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Are YOU a Part of It?

The Diocese of Southwark was formed from the Diocese of Rochester in 1905, and was originally a part of the Diocese of Winchester and does not therefore have historical resources. Rising costs and the devolvement of costs from the Central Church challenge us and the mission of the local Church will be greatly sustained and developed by the receipt of legacies.

Facts

• 2.25 million people live in the diocese.

• Over 40,000 of them are on the electoral rolls in the parish churches of the Church of England.

• Many of the characteristics that marked out Southwark at its best in the past remain identifiable.

The Challenge

The new Millennium challenges us to ensure that the churches here in Southwark will remain vibrant and grow as they serve all those who live in the area; it remains a fact that nearly 50% of the parishes in Southwark are in Urban Priority Areas (UPA's).

How Can You Help?

The primary reason for making a will is to make provision for family and dependants but, in addition, please consider leaving a legacy to support:

Your parish:

• to ensure the continuation of those things important to you in life.

• to contribute towards the mission of the church.

The Diocese of Southwark:

• to ensure the continued careful management of diocesan resources.

• to maintain the ability to train those with vocations to ordained ministry.

• to assist ministry in urban priority areas.

There are many pitfalls with the drawing up of wills; what may appear to be simple and straightforward may need to be written down in a specific way to ensure that it will stand if challenged. It follows that you are best advised to seek the help of a solicitor in drawing up a will; solicitors are trained to undertake this work and in the unlikely event that something does go wrong, they carry indemnity insurance. It will help if you arrive at the solicitors with a full and clear list of items that you wish to bequeath.

Here are some specimen wordings for solicitors drawing up wills:

A percentage of your estate to your Parish
I give x% of my residuary estate to the Parochial Church Council of x in the Diocese of Southwark free of duty to be applied as to both capital and income by them for such of the purposes specified in Section 5 of the Parochial Church (Powers) Measure 1956 as are charitable and I declare that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper Officer of the council shall be a sufficient discharge to my Trustees.

A gift of money to your Parish
I give to the Parochial Church Council of the Parish of x in the Diocese of Southwark the sum of £x free of duty to be applied as to both capital and income by them for such of the purposes specified in Section 5 of the Parochial Church (Powers) Measure 1956 as are charitable and I declare that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper Officer of the council shall be a sufficient discharge to my Trustees.

A gift of money to the Diocese
I give the sum of £x free of duty to the Southwark Diocesan Board of Finance having its registered Office at Trinity House, 4 Chapel Court, Borough High Street, London SE1 1HW for such charitable purposes as the Board shall decide and I declare that the receipt of the Secretary for the time being of the Board shall be a sufficient discharge to my Trustees.

Biblical Teaching about Money

There are many verses in the Old and New Testaments which speak of money and challenge the way that we use it. Here are two examples

Luke 12 verse 33
'Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys'.

You cannot take it with you and we all have a responsibility for those in need. We are challenged to think about how money can get in the way of our relationship with God.

Proverbs 27 verses 23 and 24
'Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure for ever, and a crown is not secure for all generations'.

Make provision for those for whom we are responsible.

Tradition in the Church of England

The Book of Common Prayer gives firm guidance on will making. In the section on The Visitation of the Sick, people are 'admonished' to make their will and the more general point is made that they should often be reminded about settling their estate whilst in health.

Much of the land and some church buildings have been built on the generosity of our forebears. There is a strong tradition of leaving a legacy to support the mission of the Church.

Our loved ones may find it helpful to have a memorial by which we may be remembered but the memorial enabled by our legacy will say more about our faith than a marble headstone .

For further information on legacies, including leaflets for use in parishes, please contact Communications and Resources.

The leaflets are kindly sponsored by the Ecclesiastical Insurance Group.

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