Both our clergy and our senior church members in this parish were growing increasingly concerned with the national direction of travel of the Church of England, particularly on issues of sexuality and marriage, and therefore finding a way for us to express our clear commitment to the orthodox Gospel, even in a changing denominational landscape. It was something we wanted to have the chance to talk honestly about. And so bringing to PCC this proposal to be able to route our giving through the Ephesian Fund was a great way for everyone’s conscience to be put at ease and for a clarity that we want to be part of the diocese, we want to give, we want to contribute, as we’ve had good working relationship as God has renewed his parish. But we couldn’t thoughtlessly just give money into a system which has now sadly become very compromised and divided over what we believe to be a primary issue.

Wonderfully our PCC was deeply united in our foundational convictions about the authority of God’s word and about the goodness of God’s design for marriage and the missional importance of being able to share this with the world when there’s so much confusion around. So, we ‘re united on that. We’re a group of different personalities, with different temperaments, different appetites for reading up on all the debates and what’s going on, which is totally normal, actually very healthy, but we were able to have a good honest discussion about why it was important for us to maintain positive giving relationships with the diocese whilst also safeguarding the consciences of those who are deeply disturbed about what they’re hearing in the national Church. In the Bible, how we use our money is a pretty central aspect of our discipleship for Christ. So wanting to be faithful in the way we steward our money is central to Christian living. The Ephesian Fund gives a way for people with orthodox convictions to steward their finances in a way that they know God will be pleased with because it’s being used further the cause of the gospel.

So when I first heard about the Ephesian fund, I assumed it was for churches who could pay more than their parish share or common fund. And we’re one of those churches which is in quite a deprived area that wasn’t able to. But I discovered that by using the Ephesian funds. We could pay what we could to the diocese and we could also receive from other churches who were able to pay more and to be generous. And so we were absolutely delighted when the diocese received a bit of top up anonymously from another church in the Ephesian Fund to actually help pay for our ministry expenses here in Hounslow.

What I’d say to my fellow clergy is that using the Ephesians Fund is really simple. The diocese still gets your money, but it has a wrapper on it that says I want this to be used for those churches who have the same theological convictions. It means that we can still support the growing churches, those who are really serious about spreading the gospel, the true gospel, and not selling it short.

Over a number of years the church has been concerned about what has been discussed in the church nationally and regarding LLF and PLF. We have been simply updating the PCC about what the developments have been and the steps that have been taken along that journey. A number of people have been very concerned, some people have left the church over that direction. And so, we felt that we wanted to take action to safeguard the integrity of the people who generously give towards our church. They give from what God has given them. And they want to be good stewards of that and how that affects our finances in terms of what we give towards the diocese to fund our ministry here and also perhaps potentially ministry elsewhere in this area.

The concern was there when we talked about what’s going on in the church, and we were looking at the ways in which we could express that concern. We talked about how the Ephesian Fund might be a way of doing that. But primarily we wanted to say to the congregation, we acknowledge what you might be feeling, the fears you might have, and we want to honour your consciences. You’ve given money, and we want to make sure that the money that we passed to the diocese isn’t funding something that we think God does not agree with. I think people have been reassured. Lots of people gave generously to a one-off gift day for the work of our church, knowing that any money given is given in a way that honours the gospel and what God says about marriage and sexuality and is consistent with that. So they could give with confidence, knowing that the money was going to what they believed in.

I think the really important thing was to help everybody to think this through. Conversations haven’t always been easy. It can be complex, understandably, and we’re all invested, in our own relationships and friendships and things? But we need to have these conversations in these days.

The consequences of shifting away from our inherited beliefs on core things like sex, marriage, relationships has consequences we can’t even begin to imagine. Don’t be afraid clergy. Do bring it to your PCCs. Do it for your own consciences. Do it for the Lord.

Our church took the Living in Love and Faith (LLF) resources seriously and we chose a small group of people to commit their time to reading everything meticulously and praying about this. In our view this clearly didn’t adhere to scripture teaching on marriage and sexuality. A thoughtful response was sent to our Bishops and copied to our Patron (The Church Pastoral Aid Society). We tried to engage in meaningful conversation with our Bishop both by letter and in person. When General Synod approved the Prayers of Love and Faith (PLF) it became apparent that our concerns were not being listened to, so our only path was for our PCC to have discussions about this matter and the best way to respond. It was vital that the decision by General Synod should not be ignored.

