Financial problems for Auckland diocese

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 4

Financial problems for Auckland diocese

Anglicans in the Christchurch diocese are not in the cash-strapped position of their brethren in Auckland. The registrar of the Christchurch diocese, Mr Arthur Mahan, said yesterday, that it was not facing the financial problems plaguing the Auckland diocese, because the system of funding vicars’ salaries was different. In Auckland, the parishes were asked to pledge a certain amount a year to pay for the vicars’ and bishops’ salaries, but in Christchurch, no vicars were appointed to a par-

ish, if it could not afford one, he said. The Bishop of Christchurch’s salary and expenses were funded by a bishopric estate and not at the parishioners’ expense. “It’s certainly cheaper to be an Anglican in this diocese,” said Mr Mahan. The 68 parishes in Christchurch were responsible for funding their own vicar’s stipend and setting the budget for the year, unlike in Auckland, where the diocese relied on the pooling system. “The Auckland diocese sends vicars out to par-

ishes in the hope they will get enough money to pay their salaries.” The problem for the Auckland diocese, which expects a deficit of $476,000 this year, was that some of the parishes had slipped behind in their payments, said Mr Mahan. So far about half of the 76 parishes in Auckland had responded to the call to dig deeply into their pockets. Christchurch Anglicans would not be asked to help fund the Auckland diocese’s financial difficulties, said Mr Mahan.