More than £60 million is being awarded to three Church of England dioceses for long-term programmes of transformation.
The money for the Dioceses of Southwark, Blackburn and London is from the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board (SMMIB) and will be targeted at parish renewals, children and youth work and outreach to low-income areas.
£25.5 million goes to the Diocese of Blackburn to be used over nine years for supporting the renewal of church life in urban areas and, through a freshly designed programme of CME (Continuing Ministerial Education), support clergy wellbeing and development.
The programmes will build on nationally funded work in the diocese which has supported youth ministry, parish revitalisation, and outer estate leadership and which has contributed to above average increases in adult and children attendance in the Diocese.
The Bishop of Blackburn, Rt Rev Philip North said: “In the past few years we have set a bold path for growth in the Diocese and we have done so because we long for people across our county to find life in relationship with Jesus.
This new investment will make a massive difference to our common life. It will enable us, for example, to expand our ministry to the young; strengthen church life in urban areas; offer enhanced support to clergy and sustain pioneering programmes of work such as M:Power (lay ministry training) and our ‘Parish Renewal Programme’."
The Diocese of Southwark has been awarded the largest amount of funding - £21.6 million with a further £7.4 million from 2027, subject to further approvals - to help fund a nine-year programme including extensive renewal and development for parishes of all traditions.
The grant will include funding apprentice-style training for ministry with children and young people, supporting churches across the diocese, and work to ensure greater diversity in lay and ordained vocations. The planned programme also includes more new worshipping communities and bilingual churches.
The Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, said: “I am delighted at this outcome, bringing to fruition our overriding commitment to all our parishes
“I am grateful to the national Church for investing in our potential and endorsing our renewed Southwark Vision to be Christ centred and outward focused in all we do. In this Diocese, resources always follow vision - and not the other way around."
The Diocese of London has been awarded £9.4 million of funding to support its Hackney and Islington Programme over six years.
The deaneries of Hackney and Islington in the Stepney Episcopal Area are home to a population of 500,000 people, of which a third are under 19. They also have the highest level of social housing in the UK.
The programme of transformation will focus on ministry in low-income communities, new worshipping communities, church planting, children and youth work, and renewal of small to medium sized parishes broadly in the catholic tradition.
The plans include parish revitalisations and estates missioners, as well as ‘youth minsters’ serving 21 parishes – each with a youth minister and youth apprentice.
The programme of renewal also provides support to parishes in the catholic tradition to develop their mission and growth and to create nine new worshipping communities.
The Bishop of Stepney, Joanne Grenfell said: "Our diocesan vision is for every Londoner to know the love of God in Jesus Christ.
“We want our churches to grow in health, depth, impact, and numbers, and to be able to reach every part of the deaneries of Hackney and Islington.
“By God’s grace and with this funding, we can now give much needed support and resource to 28 parishes, particularly those in younger and less affluent areas, with the aim of growing the churches towards health and sustainability by 2030."
The awards to the three dioceses total £64 million and are set to last for between six and nine years.