Grant funding from the Church of England, announced today.
Last year, more than 2,300 serving Church of England clergy received grants from the Trust, totalling £5.6 million. These were often for the basics of ministry and daily life, such as laptops or car repairs, or for household necessities which the stipend doesn't stretch to for many families, such as school uniforms and replacing broken white goods.
This new funding, from The Archbishops' Council, is a much-appreciated contribution. It follows our concerted efforts to advocate for improvements to the clergy stipend, which is set to be debated at February's General Synod, the papers for which cite the Trust's worrying data.
This grant will make a dent in our £6.3m funding gap, but this £2m is only a sticking plaster, and a meaningful increase to the stipend is urgently needed so that clergy do not continue struggling to afford the basics of home and ministry.
Our comment
"Ministry is a joy, but comes with significant challenges; for too many clergy, those challenges are financial."
"Today’s announcement is a very positive step forward. The Church acknowledges that more must be done, and it has been good to work together on longer-term, sustainable solutions."
"Clergy wellbeing is not a peripheral issue, but essential to the mission and ministry of the Church. This funding will contribute positively to the broad programme of grants and services the Trust is privileged to offer, as we seek to serve those extraordinary people who spend their lives serving others."
The Revd Ben Cahill-Nicholls
Chief Executive, Clergy Support Trust
What does this mean for our applicants?
Nothing about our grants and services will change. We will continue to provide the same range of support, from Emergency grants for those unexpected costs, to a helping hand through Counselling and/or Coaching.
We are confidential, independent, impartial and inclusive, and are committed to staying that way.
No identifiable information on our applicants, the grants applied for, or any information given in confidence will be shared with the Church of England. There will be no changes to our team, or to our practices.
This funding is very welcome, and will go a significant way towards the much-needed essential support we already provide for clergy households. Whilst we will continue to see a funding gap this year, even with the central Church funding, our grants programme remains consistent.
Our conversations with senior church leaders will not stop, and as a leading voice for clergy, we will similarly not stop pushing for better support for households.
Use our Eligibility Checker to see how we can help.
What does this mean for our supporters?
We still need your help! Donations, gifts in Wills, welcoming new Governors and Stewards - your generosity remains vital, so we can be there for every clergy household who comes to us in need.
We are continuing to dip into our reserves - risking our ability to weather future economic storms - but we are committed to helping clergy and their families and continuing to be an independent lifeline for people who are struggling.
This includes expanding our Visiting Caseworker Service, which works with vulnerable clergy households, often with health needs or a disability. We recently welcomed two new colleagues to this team, such is the need from those who find themselves in complex circumstances.
We can only do what we do thanks to the generosity of our wonderful supporters, like you, who recognise the selflessness of clergy in serving their communities, often to the detriment of their own financial and emotional wellbeing.
If you feel able, please consider making a donation.
Are you partnering with the Church of England?
We remain a totally independent charity, and do not report to the Church of England.
However, we believe firmly that partnership solutions are essential in the area of clergy wellbeing and finance, including with other charities, dioceses, organisations and the national Churches.
But confidentiality is and will always be a cornerstone of the Trust's work - and this announcement doesn't change that in any way.
My household is part of a different national Church / I am retired. Can I still get support?
Of course!
We continue to support serving clergy, retired clergy, their partners, former partners, widow(er)s and dependent children in the Church of England (including the Diocese in Europe and the Diocese of Sodor and Man), Church in Wales, Church of Ireland and the Scottish Episcopal Church.
Will the Church of England be increasing the stipend?
Clergy Support Trust has been advocating over some months for an increase to the stipend, and we are glad to see proposals coming to Synod.
The recommendation - given by the Clergy Stipends & Pensions Review, prior to General Synod's meeting in London in February 2025 - is that the stipend should rise to catch up with inflation, having fallen behind 14 years ago.
We are also pleased to see the proposal of a minimum stipend of £34,000 from April 2026 – which will come as a relief for many hard-pressed clergy households. It’s concerning that clergy pay hasn’t kept pace with average earnings, particularly those in the public sector.
The proposal includes the smoothing out of regional variations in the stipend, meaning clergy will be guaranteed the same minimum level of pay, regardless of where they are in England. This will mean clergy in parishes in neighbouring towns won’t find they are being paid different amounts.
What will happen to the information I have given you?
Confidential information which you give to Clergy Support Trust in connection with, or as part of, your application will never be shared, without your permission (unless we have a serious safeguarding concern, and only then with the relevant authorities).
Grants applied for, services used, conversations had - This stays between you and the Trust, and the only information we will continue to share with the national Churches will be broader, non-individual-specific data to provide a clearer picture of the demand for our services (eg. nearly 90% of the clergy we supported last year were from the Church of England).
This helps inform our policy calls and advocacy as the leading voice on clergy wellbeing.
You can find out more about our Privacy and Data Policy below.
Will you be offering new grants and services?
We will continue to innovate and expand our programme of grants and services, in line with our existing charity strategy.
In 2024, we introduced a range of new offerings for our applicants, including a Will Writing Service, a Coaching Service and we recruited two new Visiting Caseworkers. We want to listen to the needs of clergy households and invest in the areas where there is significant need.
This £2m grant from the Church of England will allow us to continue to provide the basics of ministry - including laptops, car repairs and replacement home appliances - to the thousands of serving clergy and their families who need them.
There will be no changes to our team or to working practices as a result of this funding.