the services.

NEW DEACONS AND PRIESTS ORDAINED

A nurse, a British Sign Language Interpreter, a flying enthusiast and a biochemist, were among the 23 men and women ordained as deacons and priests into the Diocese of Rochester in September. Read more here

Deepening people’s relationship with God

We have seen revived post pandemic interest in the short spirituality courses offered by the Diocese to either be run locally or by members of the diocesan team, that encourage people at parish level to explore their own spirituality and faith.

There have been Bishop’s Study Days focused on Everyday Faith, and a special module has been developed within our Licensed Lay Ministry training dedicated to Everyday Faith.

The Archdeacon of Rochester led a well attended 7-week exploration of the Hebrews 12 text – ‘Running the race set out before us’, all about how we seek out the path God has called us to.

Sharing stories of Everyday Faith

Inspired by the national Everyday Faith initiative we are constantly striving to showcase the value of all vocations and each personal experience of faith, gradually and consistently, through various channels and opportunities.

During Lent, we journeyed with the national church’s #LiveLent God’s Story, Our Story campaign, which encouraged all Christians to think about their daily calling and discover simple ways they could share the story of their faith with others.

To support this, a series of six self-filmed personal stories of witness were curated for each week of Lent to encourage others to see their own activity as a valuable and treasured calling to God.

Learning to lean on God: Seun's story

Children and Young People’s Fund

Our Children and Young People’s Fund, generously supported by the Colyer Fergusson Charitable Trust, has seen a number of applications for work to create spaces and resources for children in churches – much of it intended to be intergenerational.

This year 20 grants have been awarded – totalling £40,232 of funding, to support activities as diverse as fun days and activity days, projects to build relationships with schools (such as providing each student with an Advent calendar), providing Covid-safe resources for toddler groups, family cooking sessions, to mental health first aid courses, and equipment for new youth groups.

St Barnabas, Cray Bike Project

Some strategic changes were made to the funding process to make it even more responsive, accessible and to meet the new needs posed by Covid-19.

These include:

  • Offering a ‘fast track’ delegated decision process for grants under £1,500.
  • Align the grant criteria with our five priorities to make it easier for churches as they seek to respond to Called Together and grow spiritually and numerically.
  • Develop larger scale projects in partnership with external agencies, as well as across parishes, to enable parishes to better respond to the significant issues facing children and young people, particularly where, on their own, a parish may not have the resource or local skills to manage a large-scale project relating to a significant need in their area.

Alongside this, our Children and Young People Mission and Ministry Team have continued to support youth and family workers across the parishes, through online resourcing sessions, archdeaconry ‘thank you’ days, and a 3-day retreat for employed youth workers.

COVID, THE CHURCH AND ME: JOSHUA’S STORY

Joshua is a member of the Diocesan Youth Council. He shared his experience of being a young person during Covid-19 at the Diocesan Synod in March 2022.

Two words describe my covid experience: routine and anxiety. Read more here

SCHOOL EXPLORES SPIRITUALITY THROUGH ART

The Spiritual Art studio at West Kingsdown C of E Primary allows pupils to explore faith through art. It has been supported by a grant from the Diocese’s Children and Young People Fund. Read more here

Knitted items donated to the Medway NHS Foundation Trust by the Knit and Natter group from St Matthew’s Church Wigmore, Gillingham

SUPPORTING LOVING SERVICE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES

We understand that the Church’s mission is to the whole person and that every initiative to meet the human need is a sign of the coming kingdom of God meant supporting loving service in local communities. Activities to support loving service in local communities are carried out by local people and parishes, with the Diocese providing support, information and resources.

Helping support and develop outreach

Our Community Engagement and Social Action team (CESA) helps parishes develop social action projects, and to develop partnerships where necessary, to show the love of Jesus to their community.

This year, we looked to recruit a new Lead adviser, after the role became vacant in the summer. Through our remaining paid employees and a network of volunteers, the team continued to support churches setting up and running Places of Welcome, community hubs, food banks, uniform exchanges, night shelters and more.

HOT MEALS S-LOW PRICE

Over 50 families across Tonbridge and Malling benefitted from healthy eating and reduced utility bills at the beginning of the year, thanks to the Slow Cooker Project, supported by local churches.

