Bishops on breadline still ahead of clergy

The Church of England's General Synod: Impassioned clergy recount tales of long hours and poverty behind palace doors

Tales of impoverished gentility among bishops dissuaded the Church of England's General Synod yesterday from introducing greater parity to the pay of its clergy.

The Bishop of Chester, the Right Reverend Michael Baughen, told Synod that when he and his wife moved into his palace in 1982, their first quarterly gas bill was for pounds 1,000 and plunged them into debt: "We were catering for other people, washing up, for Christ's sake, and lugging shopping back from Tesco. Headlines like 'bringing bishops down to size' and 'get them out of palaces' are very hurtful when you give 100 hours a week on Christ's work and live upstairs with no home life."

Bishop Baughen, whose stipend is pounds 25,520, was speaking in a debate initiated by the Archdeacon of West Cumberland, the Venerable John Packer, whose annual stipend is pounds 20,100.

Archdeacon Packer told Synod: "It is impossible - and wrong - to value Christian ministry financially. Authority lies in the Gospel and its service, and not in the way we distribute our finances. I do not believe that a clergy stipend is a... reward for performance and responsibility... It is there to enable Archbishop or curate to live in such a way that his or her work can be done in accordance with God's will."

Archdeacons, cathedral clergy, and bishops are all paid more than the average clergy stipend of pounds 13,450. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey, is paid pounds 45,350; and the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, pounds 39,730. The three senior diocesan bishops, London, Durham, and Winchester are paid varying amounts above the standard diocesan stipend of pounds 25,520. All clergy have free houses, or housing allowances, and other perks.

Clergy without parishes, such as chaplains, can be considerably worse- paid, and there is a notable tendency, where married couples are ordained, for dioceses to give them two jobs but only one salary.

The Rev Hugh Broad, a father of four, who is rector of St Katherine's, Matson, in Gloucestershire, told Synod his family was poor enough to qualify for Family Credit. As a qualified teacher, he could earn pounds 25 an hour coaching GCSE students in English; and he had a neighbouring priest who did this for eight hours a week. Yet he believed this was wrong. He wanted differentials which would reflect the needs of clerics' families.

Four bishops voted in favour of the proposal, though only one spoke for it - the Suffragan Bishop of Dudley, the Right Reverend Rupert Hoare. "We are being called to stand more decisively over and against the society in which we find ourselves, and not to conform to it," he told Synod. "Phasing out differentials will not bring in the kingdom of God, but it might be a sign."

Viscountess Brentford, a prominent evangelical lay member, said "The wives need to be heard. Quite often they really struggle."

The motion was defeated in all three houses of Synod.