April 20, 2021 - 7:00am
Exciting news from the Church of England. The Diocese of Sheffield is to appoint “four further Associate Archdeacon Transition Enablers.”
Yes, really! Not one or two or three, but four. Indeed, four further persons of this description. At this rate, the North of England will soon be overrun with them.
One question though: what is an Associate Archdeacon Transition Enabler? The title, while awfully impressive, is somewhat ambiguous. Is the purpose of an AATE to enable Archdeacons to transition? If so, what are these Archdeacons transitioning to? Butterflies, perhaps.
Consulting the Diocesan website, I discover that “the intention is to create a collaborative context that enables Deaneries, Parishes and Mission Areas to embrace significant change.”
No, me neither.
I would try to fathom out this mystery — but lack the necessary motivation. For a start, I’m a Left Footer, and we have enough troubles of our own. Furthermore, from my own experience of management speak, I suspect that the number of words in a title is inversely related to the seniority of the role (and certainly any extra pay). Finally, if “significant change” means something wonderful — as opposed to, say, taking an axe to the parish system — then shouldn’t it be more clearly expressed?
As I recall, Jesus told Peter to “feed my lambs” not to “enable their transition”.
Writing for UnHerd earlier this year, Giles Fraser accepts that the C of E cannot avoid organisational reform. However, he’d prioritise the needs of the parishes over the ecclesiastical bureaucracy.
He’s not wrong. Rather like certain football clubs currently in the news, the bishops should think very carefully before alienating their “legacy fans”.
Then again, joining (or rather re-joining) the ecclesiastical equivalent of the European Super League might be just what the Church of England needs.
How’s that for a “transition”?
Peter Franklin is Associate Editor of UnHerd. He was previously a policy advisor and speechwriter on environmental and social issues.
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SubscribeWhenever we are told we must “embrace significant change”, in whatever context, political, religious, social, environmental etc. we can be sure something valuable is about to be destroyed and we have little say in it.
And what the heck are these “transitioning” bishops? I can’t help thinking transgender here!
The Church of England seems to revel in making itself a laughing stock. Is this some distorted exercise in humility? I’m a Left Footer too, and look on in sad bafflement, though I fear us lot may not be far behind.
“Whenever we are told we must “embrace significant change”, in whatever context, political, religious, social, environmental etc. we can be sure something valuable is about to be destroyed”
Absolutely bang on the nail, Hilary – and it has been proved right time after time. Very well said indeed – a thousand upvotes from me.
Oh, btw I’m a fellow Left-Footer, and you’re right there, too – particularly under the worst Pope for centuries.
I’m not a “left footer”, I was brought up CofE, with which, I have been unhappy for some time.
I have ‘identified’ as an Independent Christian. Don’t have far to go to Church, it’s also my home.
The Revd Clive Hogger’s bust appears to support the church transition.
Made me laugh first thing in the morning, thanks.
Churches are closing everywhere, despite the potential power of God. Soon we will be a land of mosques (The Religion of Islam) and of Greta statues (The Religion of Environmentalism).
There are a growing number of very successful churches but they are the ones, frequently serving immigrant communities, where the clergy actually seem to believe in God.
From your link it seems that the salary of 31-35k for 5 years max, plus housing allowance (diocesane house may be available for rent).
I scarcely believe that anyone would have read all those pages of guff. Anyway, from what I have read the transition means that churches are being closed and congregations merged.
I am sure that the transition officers will be very popular figures in the Sheffield area, along with bailiffs and debt collectors in general.
Beggars belief and b*ggers the believers all in one go!
Not to be confused with transubstantiation, presumably. That was another concept I could never really get to grips with. Whatever, they are all completely mad.
Iwalked by my church yesterday hoping to see the BLM sign which has been posted on the outdoor sign for a year finally taken done.
Hit the wrong button. The BLM sign was not taken down – it is now followed by Stop the Asian Hate.
As I stood there I tried to figure out who the target audience for the sign is. Are we, the mainly old white members who have kept the church going for years, being reminded that we are bigots and racists who need to repent before the church opens its doors again?
Or is the sign proof that this old Gothic style gorgeous place is now WOKE so please Rioters, don’t break a window of spray pig’s blood on the door?
I am trying hard to repent but until I succeed, i will not be pledging,
I liked your use of the phrase “completely mad”. It reminds me of a peculiarly English trait of saying the opposite of what we really mean:
“Uncle Peter’s completely mad!” = Uncle Peter is slightly eccentric.
“Of course Aunt Maud is slightly eccentric” = Aunt Maud is completely mad!
It is a shame Derek Nimmo is no longer with us, as his comic creations would find ample opportunities for entertaining us in the mildly amusing UK Gold situation comedy that is the modern Church of England.
A lesson in how to alienate your existing customers and potential converts to the brand.
Sorry to be dim, but transitioning *what* to *what*?
What is it?
See my earlier comment 😉
I think it’s a polite way of saying going from “something” to “nothing”.
Transition of power (and cash) from parish to diocese.
