Church of England Announces £13.4 Million Fund to Revitalise Parishes for Mission

The Church of England has announced plans to invest £13.4 million across three dioceses for mission and ministry projects. The Dioceses of Winchester, Chelmsford and Worcester are set to receive the funds following an agreement with the Church’s Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB).

The largest share, £7 million, will go to Winchester for a 10-year plan called “Walking the Wessex Way.” The plan aims to bring more people into the Church, train leaders and establish new worshipping communities. Parishes in Bournemouth and Southampton are expected to receive much of this funding in an effort to revitalise church life and reach more people, particularly in deprived areas, a focus that reflects care for those in need (Matthew 25:35).

The Bishop of Winchester, Philip Mounstephen, welcomed the announcement, saying, “This is good news for the whole of the Diocese of Winchester. Our vision is to enable every person living here to have access to a flourishing, joyful and sustainable Christian community.” He added that the funding gives the diocese “a real opportunity to engage with our communities, to grow together and bring the hope and love of Jesus across our diocese.”

In the Diocese of Chelmsford, £2.8 million will support a range of projects. These include a parish in the new town of Harlow, children and youth projects in Braintree, and efforts to recruit more youth pastors. The Bishop of Chelmsford, Guli Francis-Dehqani, said, “We give thanks for these resources that will help support mission and ministry across the Colchester Episcopal Area.” She said the work had “emerged through prayer, conversation, and careful listening within local communities,” offering a chance to “learn from one another, deepen relationships and share in a common purpose.”

The Diocese of Worcester will use its £3.6 million to revitalise churches across the diocese and to start a new church plant in Kidderminster. The Bishop of Worcester, Hugh Nelson, said the funding was “great news for churches across our diocese” and noted that the national church was “continuing to support ministry in parishes across the diocese.”

Nelson said the money would help grow existing parishes in major population areas and would let the diocese use its own reserves to support transformation elsewhere. He concluded, “Together these investments will enable us to grow as Kingdom People of faith, hope and love.”

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