A successful bid by the Diocese’s CESA team to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s Covid Winter Grant Fund, saw £5,000 put towards the creation of a set of slow cooker packs to be issued to struggling families.

Packs were stored and distributed from St John’s Church Centre, Hildenborough, to nine other organisations, including local churches, foodbanks, and debt charities.

Taking outreach outside

The ongoing pandemic crisis has shown the way in which the parishes have a pivotal part in showing and delivering care.

One of the unexpected but positive outcomes of the restrictions was the impact being seen by Churches getting outside their buildings. Churches have been worshipping and praying outdoors, in churchyards, parks and car parks, on walks, in forests, and on village greens and in high streets.

Putting the activity of the church ‘in plain sight’ rather than in a building and behind large doors anecdotally, appears to be removing barriers and is leading to new contacts and growth.

MAKING THE MOST OF BEING OUTSIDE

In Horsmonden, a new Community Garden, supported by the church, has begun to flourish

The idea was initiated by a request from some of the village teenagers, who asked if there was a way they could connect better with the older generation in the area.

“As we pondered how to do this, the idea of having a garden was born. After all, biblically it stands for a place of relationship and connection”, says Hilary Marshall, the church’s Community Worker.

“Now, we hope the space will not only promote wellbeing, but give everyone a greater love for God’s incredible creation.”

Valuing older people

Our pioneering ministry and work with older people aims to equip churches to support older people to ensure their spiritual and pastoral needs are met, and convey the message that those with dementia, and their carers, are welcome in our churches.

Called Anna Chaplaincy, it is named after the faithful older woman, Anna, who appears with Simeon in Luke’s Gospel.

There are now 28 Anna chaplains and 28 Anna friends, with 5 more chaplains waiting to be commissioned. This year 6 archdeaconry leads were commissioned and are establishing themselves in role, supporting Anna Chaplains and Anna Friends and speaking at meetings about spiritual care for older people.

Many of the church-based groups for people with dementia (such as dementia cafes) have restarted and found a great need among their guests who have been cut off from their networks of support during the pandemic.

Other new groups are being developed, often linked to local dementia friendly community forums and supported by partner organisations that can offer advice and support to people with dementia and their carers.

Some care home ministry has also recommenced, but there is anxiety still in some staff teams over opening up and constant Covid outbreaks, which alongside a staffing crisis in the sector, have made our work a stop-start process in recent months.

WELCOME RETURN TO CARE HOME

There has been much creativity in continuing work in care homes, which has included parishes providing details of how residents can access virtual services via Smart TVs and tablets, and Anna Chaplains even delivered pre-recorded services on DVDs. Read more here

FINDING A PLACE OF WELCOME: HELEN’S STORY

The Places of Welcome at BRIDGES, Edenbridge, is one of 17 hubs and cafés supported by the Diocese’s Community Engagement and Social Action team. Read more here

LOUD fence - a visual installation using ribbons and messages tied to railings around the Rochester Cathedral to show solidarity with those affected by child sexual abuse.

ENCOURAGING, AND RESPONDING TO, THE PROPHETIC VOICE OF JUSTICE AND PEACE

To speak up for justice, to speak up for peace, and to be open to hearing the prophetic voice ourselves, has always been important to us as Christians, but as a strategic priority, it is new. There is much that is not right, just or fair in our society. There is also much that as a Church we need to put right and failings we need to address.

Changing the culture around safeguarding

As a Diocese, we take our safeguarding responsibilities very seriously and we are committed to ensuring that our churches and buildings are safe places for all.

Our Season of Safeguarding, which took place in October and November to tie in with Safeguarding Sunday (10 October) and All Survivors Day (3 November), was an important step on our journey to changing the culture around safeguarding. Moving it from something seen as a tick-box exercise, to something embedded as an expression done joyfully as our love and care for others

The Season was a partnership initiative, seeing fruitful and meaningful collaboration between the Diocesan Safeguarding and Communications Teams, Rochester Cathedral, and the victim and survivor group, Survivors Voices.

Many churches also used the Season as an opportunity to raise awareness of the Parish Safeguarding Officers and to talk about the importance of safeguarding.

