Sharing in God’s mission across our diocese
Parish Share is how churches across the Diocese of Bristol contribute to the shared fund which resources ordained ministry. It is a practical expression of our life as one body in Christ: churches giving according to their means so that clergy ministry can be present in every community - not only where congregations are large or financially strong.
As PCCs prepare to agree their 2027 pledge, this page brings together the key information, vision and next steps. Here you can explore what Parish Share is, why it matters, how it is calculated, and how your church’s generosity enables ministry, mission and the growth of God’s Kingdom across Swindon, North Wiltshire, South Gloucestershire and Bristol.
Read the Parish Share Explained booklet
Contact the Giving & Resources Advisor
A message from Bishop Neil
Why Parish Share matters
The ministry of the Church is carried by the whole people of God. Lay leaders, volunteers, pastoral visitors, youth and children’s teams, churchwardens, PCC members and many others serve faithfully week by week. Ordained ministry sits alongside this, helping to equip, encourage and enable the ministry of the whole church through teaching, pastoral care, sacramental ministry, leadership and oversight.
Parish Share matters because it helps ensure this ministry can flourish in every community. It enables stipendiary clergy to serve; it helps train curates; and it invests in future clergy who will serve the next generation.
In 2025, churches across the Diocese welcomed around 7,500 adults and 1,200 children on a usual Sunday, around 14,500 people at Easter and 28,000 at Christmas. They maintained links with over 16,000 people in their communities, conducted 1,400 school assemblies, baptised 650 people, celebrated 220 marriages, and conducted 780 funerals. These are not just statistics; they represent lives touched, faith nurtured and communities served.
A shared response to God’s generosity
Scripture shows us that generosity is a response to the grace shown us in Christ. As the Apostle Paul writes, “whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” and “God loves a cheerful giver.” Parish Share is one of the ways we live out that generosity together: not as a transaction, but as a partnership in the gospel.
Parish Share is not a fee for services, and it is not simply paying for “our vicar.” It is a shared gift that helps ensure ordained ministry is available across the Diocese, including in places that could not sustain it alone. Through Parish Share, churches help resource stipendiary clergy serving in parishes, the training and support of curates, and the formation of future clergy.
The challenge for 2027
We want to be open about the reality we face. The cost of supporting ordained ministry has risen, while the real value of Parish Share has fallen significantly since 2018. For 2027, after national church support for the lowest income communities is considered, around £6.9 million is needed to resource the current level of clergy ministry and support the training of curates and ordinands.
In 2025, parishes generously gave £4.9 million towards ministry across the Diocese. If giving were repeated at that level in 2027, the shortfall would be around £2 million. In recent years those gaps have been covered from diocesan reserves, but reserves cannot sustain long-term deficits. That is why Parish Share in 2027 matters so much.
This is a significant challenge - but it is also an opportunity: an opportunity to renew our commitment to one another, to practise faithful stewardship, and to invest together in the mission God has entrusted to us.
The Parish Share formula for 2027 remains unchanged in structure, but it is important to understand its purpose. The calculation is not designed to charge each parish for “its” clergy. Rather, it helps us share responsibility for sustaining ministry across the Diocese as a whole.
The main elements of the calculation are:
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Ministry contribution:
Each parish shares in the diocesan-wide effort to resource stipendiary clergy. For 2027, the full cost of a full-time stipendiary priest is £63,200, including stipend, pension, National Insurance and housing.
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Community adjustment:
Parishes in areas with above-average household income contribute more, while those in lower-income areas contribute less, reflecting mutual support across the diocese.
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Future ministry:
Each parish contributes 10.5% of average unrestricted income towards the training of curates and future clergy.
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Lowest income community funding:
Targeted support is given to parishes serving the most deprived communities.
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Large income adjustment:
Parishes with income above 150% of the diocesan average are asked for an additional contribution of 11% of average unrestricted income.
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Generous giving adjustment:
No parish is asked for less than it pledged in 2026.
For 2027 we have chosen to remove transitional relief. This is because it was not a separate fund but had to be covered from diocesan reserves; it introduced subjectivity into the calculation; and it obscured the true level of funds needed to sustain current clergy ministry. Removing it allows for greater transparency and a clearer picture of the resources required.
Alongside the calculation, each parish will receive a suggested gift figure. This is intended to be an achievable and realistic contribution after all adjustments. We hope and pray that, where possible, churches will feel able to give at or above this level.
Parish Share is not only a financial decision; it is a spiritual one. It is about how we respond to God’s grace, how we steward the resources entrusted to us, and how we support one another as a diocesan family. The aim is not pressure, but prayerful generosity - giving cheerfully, realistically and faithfully for the sake of Christ’s mission.
At its heart, Parish Share is about shared mission: ensuring that the gospel is proclaimed, the sacraments are celebrated, pastoral care is offered, and communities are served across the whole Diocese.
As your PCC prepares to discuss Parish Share for 2027, we encourage you to:
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Read and reflect - take time to understand your parish’s request and the basis for it.
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Pray together - Parish Share is a spiritual decision as well as a financial one.
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Discuss openly - consider your church’s capacity, your mission priorities, and your commitment to the wider diocesan family.
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Ask for support if needed - if your parish anticipates difficulty, please get in touch. Open conversation helps the Diocese plan well and offer guidance where it is needed.
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Make your pledge - parishes are asked to submit their 2027 pledge by 31 October 2026.
We are in this together
We are deeply grateful for the faithfulness, generosity and perseverance of churches across the Diocese. Through Parish Share, you are helping to ensure that ordained ministry is present in every community, that lay ministry is supported and strengthened, and that future generations will continue to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your partnership in this shared ministry.
Need more information?
Download and read the Parish Share Explained booklet
A briefing paper intended to assist those who may be required to lead a discussion at a PCC meeting, and a paper with suggestions for how to facilitate that discussion.
Contact James Morrey, Giving & Resources Advisor at parishshare@bristoldiocese.org.