If an intelligent comment is to be passed on this matter I think it’s necessary to get beyond the “management speak” to what is really behind these appointments, which is the Church’s mission in the Diocese of Sheffield.
There is no talk of “ taking an axe to the parish system”. The “significant change” is to do with enabling the congregations to be more effective in their mission of bringing the Truth and Love of God in Jesus Christ to their communities. This is what congregations are supposed to do, and many have not been very good at doing it. That’s a major reason why there has been a decline and it needs to be addressed.
The prevailing mood of this document detailing these appointments is optimistic, forward-looking and full of faith. “We seek to be a Diocese Renewed in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit….a Diocese Released from the constraints which hold us back….a Diocese Rejuvenated through outreach to families, children and young people and through the creation of 75 new congregations, including25 in our Church schools.”
It saddens me that an attempt by a Diocese to confront the challenges of Christian mission in Britain today has been the trigger for an article and many comments which are fatuous, cheap and unworthy, and show no desire to understand what’s going on whatsoever.
If that is the intention, it is worthwhile. I’m sorry that I also laughed incredulously when I read the title.
but, but, but : don’t you think it might have been possible to find someone to proof read this paper who has been living in the world for the last five years, and has a glimmer of what ‘transition’ signifies to most people? Would it not be possible to find someone who could put a blue pencil through the management speak you identify, and write something that is not , well, a ludicrous self parody of the ‘woke’ establishment we all have learnt to fear? Because until the Church can speak clearly without sounding either ridiculous or craven, I don’t hold out much hope for these initiatives.
Well said.
You have a point. But I don’t think the writers were expecting this document to be read by any but interested parties – certainly not by people itching to be critical, Also I think it’s a shame that yet another word is being hijacked by a small minority for their own use.
Surely the “interested parties” include the parishioners of the diocese? I doubt they are “itching to be critical” so much as bewildered and distressed that their church and its ministers appear to them to be abandoning the cure of souls in favour of spouting near-to-meaningless management jargon.
Indeed, there’s no talk of the parish system at all. The six Associate Archdeacon Mission & Transition Enablers in the Diocese of Sheffield have a remit, according to the diocesan website, to
If these are simply the new names for parishes, then there’s no need to have a new name or to transition from one thing to the same thing. But it clearly isn’t. It’s a “new model”. “Bishop Pete” says
So, nothing about parishes there. What is this “new model”, I wonder? There’s a clue in the job description.
I wonder what those “aspects” are that the post-holder will need to relinquish? Duddy-duddy old things like churches, perhaps?
Yes if there is very good reason to do so and the congregation have taken the initiative and other interested bodies agree. Pruning can be a good thing and not only in the garden. I had a 2 Church parish which had 2 small congregations. We closed one which made a medium sized congregation in 1 church which led to more growth and a congregation triple the size of the original 2.
… so in other words there is, if not an axe, at least a sharp-bladed “pruning” implement being taken to the parish system?
Ah, it’s all the fault of the existing congregations for not being good enough at their job then? No, of course it isn’t. Congregations are “supposed” to gather together to worship God. Individual Christians are called to do various things, among which may be witness and mission. To say that any given individual or group haven’t been very good at living up to somebody else’s guess as to what their calling might be is not your place, or mine, and, I venture to suggest, hardly that of an Associate Archdeacon Transition Enabler either.
Congregations are the Body of Christ for their community and therefore have a corporate remit to pray and work together in ministry and mission. As a priest for 42 years I had the responsibility of encouraging and working with my people in this adventure with some positive results praise God.
I’m glad to hear about the positive results. But it seems to me, to be frank, that you fall into the trap of writing about a congregation as junior staff, to be optimally deployed as a church-owned resource in accordance with a “corporate remit” handed down via their middle-management — rather than fellow members with you of the Body of Christ, each with their own individual gifts and callings, to be discerned by prayer and contemplation. That is not the attitude I relish after 55 years as a communicant member of the CofE.
Thank you so much Michael.
Good thinking !
If they keep up with all this embarrassing stuff I may have to become Catholic.
For a moment there I thought the CofE was appointing four people to encourage the gender-confused of Sheffield to transition.
Perhaps it’s transition in the Never Let Me Go sense. The organs of the church are going to be harvested to feed the property market.
It is rather easy to poke fun at new and innovative responses to significant challenges. In Sheffield’s case we know pretty much how many pounds are coming in and going out. What we have in parishes – our stipendiary staff – cannot grow without significant additional income. That is unlikely so we are using the equivalent of about 6 months budget over 5 years to get us to a sustainable financial, missional and ministry basis. There is no plan for closures but we are aware we have buildings whose repair and maintenance costs are beyond sustaining; we know that we have lay people able to take on roles and responsibilities; we know we have priests who are borderline exhausted and need someone alongside with capacity and skill to help the transition from the model we have to the model we think we need. Six excellent appointments, two of whom are already making an impact and helping. These are assisting the parishes and are definitely not bureaucracy. Congregations are not being merged, they are being encouraged to flourish. Sheffield is currently a good place to be a Church of England minister or member of a congregation because we are facing things early and with some courage and imagination.