PRIVATISED PULPITS
THE following letter in this month's edi- tion of the BMA News Review deserves a wider circulation. Its author is Mike McClure, M. Phil, MRC Psych.: Sir: Following government plans to reform the NHS, I have heard rumours of similar plans for the Church of England. In an attempt to streamline and update the service, the government will form a 'Reli- gious Policy Board' with executive powers and consisting of leading industrialists. Previous religious experience is not consi- dered essential, though they will all do an intensive course in Bible Study.
Modern management will mean that bishops will be directly accountable to diocesan general managers and vicars to parish general managers.
Although vicars are contracted to be in church on Sundays, there are concerns that for much of the rest of the time they are either playing golf or praying with private supplicants.
Contracts will be renegotiated with spe- cified numbers of christenings, weddings and funerals in each vicar's job description. To motivate lazy vicars, those who exceed targets for service attendances and conver- sions will be eligible for merit awards.
Individual churches will be able to 'opt out' of the Church of England, but will have to offer a full range of 'core' religious services. Each parish will be funded on a capitation basis, weighted to reflect age distribution and level of sinning.
So, finance for each parish will be dependent on the level of sin and 'cash will follow sinners'.
Feeble attempts on the part of the Church of England to question the wisdom of this approach have been brushed aside as the whinings of one of the 'oldest and most reactionary trade unions in the coun- try'. The Government is in no mood for compromise.
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