As well as signposts online and on social media to useful information and organisations on a number of safeguarding-related matters, a set of downloadable, bite-sized filmed personal reflections on the theme, What Safeguarding means to me? were also created, to provide churches with a way to spark positive conversations about safeguarding.

Contributions came from role-holders across the Diocese and the Cathedral, as well as victims and survivors, and advocate organisations. The films remain available via the Diocesan website.

Alongside the films, we worked with Rochester Cathedral and survivor, Antonia Sobocki, on a visual art installation called LOUDfence, which allowed allow people to express their support for those who have been subject to abuse of any kind.

WHAT SAFEGUARDING MEANS TO ME: JANE’S STORY

Jane Chevous is the Co-founder of Survivors Voices. Survivors Voices is a survivor-led organisation that harnesses the expertise of people affected by abuse in order to transform society’s response to trauma and abuse. Read more here

Expanding the Safeguarding Team

Capacity within the team has been expanded this year, through the reallocation existing budget, with the team now comprising a Lead Safeguarding Adviser, two Safeguarding Advisers, a Safeguarding trainer, and an administrator.

The role of Bishop’s Safeguarding Lead is shared among the Archdeacons, changing every three years and this year moved to the Archdeacon of Rochester.

In addition, Dr Liza Thompson was appointed as Independent Chair of the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel – a group of external safeguarding professionals, along with senior clergy and officers from the Diocese and the Cathedral, who provide quality assurance and challenge with regard to safeguarding.

Work and caseload

The Safeguarding Team was involved in a number of current and non-recent investigations during the year, two of which resulted in being heard in court.

New guidance on training continued to be developed, some of which could be accessed online. As part of their ongoing support to parishes, our Safeguarding Team has developed a range of additional policies and guidance and runs training throughout the year at a range of levels appropriate to different roles.

Parish Dashboard

Towards the end of the year, the Parish Dashboard scheme was launched. This is an online tool to assist parishes in making safeguarding administration simpler. Early feedback has been very positive.

"I think the Dashboard is a brilliant tool. I find using it helps enormously, especially when I am reporting to PCC and asking for discussion and approval of various procedural matters, as it helps me to focus on the things which need doing, and not leave anything out." (Naomi Vallely, Parish Safeguarding Officer, St John's Church Centre, Tunbridge Wells)

Past Cases Review

The Past Cases Review is a comprehensive safeguarding review, undertaken across churches and key institutions within the Diocese of Rochester. It was started in 2019 and was completed in autumn 2021.

It is a process being run in all 42 Church of England dioceses, with all dioceses expected to complete their Reviews by the end of 2021.

The purpose of the Review has been to help find out whether all known cases of concern about the behaviour of clergy and church officers towards children and vulnerable adults have been considered, risk assessed and dealt with appropriately.

The report compiled by the Independent Reviewers was completed in the autumn of 2021 and submitted to the National PCR board to form part of the national overview report, expected sometime in 2022.

We thank everyone in the parishes who contributed to this important process, and particularly to those victims and survivors whose time, experience and insight, helped inform the Review and the process.

The recommendations from the Diocese’s independent report will be incorporated into the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisory Panel’s Action Plan.

Please call in confidence either our Safeguarding Team on 01634 560 000 or Safe Spaces on 0300 303 1056 or for more information vIsit www.rochester.anglican.org/safeguarding

Living in Love and Faith

Following on from the Archbishops’ call for a “radical new inclusion in the church”, we have begun to engage meaningfully with Living in Love and Faith.

Living in Love and Faith is a learning and listening process taking place across The Church of England to help individuals, parishes, deaneries and dioceses, reflect on our shared humanity and sexual identity.

A diverse consultative group was drawn from across the Diocese and has been meeting regularly throughout the year to oversee and steer the programme in the Diocese. They include the Rev Jane Winter, as LLF Ambassador and the Rev Joel Love, as LLF Chaplain.

Many conversations have happened at an individual, parish and deanery level. An online Diocesan Taster Day has taken place, and over 220 people within the Diocese registered with the Living in Love and Faith Resource Hub.

