About Parish Share
Parish Share is an essential support for mission and ministry in our Diocese. Parish Share covers our missional leadership, most of the costs of our clergy’s pay, pension, housing and training, as well as some Reader training and support for our church schools.
Without Parish Share, we would not be able to sustain the mission and ministry of parishes in our Diocese.
Our Parishes commitment and support is second to none.
For Parish Share queries:
Call 0151 705 2180 or email
Gordon Fath | Matt Elliott | Sarah Smith
Parish Share is an essential support for mission and ministry in our Diocese.
Generous sharing and mutuality in the Body of Christ
The way we pay for our clergy is called Parish Share, and it is vitally important for every parish and congregation in our diocese. Parish Share is a mutual sharing of our financial resources between wealthier and poorer parishes that quite simply makes Anglican ministry and mission possible in the Diocese of Liverpool.
This is more important than ever – fifty years ago around three-quarters of the cost of Anglican clergy was met by the Church Commissioners in London. Today much the same proportion is met by the faithful folk in church on Sunday.
Parish Share is not about our buildings; it is not even about our bishops. Parish Share funds the lion’s share of the cost of our parish clergy as they serve in our parishes; the rest comes from wealthier dioceses who share their resources with us.
Parish Share is deeply rooted in the biblical principle of generous sharing and mutuality in the Body of Christ. St Paul spent a good part of his apostolic ministry organising a financial collection from the gentile churches for the impoverished church in Jerusalem. No less for us, Parish Share is a tangible expression of our corporate life and mutual interdependence.
Parish Share covers our missional leadership, most of the costs of our clergy’s pay, pension, housing and training, as well as some Reader training and support for our church schools. Without Parish Share, we would not be able to sustain the mission and ministry of the majority of parishes in our Diocese.
The commitment of our parishes to playing their part generously in mutual support of ministry and mission across the Diocese is second to none. Thank you.
Transparency and fairness around Parish Share are important, as is the need to support parishes in meeting their Share allocations.
The downloads on this page show the latest allocations for parishes, plus information about how to share is calculated and how we are working to sustain Parish Share and support parishes.
Parish Share Payment Plans
Liverpool has a Parish Share collection rate of around 98%, which is the envy of many other dioceses.
However, a single percentage fall in the total Parish Share collection rate equates approximately to the cost of two stipendiary clergy posts. It is vital therefore that we maintain our historic high collection rates and reverse any decreasing trend in Parish Share payments.
Our Diocesan Synod courageously addressed this issue in 2011, committing the Diocese to support those in genuine difficulty whilst ensuring the maximum level of share is contributed. Synod expects churches that go into long-term Parish Share arrears (more than three months), to produce a Parish Share Payment Plan.
A Guide to Parish Share
For details of parish contributions and deanery totals, please see ‘Your Parish Share Assessments’ below.
Your Parish Share Assessments
We have published the tables to show deanery share assessments and parish/church contributions to each deanery’s share assessments:
- 2024 DPS assessments and church contributions
- 2023 DPS assessments and church contributions
- 2022 DPS assessments and church contributions
- 2021 DPS assessments and church contributions
- 2020 DPS assessments and church contributions
- 2019 Church Assessments
Deanery Parish Share assessment for 2024.
The Missional Leadership budget increased by 5% for 2024. However, with further financial support from Archbishop’s Council for 2024, received as a final grant of stability funding for 2024, we have now been able to mitigate the impact of cost increases in the Missional Leadership budget, such that there will be no change in the amount of Parish Share requested for 2024, other than where a deanery decision has changed deployment levels or has changed parish-by-parish allocations within a deanery. This means that for the majority of parishes there will be almost no change in 2024 to the amount of Parish Share invoiced or collected by direct debit. Deanery Mission and Growth Funds (DMGF) will continue to be available in the usual way.
Parish Share – Mission Giving
Parish Share in the Diocese of Liverpool is a form of mission giving and a system of mutual support through which the costs of Missional Leadership are shared. These are the costs of clergy stipends, pensions, housing, and training, along with funding for deaneries.
Parish Share does not pay for the work of St James’ House services. Each parish is allocated a contribution by their deanery towards a deanery’s total Deanery Parish Share. Only through Parish Share can we guarantee a Christian presence in all communities in our Diocese so that we can see a bigger church to make a bigger difference.