Some myth-busting information about our finances
The finances of a local church are often misunderstood. There is a perception that churches are paid by some central body to carry out the services. They are not! Indeed the reverse is true. All the costs of running and maintaining St. James', the churchyard, church building and the activities that take place around it are met by the worshipping congregation and some benefactors. On top of those costs, we have to pay a ‘Parish Share’; money that is paid to the Diocese towards clergy stipends and training. Our vicar is shared with Christ Church and so we only pay for half of that cost. We currently have to find around £30,000 a year. Now called the 'Common Fund' it is due to approach £40,000 in just a few years. This is naturally a growing problem for us to try and meet.
On the income side, we receive an amount from historic charitable trusts, and an almost identical amount is paid out by us to local and international charities which we support. Apart from fees for funerals, weddings and so on, all of which are fixed nationally by Parliament and not within our gift to change, all other income is from the people of St. James’, whether a regular member of the congregation or not, through direct giving or fund-raising activities such as our coffee mornings. We also rely heavily on volunteer labour.
Any notion that the church is well off and doesn’t need financial help to keep it open is very wide of the mark. With a medieval building to maintain, heat, light and insure, we are always grateful for donations and legacies.
We would like to hand St. James’ church in good order to the generations that follow, and ensure that the church remains open as a parish resource for all to use.
Please consider a one-off gift or a legacy, and if you are a UK tax payer, by gift-aiding it we could benefit from a 25% boost from Inland Revenue. There is a button on the 'Home' page which will take you to the Diocesan 'giving' page. This will enable you to make a gift to St. James' through the Diocesan system.
For more information, please contact our treasurer - treasurer@stjames-longdon.org.uk
On the income side, we receive an amount from historic charitable trusts, and an almost identical amount is paid out by us to local and international charities which we support. Apart from fees for funerals, weddings and so on, all of which are fixed nationally by Parliament and not within our gift to change, all other income is from the people of St. James’, whether a regular member of the congregation or not, through direct giving or fund-raising activities such as our coffee mornings. We also rely heavily on volunteer labour.
Any notion that the church is well off and doesn’t need financial help to keep it open is very wide of the mark. With a medieval building to maintain, heat, light and insure, we are always grateful for donations and legacies.
We would like to hand St. James’ church in good order to the generations that follow, and ensure that the church remains open as a parish resource for all to use.
Please consider a one-off gift or a legacy, and if you are a UK tax payer, by gift-aiding it we could benefit from a 25% boost from Inland Revenue. There is a button on the 'Home' page which will take you to the Diocesan 'giving' page. This will enable you to make a gift to St. James' through the Diocesan system.
For more information, please contact our treasurer - treasurer@stjames-longdon.org.uk
