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One of the great things about the Church of England is that we work together. We have a shared mission to share the love of God in Christ Jesus with all around us. Rather than each church paying for its own vicar and all the other costs of ministry, we pool our resources with richer parishes supporting poorer ones. This means we can put clergy in the places where they are needed most. So, a more affluent parish with fewer people in it may have a half-time priest, while a less affluent inner-city parish may need a full-time priest.

“The PSF has helped to give us a strong financial base in the Diocese and I very much hope that you will want to help it to continue to do so in the coming years.”

Bishop Christopher

What is the PSF?

Working together since 2016

The PSF was introduced in January 2016 in Southwark. Parishes have responded positively and generously to this new scheme over the past seven years – thank you. We are all God’s people, and the Diocese of Southwark is like a large family which needs to support each other. That is why the PSF is so important as it helps the parishes to work together and support one another generously.

Our PCCs right across our Diocese are responsible and accountable to each other for how much they give, and we ask each parish to aspire to being self-financing (that is, to cover their indicative costs of ministry).

Principles of the PSF

The PSF is a generosity-based pledge scheme which brings together the principles of:

  • proportionality
  • informed generosity
  • an aspiration to, and encouragement towards becoming self-financing.

These three principles are underpinned by a commitment to transparency and mutual accountability.

Parish Support Fund 2023 and 2024

Bishop Christopher writes “My fellow Bishops and I wish to thank you for your generosity. Parish ministry is made possible by your commitment to the Parish Support Fund (PSF), which is a partnership that resources mission and ministry in every parish across this beautifully diverse Diocese. “

We have sent out the 2024 Parish Support Fund materials digitally at the end of June. We hope you will share the letters, stories and videos with your PCC and congregation, as well as a newly added introductory video from Bishop Christopher and colleagues, and a PowerPoint for your PCC to help explain what your pledge pays towards.  Please enjoy the three videos from parishes, one from each area, which celebrate the impact of your generosity and God’s blessing.

Please could I ask you to include the discussion of your 2024 pledge as an agenda item in your PCCS in the months of July, August or September and submit your pledge by Friday 15 September. This deadline is to help us prepare the Diocesan budget to be presented and discussed by the governance committees ahead of Diocesan Synod.   We will be asking you to submit your pledges online, as last year.

If you have any questions please contact Gabby Parikh, our Director of Giving, or your Archdeacon.

Thank you again for enabling us to continue to resource our Diocese’s mission and ministry through your Parish Support fund pledge donations.

Watch good news stories funded by the PSF

Bishop Christopher's Introduction Video PSF 2024

Growing Younger at St John's Upper Norwood

Resourcing Estates and Farsi Community Christ Church Gipsy Hill

Loving Our Neighbour's in Herne Hill and Ruskin Park

Bishop Rosemarie Explains What Your Pledge Enables

The South London Church Fund and Southwark Diocese Board of Finance is a company limited by guarantee (No. 236594).
Registered Office: Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HW. Registered Charity: (No. 249678).

© The Diocese of Southwark 2024. All rights reserved.
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