There were some things to consider before any action was decided upon. We were mindful that the implications of the PLF proposal were not widely understood by the whole congregation. When the PCC considered our PSF and whether some or all of it should be given to support other churches, our churchwardens conducted a consultation with the congregation. They proposed a number of options where the money could be given and used to further God’s kingdom in our diocese. This process went smoothly. After much prayer and discussion, the PCC chose to continue to give for the cost of our own incumbent to the diocese and for the amount in excess of this to be given via the Ephesian Fund. We know that not everyone in the congregation was in agreement with this decision but the majority were.

The Ephesian Fund was the best option for our church as the money is held in a secure way and then distributed to other churches with similar views to ours. It was simple to transfer the money and the money was sent out speedily. The diocese responded favourably and did not inhibit this new way of giving. For any churches who wish to stay close to God’s teaching in these turbulent times and are considering how to support other churches who think similarly, please don’t feel it’s too difficult. It isn’t. The Ephesian Fund is a good solution and protects conscience on matters relating to giving for gospel ministry. Our Vicar received heartfelt and encouraging letters of great thanks from the Vicars of the churches who were assigned the funds by CEEC. It has strengthened our relationships with these churches and it is convicting us that this is the right thing to do at this time.

It has been important for our church to do this, to stand firm in orthodoxy, to raise and awareness so the bishops hear us. We felt it was important to stand with those who are orthodox, particularly with orthodox bishops. Paying Parish share this way has meant that we have not needed to reduce our Parish Share.

Once our PCC had agreed to use the Ephesian Fund, we informed the congregation with a letter of explanation. Almost everyone has been happy with the decision, with the exception of one couple leaving.

Following conversations with the Diocese and our Bishop we will take the parish share giving of those individuals who have objected and will pay that part of the Parish share directly at the end of the year, not through the Ephesian Fund. However, this will only be an opt in if they contact us. Currently this is four couples.

The 3% of the Parish Share being covered has made this possible in protecting our giving and enabling a few to remain in the C of E, who were on the verge of leaving.

 As a church we are committed to biblical Christianity and we want to ensure that every penny of our money goes to likeminded faithful churches. Giving via the Ephesians fund ensures this and also signals the importance of our convictions both to the diocese and the wider Church of England.

Our PCC unanimously agreed to give in this way. We are paying the diocese’s costs for our rector through the Ephesian Fund. We are committed to the Anglican church and so our priority is to keep supporting other Anglican churches. 

We are very grateful for the generosity of a net contributor church who by choosing to support orthodox ministry through the Ephesian Fund, are topping up our parish share making us less vulnerable to potential cuts. We pray God’s blessing upon them as they bless us.

Those in favour of withholding were concerned that they might otherwise support ministry which they regarded as contrary to Scripture. Those against withholding felt that the PCC should keep to its commitment for the year, and also pay its full long-term costs while it was part of the Church of England. It also became apparent that whatever the PCC decided about parish share, some in the congregation would reduce their giving in response.

Eventually, the PCC wrote to its area and diocesan bishops explaining its opposition to the proposed PLF and informing them that some of its parish share would be withheld. Whilst withholding parish share succeeded in signalling the strength of opinion, it proved controversial, even among some church members who opposed PLF.

The introduction of the Ephesian Fund provided a means for the PCC to find a more united way forward, and for members of the congregation with a variety of views to continue to give confidently to the church. Those in favour thought that it would help to ensure that their money was used to support Scriptural ministry and signal their opposition to PLF and a desire to partner with other like-minded churches. Those opposed were concerned about the extra administration, whether costed or not, and disconnection with the diocese.

Initially, the PCC could afford to give only part of its Parish Standard Cost (PSC) via the Ephesian Fund, partly because its income had fallen as a result of LLF. More recently, many church members felt sufficiently reassured by the extra governance provided by the Ephesian Fund to give generously to the church and the PCC has been able to increase its giving to cover its full PSC. The extra administration has not proved onerous and personal relationships with diocesan officers continue to be good.

So, “Thank you Ephesian Fund” for helping us to manage our financial resources wisely and release us from distracting controversy about money so that we can focus once again on Gospel ministry.

We are committed to staying in the Church of England and paying the Common Fund, since we are aware that we are massively subsidised by the diocese; however once the proposal to pay via the Ephesian Fund was presented and explained to the PCC, no-one voted against.

For us, subscription to the CEEC declaration of faith and use of the Ephesian Fund marks our identity, and although we are in a vulnerable position with few resources, sends out a message that we do not wish the gospel message to be diluted. So far the Diocese of Exeter has been happy for us to pay in this way, although I am very aware other churches with greater financial resources have had a very different response.

I would encourage any other small, struggling church to step out in faith and adopt the fund since when or if differentiation takes place it is precisely these kinds of churches that will need the most support and encouragement.