THE LORD WILL PROVIDE?

"The Church of England is to debate trimming the number of bishops and other senior clergy, amid falling investment returns and a £352m pension deficit. The measure, proposed by the diocese of Bradford, will be discussed at next month's meeting of the General Synod, the church's legislative body. In a paper the diocese said that despite a "large decline" in church membership and full-time paid clergy there had been no serious consideration given to the need to reduce the number of senior posts and the structures around them. In 2008 the church commissioners, who manage investments for the Church of England, spent £7.3m maintaining houses for diocesan bishops and £14.5m in grants for bishops' support staff, office and working costs. At a briefing yesterday the synod general-secretary, William Fittall, said the church was experiencing "acute" financial pressures: "We are not in a situation of panic but we are in a situation of real pressure and a huge increase in pension costs is a real problem." (Guardian, 23 June) RD