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I AM A CHURCHWARDEN in Shute, a
rural parish in East Devon. Together
with a colleague, I am responsible for
a mother church, St Michael’s,
Shute, and a daughter chapel, St
Mary-at-the-Cross, Whitford. I have
volunteered in the parish for eight
years, and working with a wonderful
group of clergy and volunteers, it has
been a privilege to see the growth of
worship, with the re-opening of the
Whitford Chapel after a long period
of closure, the introduction of a
choir, new services and parish
events, and a successful fundraising
campaign to restore the fabric and
monuments at St Michael’s Church.
I was baptised at the age of
18, much influenced by the
Anglican
spirituality
of
George Herbert and the
English choral tradition.
Since then, I have worked in
book publishing, writing,
journalism, Classics teaching,
and as a historian. I have also
trained as a barrister, and been
a
charity
trustee,
and
school
governor. I am the author of God is
an Englishman: Christianity
and the Creation of England a
history of what Christianity gave to
England culturally and spiritually,
and why it is still vital to us. The work
on this book, which was endorsed as
“superb”
by
Rowan
Williams,
together with my experience of the
parish, has supported my deep
affection for the Church of England
as it brings people to Christ and a
fullness of life. I hope, by advocacy in
the General Synod, I can play a
further part in this mission.
Bijan Omrani
The Parish: the heart of the Church of England
MY EXPERIENCE VOLUNTEERING at my parish church has
shown me more than anything its fundamental
importance in the local mission of Christ. It is a stable
point in the landscape that has proclaimed the gospel for
generations, where people know to find spiritual solace
and good news, to connect with the clergy who have the
cure of their souls, to develop the bonds of community
and the practice of Christian life. The parish church and
the parish system may be old, but they are a “goodly
heritage”: still wonderfully effective for bringing the
message of Christ to local communities.
The neglect of the local
Despite this, for several decades the local parishes have
been starved of the funds they need to do their work.
Their assets have been moved to the control of distant
central bodies and have been swallowed up by growing
bureaucracies and flashy but ineffective initiatives.
This has led to church closures, parish amalgamations,
lay volunteers being asked to do ever more, and huge
stress being put on dedicated clergy, who find it harder
to live out their calling to serve God’s people. It
means it is more difficult to proclaim effectively the
Word of Christ.
A hard impact: clergy, parishes and the
poor
There are now just 6,295 paid clergy, a historic
low, and down by 28% from 2000. Some
parishes are being grouped into mega-benefices
of 20 or even 30 churches, an impossible task for any
priest. 40% of the church closures are impacting the
10% of the most deprived parishes.
A time for repair
This is one of the biggest
challenges
to
face
the
Church in our time. Without
the
sure
foundation
of
properly
funded
parishes
with well-supported clergy, it
will be ever more difficult for the
church to fulfil its mission. I am therefore standing as
part of the Save the Parish movement, which has an
effective programme to tackle these problems. As a
General Synod member, these would be my priorities:

Qualifications
for Service
IT IS NOT JUST from my long-term
experience as a volunteer for my
parish that I hope I am fitted to stand
for General Synod. My other work
also fits me to be an effective
advocate and to make a positive
difference through the Synod.
My training as a barrister, along
with my experience as a teacher,
school governor and charity
trustee (The Royal Society for Asian
Affairs) fits me to deal with the
legislative
and
procedural
complexities, not to mention speech-
making and advocacy.

My knowledge of the history of
the Church of England, shown
through
my
published
writing,
allows me to be independent-
minded, and a critical friend. I have
not been slow to encourage or
critique through my journalism
where necessary.
Since
the
2025
publication
of God is an
Englishman
I
have
lectured on
Church
matters
across
the
country, from audiences of bishops
and academics in cathedrals to local
rural parishes. This has both given
me a deep insight into the state of the
Church, and also many contacts with
whom I can work to get things done.
If elected, I look forward to
serving you.
Contact: [email protected]
07887701336
Proper support for parishes
The Church Commissioners, whose historic charitable
task is to help with the cure of souls in the parishes that
most need it, have an endowment of nearly £12 billion.
However, since changes in 2018, only eight percent of
their money is ring-fenced for parishes. This needs to
change: money should go to the parishes that need it,
with no grant applications or strings attached.
Money for mission and the frontline
There has been a huge increase in money spent on
central overheads. For example, diocesan overheads
have grown by 29% in three years, to £156 million, and
they are employing on average one member of staff for
three-and-a-half clergy. The usual ratio for charity
administrative to frontline staff is one to eight. Proper
discipline is needed, and money must not be wasted on
initiatives or administration that is not vital to the
Church’s mission.
Care for the Clergy
I have seen the difference made when clergy are well-
supported. Unfortunately, too many are under too much
pressure. Nearly a third report symptoms of depression,
and even more report loneliness and a sense that they
are not helped by leadership. We must put an end to
cutting stipendiary posts and the creation of impractical
mega-benefices, and ensure that the ordinary work of
clergy in parishes is properly valued.
Support for proper clergy training
The number of ordinations has declined, and access to
residential courses and a full programme of deep
theological training for clergy has become rarer. Clergy
need to be given the support to develop their theological
knowledge to the full to best preach the Word of Christ
in this time of intellectual ferment.
Support for volunteers
Volunteers are critical for the mission of the Church and
their service to the wider community. However, they are
becoming more difficult to find. Whilst maintaining
safeguarding, we need to remove needless burdens of
bureaucracy, and make sure that they are not left
without clergy support by long vacancies.
A voice for parishes
If a church is threatened with closure, a parish with
amalgamation, a vicarage with sale, the needs and will
of the parishioners must be listened to properly, and
their treatment must be fair and just.
Lecture at Chichester
Cathedral, April 2026