“We had a real mix – 3 or 4 churches – but we disagreed well which is something that struck me. My main concern was that I wouldn’t have anything to contribute but it wasn’t like that at all…I found that week by week I would be thinking about the course and discerning, what is God’s will.” (The Rev Jayne Shillito, Curate Rural North West Kent Churches)

Modern Slavery, Gender-based violence

As a Diocese, we are actively engaging with issues such as Modern Slavery and gender-based violence, through our partnerships with the Clewer Initiative and the White Ribbon campaign.

In 2021, we supported the UN’s 16 Days of Activisms Against Gender-Based Violence and White Ribbon Day, to ask men to make a stand against violence towards women. Bishop Simon and others took to Tonbridge High Street to share details of the campaign and the local support available.

WHY I AM A WHITE RIBBON AMBASSADOR: KEITH’S STORY

As part of our campaign work this year, Keith Berry, one of our Community Engagement and Social Action Advisers, and a White Ribbon Ambassador shared why he was taking a stand against male violence towards women. Read more here

POVERTY AND HOPE

For over four decades the donations raised by the diocese’s Poverty and Hope Appeal have offered support to some of the world's most vulnerable people. Read more here

At The Holy Redeemer in Lamorbey, forty-seven different species of wildlife were recorded at Counting on Nature event

PROTECTING CREATION’S LIFE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

The realisation that action to address climate change is imperative has now permeated most aspects of society. Our young people in particular believe that we as a Church must take a lead. We must not be left behind; protecting creation’s life for future generations is now one of our five overarching priorities.

Eco Diocese and Eco Church

Until 2017, the Diocese had very little formal engagement with environmental issues while individual parishes have been particularly good at taking their own steps to improve their environmental footprints. As a Diocesan structure, we know we need to do better.

In October 2019, Diocesan Synod approved an environmental action plan. Synod also supported the proposed registration as an Eco Diocese, encouraging and supporting churches to work towards the Eco Church awards.

We now have 61 churches in the Diocese that are registered for Eco Church (including LEPs which count for both denominations) of which 13 have reached the bronze award level and 2 the silver award level.

Unfortunately, the impact of Covid-19 caused a delay in our Diocesan effort, but this year has seen a return to the committed work and the development of an action plan, and environmental policy. Recently this has included awareness raising and resources around the COP26 event.

Earlier in the year, we held a webinar exploring the theological reasons and practical actions, with contributions from local churches, national partners and an international view.

Joint working

We have identified our environmental priority as an area where we can work well with our neighbours in the Diocese of Canterbury, sharing resources and knowledge.

The first stage of this has been to join up the Environment Working Groups; Canterbury’s is well-established and new Terms of Reference have been drafted.

The aim is to have sub-groups looking at reaching the target to be net carbon zero by 2030, as this is detailed work relating to properties and asset management within each diocese.

In Rochester, we are currently carrying out surveys and data analysis to set the priorities for this work, which includes on clergy housing.

Working towards net-zero

The National Church has issued a ‘road map’ to net zero for consultation.

To support this, we engaged key internal stakeholders and responded to the national church’s consultation on a draft

We are encouraging churches to use the Energy Footprint Tool (part of the parish finances online system) and looking into how the new wider toolkit can be used for schools, housing, cathedrals, offices, TEIs and all other buildings as well as ‘diocesan travel’.

COUNTING ON NATURE

Protecting creation’s life for future generations is a key priority for the Diocese, and so it is not surprising that so many churches took part in the national ‘Churches Count on Nature’ scheme in 2021.

At The Holy Redeemer in Lamorbey, forty-seven different species of wildlife were recorded.

Meanwhile, at St Mary, Bromley’s Garden Church, everyone got involved with the count, after a rousing chorus outside of ‘All things bright and beautiful', of course!

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

The financial contribution parishes make to support the work and mission of the Church locally is hugely appreciated. Thank you! The information below gives a summary of our finances in 2021. To see our full accounts, as well as our story as a community of faith across Medway, north and west Kent and the London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley, over the year, please click here

  • In 2021 we were running a deficit of £1.6M.
  • This compares to a deficit of £0.8M in the previous year.
  • The Diocese’s financial strategy seeks to achieve a financially sustainable position.

To access our full statutory accounts click here

To download a full copy of our Annual Report and Statutory Accounts click here

To find out more about us and our trustees click here